The AFL covered up players’ illegal drug use by giving them secret tests and getting them to fake injuries, politician claims

A whistleblowing doctor has revealed allegations of secret illicit drug testing carried out to allow AFL players to avoid detection on match days, federal MP Andrew Wilkie says.

Wilkie informed parliament of allegations by a former Melbourne Demons club doctor and president of the football club.

He described the allegations as credible, detailed and proportionate in signed statements provided to him clearly identifying the sources of the documents.

“I rise to draw the attention of the House to deeply disturbing allegations of egregious misconduct within the AFL brought by former Melbourne Football Club president Glen Bartlett, former Melbourne Football Club doctor Zeeshan Arain and ‘Shaun Smith, father of Melbourne player and now alleged drug dealer Joel Smith,’ told parliament on Tuesday night.

Wilkie said the allegations include former AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan (pictured, centre) showing “deliberate inaction” over drugs in the game.

“The allegations include the prevalence of drug abuse and other prohibited behavior across the AFL, unrecorded drug testing of players at Dorevitch Pathology in Heidelberg, facilitated by former AFL medical director Peter Harcourt, the remaining players who gave positive in these secret tests, apparently due to injury, the deliberate inaction of AFL president Richard Goyder and former chief executive Gill McLachlan, and the dismissal of Mr Bartlett as Melbourne president after he suggested the Messrs Goyder and McLachlan that AFL officials undergo regular drug testing.’

Wilkie said Dr Arain had said the AFL wanted players to compete at all costs.

“If there are no illegal drugs in the player’s system, he is free to play, and if there are drugs in his system, the player is often asked to fake an injury,” Mr Wilkie said.

Wilkie told parliament some AFL stars have cocaine dependency (file image)

‘They are advised to lie about a condition, while unofficial test results are kept secret and never shared with Sports Integrity Australia or WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).

‘In other words, hundreds of thousands of Australians will watch the match without knowing that it has been secretly manipulated by the AFL and thousands of Australians will bet on that match without knowing that it has been secretly manipulated by the AFL.

“The next time you hear that a player has a hamstring injury, you might wonder what’s really going on.

“But as Dr Arain explains, this is not just a Melbourne problem, it is an AFL problem, with multiple players coming to Melbourne from other teams with pre-existing cocaine dependencies, rather than suggesting that alternative solutions drug testing is common in other parts of the world. AFL.

“The documents in my possession also indicate a striking unwillingness by senior AFL executives to address drug abuse by players and executives, particularly in relation to cocaine use.”

The Melbourne star’s father Joel Smith (pictured), accused of cocaine trafficking, was quoted as saying the AFL has a “massive drug problem” in a statement Wilkie read in parliament.

‘The documents in my possession also indicate a striking unwillingness by senior AFL executives to address drug abuse by players and executives, particularly in relation to cocaine use.

“For example, here are very detailed notes from a telephone meeting between Gill McLachlan, Richard Goyder and Glen Bartlett.”

Wilkie also submitted a statement from Smith, which read in part: “If I had known about a massive drug problem in the AFL when my son was 14, I would have said you’re playing baseball, you’re playing something else.”

“Something’s not right when there are so many broken players.”

The AFL and Melbourne Football Club have been contacted for comment.