The AFL have revealed that further Anti-Doping Rule Violations - including Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking - have been declared against suspended Melbourne player Joel Smith.
Sport Integrity Australia have asserted three further ADRVs against Smith for Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking of cocaine, as well as a violation for Possession of a Prohibited Substance from September 2022.
Smith was placed on a provisional suspension after testing positive for cocaine during last season, with the AFL revealing the SIA's investigation in October.
On Tuesday evening the league released a statement revealing multiple ADRVs declared against Smith, with his provisional suspension set to continue as the SIA's investigation also continues.
"The AFL confirms that further Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) have been asserted against Joel Smith of the Melbourne Football Club under the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code," an AFL statement read.
"Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) has notified Smith that three ADRVs for “Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking” of Cocaine to third parties are asserted against him.
"Under the Code, Trafficking in an anti-doping context is relevantly defined to be “Selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering or distributing a Prohibited Substance, by an Athlete … to any third party [but] shall not include actions involving Prohibited Substances which are not prohibited in Out-of-Competition Testing unless the circumstances as a whole demonstrate such Prohibited Substances are not intended for genuine and legal therapeutic purposes or are intended to enhance sport performance” (Article 1 of the Code).
"Further, SIA has notified Smith that an ADRV for Possession of a Prohibited Substance (Cocaine) on 9 September 2022 is asserted against him.
"These ADRVs are in addition to that previously asserted against him (in connection with a sample provided by him after the match between Melbourne and Hawthorn on 20 August 2023 which tested positive to Cocaine and its metabolite, Benzoylecgonine).
"Smith will continue to be provisionally suspended pending the finalisation of all of these matters, meaning he is not permitted to be part of Melbourne's football program, including Melbourne's pre-season training that is currently underway.
"Under the Code, the new asserted ADRVs will be further investigated by SIA and these matters may ultimately be heard by an AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal in the coming months.
"Due to the ongoing nature of the anti-doping process, the AFL and SIA are unable to make any further comment at this time."
In the wake of the SIA's new findings and a report from The Herald Sun on Tuesday, Melbourne responded to a source of the publication who believed Smith was 'hung out to dry' and not protected by the club.
Melbourne said Smith "has made it very clear that he has no issues or concerns with anyone at the Melbourne Football Club."
"The Melbourne Football Club has been advised by the AFL that further Anti-Doping Rule Violations have been asserted against Joel Smith by Sport Integrity Australia," the club statement read.
"The Melbourne Football Club is not authorised to make public comment while this is an ongoing matter that is being investigated by Sport Integrity Australia.
"It should be noted since the article has been published on the Herald Sun website, Joel's management has contacted the Club on his behalf to advise that the comments made by the source within the article are not reflective of Joel's views and the source is not speaking on any authority from Joel.
"Joel has made it very clear that he has no issues or concerns with anyone at the Melbourne Football Club.
"As the Club has previously stated, we will wait for the investigation to be completed before we update our supporters further."
Smith has played 42 games for Melbourne since making his debut in 2017. He played 14 games in 2023.