The looming suspensions to be handed down to Graeme ‘Gubby’ Allan and Craig Lambert for their involvement in allegedly hiding Lachie Whitfield from ASADA drug testers deserve to be longer than those handed down to the Giant, says Francis Leach.
Allan and Lambert, who are currently at Collingwood and Brisbane respectively in football department roles, have been reported to be on the verge of being handed down 12-month suspension from the AFL for the breach, with the GWS midfielder likely to only receive six months.
Leach says that both officials undermined the integrity of the sport by their actions, which could have been avoided had they allowed Whitfield to be tested, no matter what penalty the palyer would have received.
“If you boil this down, at the heart of it is that two club officials, if it’s proven that had a fear of an ASADA drug test and looked to avoid the possibility of that, are being contemptuous of a process that they know is about maintaining the integrity of the sport,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“I think there is a serious issue for all of them but particularly for those officials whose job it is, right across the club and the competition, to maintain integrity of it. I think it’s a serious breach.”
“If you’re trying to avoid the test, you’re trying to undermine the integrity of the drug testing program that is designed to protect the sport as much as anything else.”
Television presenter Neil Cordy says that if Whitfield accepts his own touted six-month suspension, it essentially forces Allan and Lambert to accept their own sentences.
He also explained he reasons why the AFL and ASADA are prepared to punish the two officials more heavily than the former number one draft pick.
“If Whitfield accepts the six month ban, which we would expect them to, that would imply that he would have to plead guilty to the charge, and that would make life certainly quite difficult for Lambert and Allan,” he said.
“I think the reasoning behind it is that not just here in Australia but worldwide, we have seen these athletes take the full brunt of responsibility for most of these affairs, and they should, but I think the coaches and management that have surrounded these poor choices have basically gotten off scot-free.
“I think there is a move from both WADA and ASADA to try and balance those penalties out.”
David Schwarz however still holds the view that Whitfield should also receive a longer penalty, saying that the player has ultimate responsibility of his actions.
“Ultimately it’s the responsibility of the player to look after himself and what he puts in his system,” he said.
“If he puts anything into his system he is responsible for that. If a club then does what they can to protect him, they’re both culpable. They’re both as guilty as each other. I’m not sure why one should be given half the penalty and the other double.”
The Ox believes that a dangerous message would be sent to players across the competition should there be a lower penalty for Whitfield.
“What message does it send out to the players? That Lachie Whitfield will get half the time as an administrator? The drug code was brought in to ensure that if the players were to transgress, if they were going to run the gauntlet, there were going to be penalties imposed,” he said.
“At the moment, they don’t get penalised. It’s poor decisions, it’s poor choice making and at the moment, the people who aren’t taking drugs, those working in the clubs, are getting penalised more. I just think there’s an imbalance there.”