AFL releases statement in the wake of MP’s bombshell secret drug tests claims

The AFL has responded to claims of secret drug tests for players ahead of matchdays, with a signed statement from a former Melbourne doctor unveiled by a Federal MP in parliament alleging players who had taken illicit substances would fake injuries to avoid tests on the day of matches.

MP Andrew Wilkie addressed parliament on Tuesday and made note of ex-Demons head doctor Zeeshan Arain's allegations that the AFL helped stage clandestine drug tests in Heidelberg's Dorevitch Pathology.

Wilkie labelled the allegations of "off the books drug-testing" as "deeply troubling", with former AFL chief medical officer Peter Harcourt alleged to have helped facilitate the tests.

"I rise to bring the house's attention to deeply troubling allegations of egregious misconduct within the AFL provided by former Melbourne Football Club president Glen Bartlett, former Melbourne Football Club doctor Zeeshan Arain and Shaun Smith, father of Melbourne player and now alleged drug trafficker Joel Smith," Wilkie said this week, via News Corp. 

"The allegations include the prevalence of drug abuse and other prohibited behaviour across the AFL, off the books drug-testing of players at Dorevitch Pathology in Heidelberg, facilitated by the former chief medical officer of the AFL Peter Harcourt, the resting of players testing positive in these secret tests, ostensibly on account of injury, wilful ­inaction by AFL chairman Richard Goyder, and former CEO Gill McLachlan.

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"The allegations are credible, detailed and provided in signed statements which have been given to me which clearly identify the sources of the information.

"The allegations are also deeply troubling ... Such appalling behaviour endangers the life, safety and future of players and officials, subverts the official drug testing conducted by Sports Integrity Australia on behalf of the World Anti-Doping Authority and is a fraud on the governments that provide millions of dollars in support to the AFL directly and indirectly through tax-breaks, grants and beneficial capital works, conditional on the AFL being a signatory to and complying with WADA code.

"This is not conjecture, with Dr Arain describing the matter clearly in this signed statement where he states that, and I'll quote Dr Arain: The off-the-books testing took place at Heidelberg Dorevitch. The former chief health officer of the AFL Peter Harcourt gave me the contact of the guy at Heidelberg who would do the testing.

"If there are no illegal drugs in the player's system they are free to play, and if there are drugs in their system the player is often asked to fake an ­injury.

"They are advised to lie about a condition, while the ­results of the off-the-book tests are kept secret and are never shared with Sports Integrity Australia or WADA."

The AFL released a statement on Wednesday detailing that player welfare and education around drug use is a key element of the league's illicit drugs policy, and that it is "imperative that no doctor or club official should ever allow or encourage a player to take the field knowing they have recently taken an illicit substance that may be harmful to their health and/or may be deemed performance-enhancing".

The league also stated that should a player test positive for an illicit drug, then a doctor can "take steps to prevent a player from taking part in either training and/or an AFL match". 

"As well as being a signatory to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code via the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code, the AFL has an Illicit Drug Policy which has been in place since 2005, and at the core of the policy is a commitment to player wellbeing and welfare," the statement read.

"The AFL Illicit Drug Policy (IDP) is a policy that specifically deals with the use of illicit substances out of competition and is focussed on player health and well-being. The policy seeks to reduce substance use and drug-related harms for AFL players and aims to inform and rehabilitate players through education and intervention.

"It exists alongside and in addition to the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code which covers prohibited substances including some illicit substances in competition as prescribed by the WADA prohibited list.

"Urine tests conducted by doctors to determine if a player has used illicit substances are part of the AFL's Illicit Drug Policy medical model and have been for some time.

"Doctors may use those urine tests to obtain an immediate result to determine whether any illicit substance remains in a player's system. This is normally conducted at the club or in the doctors consulting rooms.

"If the test shows a substance is still in the players system, a doctor will take steps to prevent a player from taking part in either training and/or an AFL match both for their own health and welfare and because having illicit substances in your system on match day may be deemed performance enhancing and a breach of the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code (depending on the substance involved).

"It is absolutely imperative that no doctor or club official should ever allow or encourage a player to take the field knowing they have recently taken an illicit substance that may be harmful to their health and/or may be deemed performance-enhancing (as many illicit substances are on match day).

"We support the WADA code (as it applies to our sport through the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code) and support the fundamental premise on which it is founded that any player who takes the field with a performance-enhancing prohibited substance in their system should be treated in accordance with the Anti-Doping Code and face heavy sanctions.

"The AFL observes that AFL players are not immune to the societal issues faced by young people with respect to illicit substances and also acknowledges that illicit drug use problems commonly co-occur with other mental health conditions.

"While the AFL's medical model involves a multidisciplinary healthcare management plan, the monitoring of players is highly confidential. A doctor or healthcare professional generally cannot disclose the nature of the clinical intervention or condition to others unless the player willingly consents.

"We understand that the Illicit Drugs Policy can be improved and we are working with the AFLPA and players to improve the policy and the system to ensure we are better able to change the behaviours of players. But we are unapologetic about club and AFL doctors taking the correct steps to ensure that any player who they believe has an illicit substance in their system does not take part in any AFL match and that doctor patient confidentially is upheld and respected.

"The AFL will always be required to make decisions which seek to balance competing rights and interests. The medical interests and welfare of players is a priority for the AFL given everything we know about the risks facing young people generally and those who play our game in particular."

SEN's Sam Edmund revealed earlier on Wednesday morning that the AFL and clubs have the ability to conduct tests that are off the books for Sport Integrity Australia and WADA given those tests do not fall on matchday.

"I've spoken to the AFL this morning, the league don't deny this happens and in fact they admit that it does happen, but they say that it sits well within their medical model,” Edmund told SEN Breakfast.

"If they have a player who has a problem with illicit drugs, that they have the ability to test them and make sure they don't use them on match days and hold them out of play.

"Now, unless they have permission from the player to do otherwise, the league cites medical privacy, medical privilege and that no one would want it known that they might have an illicit drugs problem.

"The off the books claim, as raised in parliament, the league will today state that every test is off the books for Sports Integrity Australia and by extension WADA, except for matchday."