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It is time for the AFL to get robust and clear on illicit drug use.
That is not simply the view of impartial MP Andrew Wilkie, who used parliamentary privilege to stage allegations concerning the AFL’s drug coverage final month, but additionally former Collingwood boss and long-time sports activities journalist Eddie McGuire.
Mr Wilkie’s criticisms rocked the league, however McGuire was glad to listen to them.
“I used to be really fairly open to Andrew Wilkie popping out and saying these items as a result of it shone a lightweight on it,” the previous Collingwood president stated.
Mr Wilkie alleged in parliament that quite a few gamers have been gaming the AFL’s illicit drug coverage, which offers three strikes for gamers who take a look at optimistic for medicine equivalent to cocaine on non-game days.
On the primary strike, gamers usually are not named.
Mr Wilkie instructed parliament that many gamers who examined optimistic then faked accidents to keep away from being examined on recreation days, once they could be topic to a lot harsher penalties below the AFL’s World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) code.
It’s one league with two totally different drug testing regimes, and McGuire believes the inconsistencies should be checked out.
“In the intervening time, we’ve got a scenario the place [under the illicit drug policy] should you go and self-report, you get no weeks and also you get sorted,” McGuire instructed 7.30.
“You get caught on match day and also you get 4 years, so it is in all places and we simply must tighten these items up.”
The danger to the credibility of the sport is now too nice for the coverage to proceed as it’s, in line with McGuire.
Gamers reside in a world the place societal use of illicit substances is commonplace and that may go away them susceptible to extortion from anybody who manages to report them utilizing and posts the footage to social media or sells it to information shops.
It’s a course of that has been oft repeated lately.
“Heads out of the sand, let’s be grown-ups about this and take a grown-up strategy,” McGuire stated earlier than he referred to as for offending gamers to be named.
“I consider there ought to be punitive motion and try to be named. And I feel that’ll act as a deterrent.
“But it surely additionally signifies that these explicit gamers can then be given the suitable steering and the suitable rehabilitation.”
McGuire’s views symbolize the “get robust” ingredient in AFL circles which desires to see the drug coverage tightened.
AFL physician says Wilkie is off the mark
However there’s one other highly effective faculty of thought from the AFL golf equipment’ docs. They consider the precedence ought to be sustaining patient-doctor confidentiality for gamers who might have a drug drawback, not naming and shaming.
“It is all very effectively to place guidelines and laws in place. I feel that is vital,” Barry Rigby, the AFL Docs Affiliation president, stated.
“However I feel the medical public well being literature would help the truth that that is not going to alter a few of the complicated behavioural points that we take care of after we’re speaking about illicit substances.”
Dr Rigby referred to as Mr Wilkie’s allegations “nonsense” regardless of AFL CEO Andrew Dillon not refuting them on the time as he spoke of a “scientific intervention mannequin”.
“We’re not within the enterprise of feigning accidents and we’d by no means actually coerce a participant to try this,” Dr Rigby instructed 7.30.
“I will re-emphasise the truth that when a participant does transgress in that space, it is often invariably a participant that has plenty of different medical, psychosocial or psychiatric or psychological well being points.
“They usually’re the gamers, in our opinion, that want prolonged assist relatively than a punishment.”
Change is coming, AFL CEO says
For Mr Dillon, issues have modified and there may be now a dialogue underway across the AFL’s coverage.
“Our illicit medicine coverage has served the AFL and its gamers rather well for 19 years, and it continues to serve us effectively, however we additionally know we’re in 2024,” he stated.
“We’re reviewing the coverage and we now must do what we wish to do is evolve our coverage … in order that it is match for goal for 2024 and past.”
What type the evolution will take is not clear however there are hints the brand new guidelines will probably be an adjustment, not a wholesale overhaul.
“I feel what’s vital with any coverage, no matter what you are taking a look at, is I do not suppose extremes at any stage — at both finish of the extremes — are what you need,” Mr Dillon instructed 7.30.
“What you need is a balanced coverage that appears after the well being and pursuits of our gamers, but additionally guarantee that that we’re balancing the entire pursuits of the general public as effectively.”
Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV
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