Collingwood pair test positive to performance-enhancing drug

Magpies chief executive Gary Pert says the AFL players who have recorded positive drugs tests are “shell-shocked”. .

Magpies chief executive Gary Pert and their football manager Neil Balme say their two AFL players who have returned positive drugs tests are “shell-shocked” at the test results.

Mr Pert said he was devastated when an ASADA representative rang on Friday morning to tell him about Lachlan Keeffe and Josh Thomas had recorded positive tests for the performance enhancing drug clembuterol.

The two players are now under provisional suspension..

“I must admit, I was pretty devastated, because we’re talking about two of the highest-quality young men as part of our program,” Mr Pert told a press conference this afternoon.

“When we spoke to the players and said `can you see any reason for this positive test?” ... they both answered no,” he added. “When we spoke to the players, I would say they looked close to being in shock on Friday.

“You have to keep in mind, these are two young men who were at home and had ASADA knock on their door.

“Both Neil and myself spoke to them shortly after and the only way I could describe it would be quite shell-shocked.

“So no, we weren’t pushing for all the questions you might calmly sit here and think we would be pushing for.

“It was more about supporting the players, make sure they have the right people around them.”

Mr Pert said the club was determined to be “100 per cent transparent” over the issue.

“It’s really important for us as a club to be 100 per cent transparent with this as an issue,” Mr Pert said. “It’s also really important that we talk about this and as we’ve seen today, the players are named so that there’s not a question mark on the other players on the list, which has often happened.

“Another key part of this is in the week before the first game (against Brisbane on Saturday), we needed to be able to address this as a club with the players, with the coaches as much as we could.

“That’s why we have pushed, since finding out about this on Friday, to have it dealt with (this) afternoon.”

Mr Pert said they had only spoken to Keeffe and Thomas on Friday. He added the pair had not offered any explanation for the positive tests and had sought independent legal advice through the players’ association.

Collingwood hope to meet with Keeffe and Thomas again this week, to decide whether they should keep training at the club.

“We are also throwing all our support and resources around the players and what they require,”

He added the players needed to receive legal advice before they come back to the club for further discussions.

Magpies football manager Neil Balme said they were hoping for a good outcome, but accept they could be without Keeffe and Thomas for some time.

“They both said `we haven’t done this’ - now, who knows how it all happened,” Mr Balme said.

“We know what it (clenbuterol) is, which is one of the reasons we think `why would they? how would they?’.

“If you look at both these players ... it doesn’t make any sense for either of them to use this, because they’re both quite lean.

“They don’t need it.”

Mr Pert also said ASADA told him that Keeffe and Thomas are the only two players involved.

Collingwood: Pies positive drugs test ‘nothing to do with us’

Collingwood say they are certain that the positive drugs tests returned by two of their AFL players have nothing to do with the club.

Lachlan Keeffe and Josh Thomas are under provisional suspension after recording a positive test to the performance enhancing drug clembuterol earlier this year.

ASADA told them of the positive tests last Friday, on the eve of the release of the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal findings on Essendon’s supplements use in 2012

The Magpie pair are awaiting the results of tests on the B sample, due to be released on April 14, after initial testing revealed the presence of Clenbuturol in their system.

The Magpies said today in a statement: “It is important for Collingwood to communicate to its supporters that the club has conducted a forensic audit of its tightly controlled dietary and nutrition program (which is overseen by its integrity officer).

“(We are) completely satisfied the positive results are in no way connected to the program.

“Collingwood is wholly committed to upholding the WADA anti-doping policy and the cause of eradicating performance enhancing drugs from sport.”

Clembuterol is a banned drug used to counter counter asthma in some countries but also for weight loss.

Olympic gold Medallists and baseball players are among athletes to have tested positive to the drug in the past.

Anti-doping body ASADA notified the AFL of the positive tests, with both players waiving their right to confidentiality pending the release of the second test on April 14.

The pair is unable to explain how the substance was in their system.

Collingwood is expected to discuss the tests later today.

The Essendon matter aside, Fremantle Docker Ryan Crowley is also awaiting an Anti-Doping hearing after recording a positive test last August.