Watchdog calls for AFL to hand over drug info
The AFL has been asked to hand over information on players who fail drug tests by the new Australian sporting integrity watchdog.
The request has been made to help stamp out the influence of organised crime in Australian sport.
The watchdog, Sports Integrity Australia, will absorb other agencies such as the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).
ASADA chief David Sharpe said the request for information was to prevent any opportunity for criminal syndicates to exploit AFL players who had sourced illegal drugs from them.
Mr Sharpe said the identities of players who had failed tests would not be made public.
“Every little bit of intelligence counts: the types of drugs, where they are getting them from and where they are hanging out. What sort of groups they are in,” Sharpe said.
He added that players using substances such as ice, cocaine and ecstasy were vulnerable to being exploited by groups like bikie gangs and other organised criminals.
The watchdog chief said there was a risk players could be used to gain information on things like player injuries and team tactics.
This knowledge would then be used to influence game or for betting purposes.
Federal sports minister Bridget McKenzie said the newly established Sports Integrity Australia would be the best defence against potential tampering in sport.
“To say that Australia is immune from sports integrity challenges denies recent examples that include the Southern Stars football club being accused of match fixing in the Victorian Premier League; the use of supplements by the AFL and NRL clubs; and the suspension of a former Australian Open tennis junior champion for match fixing,” Ms McKenzie said.
“We have seen the massive fallout from the cricket ball-tampering scandal and the loss of belief in our national cricket team, and we are determined to prevent incidents like this from happening.”