AFLPA chief executive Matt Finnis lays it down about the code's Illicit Drugs Policy. Source: Herald Sun
ILLICIT drugs will be an issue in football for as long as they are an issue in society. There will always be debate on the best way to combat illicit drug use by a small minority of AFL players.
Unfortunately it seems there will always be people who want to spread misinformation about the issue and muddy the waters with sensationalised claims.
The first mistake made by people who should know better is to besmirch our game by collapsing the use of performance enhancing and illicit drug use (colloquially known as party drugs).
The Illicit Drugs Policy is not about performance enhancing drugs. The AFL is subject to the WADA policies and testing regime that all other sports are subject to.
For the AFL Players' Association the use of illicit drugs outside competition is a serious health issue, and is the reason why we signed up to Australia's first and most significant policy to monitor the use of illicit drug-taking.
The AFL's Illicit Drug Policy has the support of the players who recognise that drug use is a serious issue. That is why they have agreed to be tested out of competition - in their private lives.
This is a measure that few, if any, employees in other fields submit to.
Despite this there are always accusations that the testing policy is too soft, or is about protecting players from the consequences of their actions.
This couldn't be further from the truth. The IDP is about identifying players with drug problems and supporting them.
If you discovered your child, sibling, or friend was damaging their health with illicit drugs, would you immediately call the police and tell their employer, or would you try to get them the help that they need?
The policy's approach to players who test positive to illicit drugs out of competition provides a balance that first requires players with drug issues to get help, and then punishes them if they reoffend.
The IDP does not apply to players recording positive to illicit drugs in an in-competition test, they face immediate sanctions because of the potential performance enhancing effects of some illicit drugs.
Let's dispel some other myths about the IDP.
Are all players randomly tested for illicit drug use? Yes.
Are players target-tested on the basis of at-risk periods and personal circumstances? Yes.
Are players' hair samples taken upon return from annual leave to discover possible illicit drug use during holiday periods? Yes.
Is the senior medical officer at a club notified of every positive test result, including the player's identity? Yes.
Is the club chief executive notified if there are multiple positive test results among players at a particular club in a short period of time? Yes.
Are all players who record a positive test subjected to a medically-based intervention followed by further target-testing? Yes.
We do not need posturing and speculation by officials and the media about abuse by certain players or the behaviour of young footballers in general, to understand the dangers posed by illicit drugs
We certainly do not need the contributions of those who might choose to elevate brand and reputational issues above the genuine welfare of players.
It is ridiculous and self-serving to blame the testing regimen for the fact that a small minority of players have used illicit drugs.
In developing the policy the players were fully aware that it was only one part of creating a workplace culture with clear values and standards to be upheld.
The idea that a club is powerless to act on illicit drugs because the CEO or president isn't informed when a player first fails a drug test is a cop out.
We recognise there will be room for improvements to the policy.
The decisions which young men and women make to experiment or regularly use illicit drugs remain a mystery to many of us - particularly so when such decisions risk a person's career and reputation, let alone their health and possibly their life.
But these decisions are made by people of all ages outside the AFL.
To try and exaggerate the level of drug use by AFL players, or to argue it is unique to the code, or to say the problem is the Illicit Drugs Policy puts blame in all the wrong places.
A sensible discussion, with the support of players and the involvement of experts would surely be the way to go. It is a discussion that our players and their association have been happy to have.
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