Bulldogs coach takes aim at AFL drugs policy for failure to protect players who don’t take drugs

The AFL’s illicit drug policy does not cater for the vast majority of players who do not use drugs, says Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge.

Beveridge wants a review of current policy amid revelations of a secret regime protecting players who use drugs from testing positive on match day.

“I just want the new model to cater for people who don’t use illicit drugs,” Beveridge told reporters Friday.

“I want him to address the vast majority, the 99 percent, of the group of players who don’t accept them.

“This is where the PA (AFL Players’ Association) and their attitude and perception of how clubs would handle situations forget that it is the group of players who are also affected.

“They (the cohort) are trying to play on winning teams, top teams, and all the staff want to do is support their playing group and each other, and the current model doesn’t do that.

“So whatever it is, you have to take it into account and keep in mind that people in the industry also have to have the support of the new model, whatever it is.”

In 2022, Beveridge called for the policy to be removed after his star player Bailey Smith’s drug case that year.

Smith, in June 2022, was suspended for two games by the AFL for misconduct after images emerged of him carrying a bag of white powder.

This week, Sport Integrity Australia launched an investigation into allegations raised under parliamentary privilege by Federal MP Andrew Wilkie about secret drug testing of AFL players.

Under the so-called medical model, club doctors examined players during the week and then told them to fake an injury and miss a game to avoid testing positive on game day.

The practice has drawn widespread criticism and most coaches and players were unaware of its existence.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said on Wednesday the league “makes no apologies” for giving club doctors powers to remove players from games to prevent them testing positive on game day.

Both Dillon, who said the policy was under review, and AFLPA chief executive Paul Marsh said only a handful of players had been protected by the secret testing policy, but some reports claim the number is about 100.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon asked for clarity on the numbers.

“Statistically, no matter what, everyone would probably like to know… these are the numbers and this is the success or failure of the program,” he said.

“That’s something that would probably reassure all of us; to be fair, it’s not that opaque then. That might help inform us whether we support it or not.”

On Friday, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley and his Richmond counterpart Adem Yze said they would support whatever policy the AFL adopted.

“I’m a little more realistic,” Hinkley said.

“The AFL and the AFLPA have a drug policy and my job is to respect that policy and that’s all I do… I don’t have an opinion that I’m willing to share in any way, personally, about that situation.”

Yze said the well-being of the players is paramount.

“Whatever comes out of the new policy, in the end for us it is about the well-being of our players,” he said.

“We abide by the AFL rules and whatever they are, if it’s a new policy, we will abide by them.”

AAP