AFL doctor confirms ‘incredibly small number’ of players involved in secret drug tests
Only an “incredibly small number” of AFL players have been protected by secret drug tests in the past decade, the head of the AFL Players Association says.
The AFL Players' Association (AFLPA) CEO Paul Marsh addresses the media on the AFLPA Boards position regarding COVID-19 during a press conference at AFLPA Office in Melbourne, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Marsh has announced that both AFL and AFLW playing groups are prepared to play as soon as they are given the green light by the AFL. (AAP Image/James Ross) NO ARCHIVING
AFLPA chief executive Paul Marsh was adamant speculation 100 players had been granted some immunity by club doctors over drug-test results was guesswork.
“It feels like the commentary around this is that it’s happening every week,” Marsh told SEN Radio on Thursday.
“In my time with the AFLPA, there would be less than a handful of these examples.
“And what would happen here, typically, is the club … would come to us and say, ‘Is it OK for us to do a test of this player because we’re concerned about him turning up (positive) on game day’.
“And our view is, they’re looking after the wellbeing of the player. That makes sense.
“I couldn’t definitively say that happens on every occasion but it certainly has.
“I’ve been doing this job for nearly 10 years and there would be less than a handful of players that this has been an example for.
“(An) incredibly small number.
“Nowhere near the level as perhaps … this story is suggesting.”
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said on Wednesday the league was “unapologetic” about giving club doctors powers to withdraw players from games if they were in danger of testing positive on match day.
Sport Integrity Australia is investigating the claims about secretive illicit-drug tests, which were initially raised under parliamentary privilege by federal MP Andrew Wilkie.
Under the testing regime, doctors are not compelled to inform their club’s hierarchy of any positive test for illicit drugs.
Marsh said confidentiality was needed to protect players from backlash from clubs that have threatened to use such information in contract talks.
“The clubs do know,” he said.
“The club’s doctor knows and that, in our view, is the most appropriate person to know.
“We do not discourage the players from discussing this with their coaches, their CEOs, their presidents, if they want to.
“The players’ fear is that it will be used against them in contracting or whatever.
“We’re in the middle of club visits at the moment. I have had this conversation with at least six clubs and I catch up with the coach, CEO, footy manager.
“And we put this to them: how can you use the information, how can you actually help the player and would you use it against them in contracting?’.
“And clubs are freely admitting that they would.
” … They would say, ‘You can’t un-know that information when it comes down to the next contract, particularly if they’re not a superstar player. It’s pretty hard not to actually use that against them’.”
