GWS star Lachie Whitfield says he should cop full blame for ban after attempting to evade drug testers
EXCLUSIVE: IN an in-depth interview about his suspension, Lachie Whitfield opens up about the impact his ban for attempting to evade drug testers has had on him and his family and his AFL return.
GWS
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LACHIE Whitfield says the blame for his six-month ban for attempting to evade a drug test lies with him and not former GWS administrators Graeme Allan and Craig Lambert.
Allan and Lambert were handed one-year suspensions for their role in the affair which happened more than two years ago. The Giants were also slapped with a $100,000 fine and lost 1000 bidding points (the equivalent of pick 17) in the draft.
Whitfield returned to action five weeks ago in the Round 8 win over Collingwood at Spotless Stadium and has spoken for the first time about the long-running scandal which could have led to a ban as long as four years.
“At the end of the day I control what I do,” Whitfield said.
“I’m the one who got a six-month ban, I take responsibility. I know Gubby and Lambo have been in strife for what they did but I don’t blame them. They are very good people in the AFL community. They put the players first and that’s why so many have re-signed and I can’t speak highly enough of them.”
When the news of the scandal broke before last year’s finals Whitfield revealed it was a relief to have the story out in the open rather than hanging over his head.
“It was a weight off my chest,” Whitfield said.
“It wasn’t a bad thing that it came out. The incident happened 18 months before it became public. I played with it for a long time and it did affect my footy. There were two months when I really struggled to get a kick and when it came out there was nothing to hide and I was able to play with freedom and aggression.”
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While having the scandal out in the open was a relief for Whitfield but it was anything but for his family and his mother Maryanne in particular.
“I remember the night Luke Power told me it was being released to the media, the first thing I thought of was how it would affect mum,” Whitfield said.
“I jumped on the phone and organised to go down and help her through the situation, she was the one who was affected the most.
“I spent the majority of the ban living back home in Melbourne. It was like I was 18 again, mum and I helped each other and we got through it together. I’m a bit like dad, I’m more thick skinned.”
That tough hide has served Whitfield well in his return to action with fans getting stuck into him for the first time in Sunday’s one-point loss to Carlton.
“The weekend was the first time I noticed a bit of abuse from the stands,” Whitfield said.
“There was none in Perth or Sydney, it made me smile and gave me a giggle. There have been a dozen players who have given me a pat on the back and said it’s good to see me back.”
The response from opposition players has been a pleasant surprise for the 22-year-old who has been on the receiving end of sledges only occasionally in his first five games back.
He wouldn’t identify the player or their club but said the feedback from the AFL community had mainly been supportive.
“There was one player who had a dig at me and I’m not going to name the player or the club,” Whitfield said.
“I gave a bit of lip back and we won the game. In the AFL community a lot of the boys know what I went through and know the circumstances and they have had my back in terms of comments being said. There has been a lot of negative stuff but from other teams and players I’ve only had support.”
Whitfield has a mark against his name which he knows will never go away but he’s doing the best he can at getting on with life and his footy career.
Part of that process is taking full responsibility for his actions.
“I know it will be on my resume forever,” Whitfield said.
“But I’ve got a lot to prove and I hope there is a lot more good than bad on that resume. I hope people can see that I can be a half decent footballer and contribute to my team but also a good person in the AFL community.”
Whitfield hasn’t missed a beat in his return averaging 27.4 disposals from his five games back including goals in his last three outings.
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