Australian Football League side Hawthorn President Andrew Newbold fears the AFL is "losing the battle" with illicit drugs and has declared it is time to consider a "zero-tolerance" policy, according to Jon Pierik of THE AGE. In a "strong address" at the MCG before the Hawks' faithful, AFL Chair Mike Fitzpatrick and CEO Gillon McLachlan ahead of Monday's clash against Geelong, Newbold "also said he hoped the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority would not appeal" the "Essendon 34" case, praised McLachlan for his "handling of the saga," and called on clubs to develop their own "positive" code of conduct in terms of improving the health and welfare of players. There is a "growing openness, and even push, from club bosses and players within the industry to tighten the current three-strikes illicit drugs policy," either by cutting the number of strikes allowed to no more than two or through introduction of other measures. However, Newbold has "flagged the need for a zero-tolerance policy, as fears escalate that the use of such drugs as cocaine and ice have become prevalent." Newbold: "Sadly, the drug issue in our sport seems to be reflective of general society, becoming more insidious. It appears to me, at least anecdotally, that we appear to be losing the battle and maybe we should look at our policy-setting in the competition." He added, "I think that the three-strikes policy may not be working as well as
we hoped it would, albeit we are very supportive of it at Hawthorn in an
education-first principle. But I think if you are playing in the AFL
you make a choice -- you are making a lifestyle choice, you get a lot of benefits from playing in the AFL and I think, therefore, you have to
make some sacrifices. There can just be no room for the players
exploiting the policy and anecdotal evidence, as I said, tends to lead
one to think that may just be happening." The AFL Players Association has said it is "open to debate but insists the welfare of players must remain paramount." Industry figures believe it is "almost impossible for a player to test positive to a third strike under the current model." Last year's drug tests registered 15 positive tests -- "all for
stimulants and through out-of-competition testing." There are now four
players on a second strike (THE AGE, 4/6). In Melbourne, Ralph & Clark reported Hawthorn CEO Stuart Fox has called for a "hardline illicit drugs policy with players booted from the league after three positive strikes." But the AFLPA said that it will "fiercely resist plans to transform the policy into a zero-tolerance program." Under Fox's plan, players would be suspended for "up to six months after two strikes." Currently players "are not suspended until a third strike, and then for a maximum of 18 weeks." AFL and club figures are expecting a "sharp rise" in the '14 illicit drugs figures when they are released mid-season, after 41 positive tests in the past two years. McLachlan last week said that "the time had arrived to review the existing policy" (HERALD SUN, 4/6).
MCDEVITT RECEIVING SUPPORT: In Sydney, Roy Masters reported "alarmed at the precedent set by the not-guilty verdict" for the "Essendon 34" in the long-running AFL supplements saga, the heads of "many western national anti-doping agencies" have contacted ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt with messages of support. While the Essendon players "did not test positive," there is int'l concern that the weight of evidence against the AFL players "was not sufficient for the sport's tribunal to be 'comfortably satisfied' to return a guilty verdict." The heads of anti-doping agencies in the U.S., U.K., France and Germany have "all contacted McDevitt with messages of support, including raising the possibility of appeal" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 4/5).
