Lachie Whitfield is determined to make the most of his second chance after drugs ban

IT’S 12 months since the Lachie Whitfield drug scandal became public, and the Giants midfielder says it has not only changed him as a footballer but as a person.

Lachie Whitfield at training. Picture: AAP

IT’S 12 months since the Lachie Whitfield drug scandal became public, and the Giants midfielder says it has not only changed him as a footballer but as a person.

He copped a six-month ban for evading a drug test with the help of former GWS administrators Graeme Allan and Craig Lambert. It was infinitely more palatable than the four-year suspension he could have earned for the offence.

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It allowed him to return to action for GWS in Round 8 this year against Collingwood instead of Round 1, 2021, at the age of 27.

“It’s changed who I am, that ban,” Whitfield said.

“It’s made me a better person. For a 48-hour period leading up to the ban I honestly thought I was going to get banned for four years.

“I thought that four years was almost career over. It was slipping away for sure. It felt like water running though my fingers.”

Whitfield is a born-again footballer.

Lachie Whitfield is making the most of his second chance. Picture: Getty Images

Teammates Josh Kelly and Dylan Shiel have rightly grabbed the attention for their stellar seasons and Kelly’s potential multimillion-dollar move.

But the No.1 pick from the 2012 draft is having an outstanding year himself and making the most of his near career-death experience.

“I definitely don’t take anything for granted,” Whitfield said.

“Getting the second lifeline and the ban being short enough that I was able to come back and play this year has given me another crack at a finals series. You have to take every opportunity you get.”

As Whitfield and the Giants prepare to take on the Crows at Adelaide Oval next Thursday night, memories have come flooding back to the time when the story broke in the lead-up to last year’s qualifying final against Sydney.

“I remember the night it was leaked to the newspapers,” Whitfield said.

“It was going to come out the next morning, surprisingly it was immediate relief for me. I had to ring my mum and that was the hardest thing about it, breaking the news to her. It was something I’d kept behind closed doors for a long time and it was a relief. We had a great win against the Swans that week (qualifying final).

“It’s been a three-and-a-half-year process and we’re still talking about it.”

Whitfield says his drugs ban has helped made him a better person. Picture: AAP

The experience has hardened Whitfield.

When he spoke to The Daily Telegraph in June this year he said the blame for the whole affair lay at his door and not with then Giants managers Allan and Lambert.

During his forced ban he also started training with former IBF World Middleweight champion Sam Soliman.

“He taught me resilience and how to push through pain,” Whitfield said.

“My first session he tested me out to see how I would go and after an hour ... I said I’m going to throw up and he said ‘you’re not going anywhere and you’ve got 20 minutes to go’.

“I boxed with my head up so nothing came out. He’s quite a coach and a life coach. I did a lot of community service with him and gave back.”