Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas has revealed on his podcast - Sam, Mike & Thommo – that numerous players he coached at his time at the Saints used recreational drugs.
Thomas coached St Kilda from 2001 to 2006 and said he was stunned when a player told him how “rife” the issue was.
“I would’ve had suspicion of one or two, but no more than a week or so after I finish (with the Saints), one of the players, he told me what had actually been going on, which basically devastated me,” Thomas said on the podcast.
“He said that it (recreational drug use) was rife – a lot of them.
“Some of the players that were mentioned could’ve dropped me.”
Thomas came on SEN Breakfast to explain his comments.
“It’s just a fact of life, it is what it is,” Thomas said.
“I had a puff of a joint at some stage while I was playing footy somewhere at a party somewhere, so I suppose cocaine is today’s marijuana back then.
“No doubt that the way the AFL approaches it is significantly different to reality unfortunately.
“We had a debate on the podcast as to whether it’s performance enhancing or not and I think there’s enough evidence to say it does alter your state.
“I had no idea and I prided myself on how close I was and personal with every single one of the players on the list and you could’ve blown me over with a feather when I found out.
“I thought I knew them but I didn’t know them that well obviously.
“It was sort of just like, what’s the big deal? It happens everywhere, and that was in 2006.
“I suppose what the guys do these days is they have some (cocaine) and it’s well accepted amongst the playing group, but it’s a bit startling to people like myself.
“It’s not in the AFL’s best interest for that to be on record, but it is what it is.”
Thomas added he assumes the issue is worse now than it was back in 2006.
“It would have to be (worse),” he told SEN Breakfast.
“I’d be amazingly surprised if people have pulled their head in. You hear regularly different rumours about different players.
“It’s just not reported. It’s not something the media talk about.
“I just find it really disturbing and a great concern and I don’t know that enough is being done about it.”