Sam Murray free to play from Round 1 2020 after securing reduced drug ban over cocaine positive test
Collingwood defender Sam Murray was facing a four-year ban after testing positive to cocaine, but the young Pie has successfully argued for a reduced sentence.
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Collingwood defender Sam Murray is able to play from Round 1 next year after successfully reducing his potential four-year ban for a cocaine-positive test to 18 months.
The Herald Sun understands his ability to make a powerful argument about how long the drug was taken before an AFL game helped mitigate his penalty.
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Murray will be available to train again from December and can play in Round 1 next year.
But the Pies will now have to make a decision upon his playing future, with Murray’s contract expiring.
His anti-doping hearing earlier this month saw his lawyer Ben Ihle arguing about his circumstances, which are believed to involve him taking cocaine early in the week before a positive match-day test.
A four-year ban occurs when anti-doping officials are able to find the player took the substance as a performance-enhancing substance.
He was able to argue for less than half that penalty, which will keep his hopes of an AFL recall alive.
MORE ON MURRAY:
Collingwood’s Sam Murray to fight for two year-ban over cocaine use in bid to save AFL career
AFL Daily: Sam Murray set to face anti-doping hearing, rolling footy news for Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Sam Murray cocaine case: AFL boss calls for more transparency from ASADA
He has not been training with Collingwood, which continues to pay him after he volunteered to be put onto the rookie list in 2019.
In effect Murray will miss only a full season, four home-and-away games and a finals series for the cocaine positive.
Former ASADA boss Richard Ings yesterday told the Herald Sun the decision was at the lower end of the potential penalty.
He said ASADA and WADA would closely scrutinise the penalties for a potential appeal, as occurred in Essendon’s supplements case.
“We haven’t seen the reasoned decision so haven’t seen the details of the tribunal finding but in general an 18 month suspension for a cocaine positive is at the low end of possible sanctions,” he said.
“For example, a Russian ice hockey player in the NRL just received a four year ban for a positive test for the same substance.
“Clearly in this particular case counsel for Sam Murray was able to prove to the tribunal mitigation of fault in regard to how cocaine came to be in his system and the lack of intent on his part with the match day performance.
“It is impossible to say if it’s too light or not. We haven’t seen the reasoned decision.
“But it is at the low end of the scale and we must remember ASADA and the world anti-doping agency have the right of appeal.
“And no doubt those bodies will be closely scrutinising the AFL tribunal verdict.”