MP Andrew Wilkie utilised parliamentary privilege to level accusations at the AFL, and Damian Barrett unpacked all of the events that have led to this moment as the AFL scrambles to defend itself.
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In a statement released to the public, the AFL has defended its use of internal club drug tests before games to protect players from WADA doping tests on gameday. As it stands, Sports Integrity Australia (previously ASADA) has no interest in illicit substances used outside of gameday, where many are considered to be performance enhancing.
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In this separate illicit substances code to WADA, the AFL has worked with club doctors to protect players who test positive in the drug tests, sometimes by withdrawing them from team lineups under the false premise of injury.
“[W]e are unapologetic about club and AFL doctors taking the correct steps to ensure that any player who they believe has an illicit substance in their system does not take part in any AFL match and that doctor patient confidentially is upheld and respected,” the AFL statement reads.