- Two AFLW players allegedly caught with cocaine
- The incident allegedly occurred late last year.
- Footy has been involved in several drug scandals
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Two AFLW players were allegedly caught with cocaine during the off-season in an explosive development for the game.
According to 9News Melbourne, two unnamed stars of the Sydney Swans women’s team were charged by police late last year during the off-season.
The pair were given probation orders, similar to good behavior bonds in Victoria, and the AFL revealed it is aware of the incident.
When contacted by Nine, the Swans declined to comment, but key officials were reportedly aware of the issue for months.
The latest story once again highlights football’s relationship with drugs, with Melbourne Demons star Joel Smith facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines following a failed test.
Two female soccer stars were allegedly caught with cocaine late last year.
Unlike the two unnamed AFLW players, Smith reportedly failed the test in the competition, meaning if convicted he would face a harsher punishment.
Smith has been provisionally suspended since October, when he was reported with a positive cocaine test following the Demons’ Round 20 win over Hawthorn on August 20.
Last month, the AFL confirmed that Sports Integrity Australia (SIA) had charged Smith with three anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) of the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code for allegedly “trafficking or attempting to traffic” cocaine to third parties.
According to the code, trafficking is defined as “the sale, delivery, transportation, shipment, delivery or distribution of a prohibited substance by an athlete… to any third party.”
After searching Smith’s phone, officials allegedly discovered multiple text messages sent by the player that referenced cocaine, News Corp reports.
In a message he is accused of sending to his Demons teammates last year, Smith allegedly offered a quantity of the drug in question.
It has not been confirmed how much cocaine was offered or how many colleagues the text message was sent to.
Smith was also notified of another ADRV for possession of cocaine on September 9, 2022.
The unnamed pair were awarded good behavior bonuses and the AFL is aware of the incident.
He had already faced a maximum four-year suspension under the AFL’s anti-doping code for his positive cocaine test.
It’s unclear how much the additional charges could add to any suspension, or when that would be determined.
Smith will remain provisionally suspended and will not be able to train or play with his teammates, and the AFL confirmed under the code that the SIA will further investigate the new alleged violations.
The 27-year-old’s matter could be heard at the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal in the coming months.
More to follow.