Sports Integrity Australia to crack down on match-fixing and more

National match-fixing laws will be enforced under a sports cheating crackdown — but major sporting codes, including the AFL, will maintain the right to opt in or opt out and continue to police their own scandals.

Sports Integrity Australia will crack down on match-fixing, doping, illegal betting, organised crime and corruption.

National match-fixing laws will be enforced under a sports cheating crackdown.

Sports Integrity Australia will be unveiled by the federal government on Tuesday to combat threats from doping, match-fixing, illegal betting, organised crime and corruption.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority will fall under the control of the body within two years.

CRACKDOWN ON SUSPICIOUS SPORTS BETTING

AUS OPEN TO BREAK NEW GROUND ON INTEGRITY

And a national sports integrity tribunal will be formed to hear anti-doping rule violation cases and other disputes.

The tribunal will have ­powers to compel athletes and officials to give evidence.

But major sporting codes, including the AFL, will maintain the right to opt in or opt out and continue to police their own scandals.

Major sporting leagues like the AFL have the choice to opt in or out of the body.

“We are reassuring the ­hundreds of thousands of Australians who are involved in sport at every level — from grassroots to elite — that they can be confident their sport is better protected from doping, drug use, match-fixing and criminal exploitation of athletes and events,” Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie said.

“In particular, we want parents to know their children are protected and be confident the sports in which they participate are clean, fair and safe.

“To say that Australia is ­immune from sports integrity challenges denies recent examples that include the Southern Stars football club being accused of match fixing in the Victorian Premier League, the use of supplements by AFL and NRL clubs, and the suspension of a former Australian Open tennis junior champion for match fixing.”

But the AFL will be largely unaffected by the changes and will continue to operate its own anti-doping tribunal and integrity unit investigations.

Former sports minister Greg Hunt cited the AFL’s handling of the Essendon drugs scandal when floating the tribunal concept in 2017.

“The notion of sports sitting in judgment of themselves is something that we should move beyond,” Mr Hunt said.

“That would allow us to avoid the situation where the AFL had to sit in judgment of itself in relation to the Essendon doping case.”

SPORTS REVIEW IGNORES DONS DRUG SAGA LESSONS

AUSSIE KIDS UNDER 12 ARE HAVING A PUNT

Ms McKenzie said last night: “We have seen the ­massive fallout from the cricket ball-tampering scandal and the loss of belief in our national cricket team and we are determined to prevent incidents like this from happening. Sports lovers deserve to know that the sport they watch and the teams they support are competing on a level playing field.”

The reforms are in response to a review chaired by former NSW Supreme Court judge James Wood.