Harley Bennell photos: ‘It’s time for AFL to admit drugs problem’

UPDATE: HARLEY Bennell won’t play for Gold Coast on Saturday after pictures of him with white powder in a hotel room were revealed, with coach Rodney Eade saying it wouldn’t be “appropriate”.

UPDATE: HARLEY Bennell won’t play for the Gold Coast Suns this weekend, the club has confirmed, despite training with teammates on Thursday morning.

Photos of the rising star racking up lines of white powder — said to be amphetamines (aka speed) — in a Launceston hotel room in 2013 were published by the Herald Sun this morning.

The club is holding fire on any disciplinary action against the 2010 No.2 draft pick amid fears for his welfare but coach Rodney Eade said it wouldn’t be sensible for Bennell to face North Melbourne on Saturday.

“With it happening so close to the game, we’re obviously worried about the headspace that Harley’s in,” Eade said.

“We’re obviously worried about his welfare and, also from a club point of view and a player’s point of view, we think it’s appropriate that he doesn’t play this weekend.

“He was keen to train and we were keen as well from our point of view, rather than just staying at home by himself, we thought it was best for him.

“I think he’s masking a bit at the moment. He seems to be holding up okay but certainly longer term we’re going to have to have some talks to him about that.”

Thursday’s revelations come less than a week after it was reported former Suns star Karmichael Hunt had named several of his ex-AFL teammates in a statement to police following his own conviction on cocaine possession charges in March.

In the wake of those reports Suns chief executive Andrew Travis initiated an investigation into the claims, urging any players involved to speak to him privately.

The Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission released a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying they lacked evidence to charge any other sporting professionals as part of the same investigation which nabbed Hunt.

Travis said the publication of the photos on Thursday was disappointing, but said the club wasn’t retreating from the challenges it faces.

“We have been making a number of changes, we’ve been demanding a much higher standard from our group and that work has been ongoing, progress has been made,” Travis said.

“We’ve got challenges. We’re certainly owning those challenges and we’re going to deal with them.”

Travis said he welcomed a decision to review the AFL’s Illicit Drugs Policy and would be keen to provide any assistance in that matter.

Harley Bennell during a Gold Coast Suns training session this morning.

Suns players were addressed by the AFL Players Association on Thursday morning. The club’s coaching staff and leadership group also spoke to the playing group.

The AFL’s general manager of football operations Mark Evans was at Metricon Stadium and was involved in crisis talks.

Most Suns players interacted with fans after today’s training session but the besieged Bennell left the ground immediately.

“I’m not happy — I’m surprised he’s out there training,” said Suns member Sonya Fyfe, who attended the fan day with son Alex, 10.

“Bennell’s not setting a good example and I don’t think they should have let him train.”

Suns players said they were rallying around Bennell and were glad to see so many fans turn up amid the drugs scandal.

“We’re trying to look after Harley and work through it,” Suns forward Tom Lynch said.

Bennell’s housemate, Brandon Matera, said Bennell was “fine ... we’re all getting around him”.

“We need all the support at the moment, we’re going through tough times,” he said.

“We’re all just looking forward to getting out there this weekend against the Kangas.”

Harley Bennell during a Gold Coast Suns training session this morning.

Defender Steven May said it was ‘good to see all the fans come out and support us’.

“We’ve got a big game this week and it’s good that the club has put on a family day for all the kids and families,” he said.

“We’re just getting on with business and training — it’s all we can do. We’re a footy club and we’ve got a game this week.”

Earlier, AFL chief Gillon McLachlan said the publication of the shocking photos “doesn’t change anything”, as he announced a new illicit drugs policy will be in place for the start of the off-season.

McLachlan says while the images are “disappointing”, the balance must be struck between looking after the player and having a responsibility to the game and the illicit drug code.

“(Bennell has) had an incredibly tough background,” McLachlan said. “It means more than ever, his welfare is incredibly important and our focus.

“The club have been working closely with Harley for a couple of years ... and are ensuring he has the right people around him to deal with today and to deal with his challenges ongoing.

“Gold Coast is facing some challenges that many, if not all, of our clubs are facing to varying degrees.

“The scale of that is being worked through ... and has been known for some time. There is a mature discussion going on.

“These stories of start-up clubs are not linear journeys.”

Afl should amend drug policy to two strikes, no self reporting. And inform certain club officials after first strike.

— Campbell brown (@Browndogg_30x) July 2, 2015

McLachlan says there must be a “consequence or action point” for every strike recorded, rather than the current system where a player’s first two strikes are kept confidential apart from the club medical department.

“On March 30 this year I made it clear publicly that our industry needed to review our illicit drug policy,” McLachlan said.

“I said at the time that research suggested our policy wasn’t working and should be changed.

“It’s what I want, it’s what the clubs want, it’s what AFL Players Association wants.

“We need to get the balance right between players’ rights and responsibilities.

“But today we need to focus on the player on the front page of the (Herald Sun).

Earlier today, David King said the images were “quite confrontational” and “horrific” and it was time for the AFL to admit it “has a massive issue on its hands”.

The former North Melbourne star said the photos “takes the veil of secrecy off drugs in the AFL system”.

“It’s not a ‘Mad Monday’. This is your preparation to play AFL football. Now we have to accept that now there is a massive issue. A major issue. This would not be the only time that this has happened,” King said on SEN.

