Former Western Bulldogs AFL doctor tells of COVID and drug charges shame

A former AFL doctor convicted of drug charges has told of the “horrible nightmare” of his fall from grace.

Richard Vucinic tries to shelter from photographers as he leaves the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Picture: Alex Coppel.

A former AFL doctor convicted of drug charges has told of the “horrible nightmare” of his fall from grace, humiliating himself, bringing shame on his family and being recently struck down by COVID-19.

In unsuccessfully pleading for the return of his medical licence, former Western Bulldogs doctor Richard Vucinic told a tribunal he believed he had “already suffered more than enough” for his crimes – committed the year after he was sacked by the club – and wanted to be able to practice medicine again.

“This has been a massive fall of grace, a horrible nightmare I would not wish upon anyone,” he told the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

Richard Vucinic. Picture: Hamish Blair

“I have paid a terrible price for my actions. I have not worked since October 2015 … I had to, and continue to, suffer the wide spread humiliation and shame of being linked to bikies/outlaw motorcycle gangs and drug trafficking which was never true … I have lost my professional and personal reputation … I was once in a position of privilege, providing to the community, but now I’m unfortunately on welfare and living off the community … I just want to be given another chance. I’ve acknowledged and admitted my mistakes, been tried for my mistakes and have been punished for them … I wasn’t under any illusion that my mistakes were going to come without repercussion. They did and did so in a horrendous life-altering way.”

Dr Vucinic – who was found guilty of prescribing excessive quantities of the drugs alprazolam and diazepam without clinical justification to three patients and testosterone to one – said he had admitted his wrongdoings before the County Court in mid-2018 and completed his sentence of 250 hours community work.

It had been nearly five years since his medical registration was first suspended and he faced the reality “of not being able to go to work, not being able to receive a wage”, daily.

“My ability to look after myself and … my young family was taken away from me. I really do believe I have been punished by the most extreme of measures and have suffered long enough,” he said.

The tribunal heard Dr Vucinic, in his early 40s, had “lost his job, his family, his home and his car” because of the drug scandal.

It was also told the reason he failed to ring into a scheduled hearing in September this year was because he “fell victim to COVID-19 and was quite unwell”.

Before Dr Vucinic was axed by the Bulldogs, he provided medical services to the club’s VFL team, Footscray.

In finding Dr Vucinic guilty of professional misconduct and cancelling his licence for a further three years from this month, VCAT said it had taken into account the fact he had been prohibited from practice for some years already.

“We also note that Dr Vucinic’s current suspension was the result of other conduct that does not form part of the conduct before the Tribunal. We take into account the considerable delay in finalising this matter, including related to the COVID-19 global pandemic …,” the tribunal noted.

“A prohibition on practising one’s profession for that period has personal, financial and reputational consequences … it sends a clear message to Dr Vucinic that his conduct was unacceptable and also serves as a deterrent to other medical practitioners.”

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