“People say ‘this goes on, it’s part of society’, but when you see a photo, it’s quite confrontational.

“I’m worried about (Bennell).”

King said the AFL and AFLPA needed to react strongly, and believed the league’s illicit drugs policy was a “failure”.

“I think we’re entitled to now get some answers on what’s going on,” he said.

“No ducking and diving, no comparing alcohol to drugs, no worrying about minimising damage and playing the blame game. Let’s work out where to from here.

“To me, the system’s failed. Whether the Suns were unaware of a strike, or whether there was or wasn’t a strike, the system’s been let down there. The club either haven’t acted, or they haven’t been informed.

“Either way, the system itself in isolation has failed.

“We could bash this kid … but it’s not necessarily about Harley as much as the broader issue, I think. I want an answer on where we go. We’re entitled to more from this, as lovers of the game that is being dragged through the mud at the moment.”

King said sacking Bennell shouldn’t be the first option.

“If you think that the system hasn’t let this kid down, that’s naive,” he said.

“This will continue to happen until the system actually supports and prevents this happening.

“You’ll sack two players a year, 10 players a year, 20 players a year — that doesn’t solve anything. We have to have a system that works.

“Surely we have to help them. That’s what support mechanisms are about — not waiting until they fall foul.”

MITCHELL: PLAYERS WITH RIGHT ATTITUDE DESERVE HELP

Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell said the images were “confronting”.

“I wasn’t expecting it, I hadn’t heard about it before I grabbed the paper. It’s not what you want to see,” he told GOLD 104.3.

Asked how he would deal with a young player in that situation, Mitchell said a club and teammates should support them as long as they display the right attitude.

“It depends on the history and the type of person he is and his attitude,” Mitchell said.

“If it’s a young guy who is a little bit naive and it’s the first time he’s been in trouble, you’re probably going to work on education and helping them to understand. And if they have a level of remorse which is genuine well that’s one way of going about it.

“But if they’re a loose cannon and they don’t think it’s a big deal and they have that sort of attitude then there’s clearly a different way of going about it.

“I think it’s horses for courses and you can’t treat everyone the same, you just have to treat them fairly in their given situation.”

Asked about Kevin Bartlett’s comments that it seems to be better for AFL players to be caught with illicit or recreational drugs than alcohol because of the three strikes policy, Mitchell strongly disagreed but agreed that the policy needed to be looked at.

“Clearly alcohol, although not being good for you, it’s a legal substance and most football clubs are probably okay with you having a drink in moderation,” he said.

“Whereas it’s probably not the same attitude when it comes to recreational drugs which are not okay ever.

“I think (the drug policy) needs to be looked at. I’m no expert on what’s right, but I think the key component that you have to remember is players choose to be part of this program at all.

“As players, we don’t have to have an illicit drugs policy at all. So the fact that we do have one is the first step where you have to say, we at least want to do something to change this space in the future. And I’m quite passionate about some components of it.

“I think it is important to have that process. The first step has to be trying to educate players and help them, but at some point they need to be called out. And whether that’s two strikes or three I’m not sure.

“I also agree that if there’s footy clubs that have the great resources that can help, it would be great if they knew a little bit earlier so that they could throw all of their resources behind the player.

“Culture and leadership is vital in this space. And there’s going to be epidemic types where it’s across clubs, but there’s also going to be individuals who are outliers within clubs and there’s two different ways of handling the two situations.”

There is a HUGE drug problem out there and its not just isolated to sports people.....

— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) July 1, 2015

SUNS IN DENIAL — LLOYD

Former Essendon player Matthew Lloyd told 3AW the Gold Coast Suns were in “denial” about drug use at the club.

“There has been a lot of denial about the party culture and substance abuse there,” Mr Lloyd said this morning.

He told the hosts the latest scandal would put the issue “front and centre” and hoped the Suns would help Bennell through his issues.

“If he didn’t have football I don’t know where he’d be,” he said.

Lloyd said he coached the rising star when he was a teenager and had to deal with “behaviour issues” at the time.

“He’s a good footballer but obviously he’s got big concerns,” he said.

Bennell playing against Melbourne this year.

BENNELL ‘HAS TO TAKE OWNERSHIP’

Former Kangaroo and Crows star Wayne Carey said Bennell has to take ownership of the issue.

Carey says he “feels for Bennell’s welfare”, but believes running away is the worst thing he could do.

“I’m speaking from experience — waking up and being on the front page, he’d be absolutely horrified, he’d be overwhelmed,” Carey said on Triple M.

“The most important thing and the first thing is really to take ownership. It’s very difficult to do. The most important thing is the support network around him.

“When you’re in the moment, it’s so easy to run away. I’d hate to lose him — he’s such a talent.”

Ex-Hawthorn club president and former state Premier Jeff Kennett said he was saddened by today’s revelations, and says the club has a responsibility to investigate how deep the issue runs.

“I think this is just so sad,” he said on SEN radio.

“This is a two-finger salute to the club, the code and the AFL.

“As a president of a club, if I had a player I knew was taking drugs, I would want to get counselling to him as soon as possible.

“You’ve also got to find out who are the other people involved, who are his circle of friends at the club who may also be taking these drugs or be at risk.

“I hope something good comes out of it.”

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: A NIGHT OF BOOZE, STRIPPERS AND DRUGS

Originally published as Harley Bennell photos: ‘It’s time for AFL to admit drugs problem’