Former GWS captain Phil Davis believes the term ‘secret testing’ in relation to the AFL’s drugs saga is an unfair reflection on the league’s testing model, providing the perspective of a player only recently out of the game.
Federal MP Andrew Wilkie used parliamentary privilege to bring to attention the testimony of former Melbourne president Glen Bartlett and former club doctor Zeeshan Arain of “egregious misconduct within the AFL”.
Separate to Sports Integrity Australia’s gameday testing, the AFL’s illicit drug policy is a “medical model”, as described by CEO Andrew Dillon when standing by his league’s policy on Wednesday.
While Wilkie told parliament of “the resting of players testing positive in these secret tests”, Dillon shifted the narrative.
“It is absolutely imperative that no doctor or club official should ever allow or encourage a player to take the field knowing they have recently taken an illicit substance that may be harmful to their health,” he told reporters.
Davis, speaking on SEN’s Whateley, acknowledged the difficulty in balancing different stakeholders in the AFL’s illicit drug policy. However, he disagreed with the use of the word ‘secret’ in describing the policy.
“The thing that I took a bit of umbrage to Wilkie’s comments were the ‘secret testing’,” he explained.
“I thought that use of the word was inflammatory because what I can understand of the system, if you are at risk you go through the medical model, a welfare pathway, which means you are under care and these tests aren’t secret, they’re extra.
“So for example, I got tested lots of times in my career, both WADA and the illicit drug policy, and with the illicit drug policy I was just random. But I knew if you had a problem, it was less random.
“These were these 'behind-closed-doors' tests. I found that a bit inflammatory because I always found the program to be one to help players who have problems.”
Nine’s Footy Classified reported overnight that the AFL and AFL Players’ Association are in talks to make the policy a more punitive one.
As it stands, a player who tests positive prior to gameday who is in the welfare pathway is allegedly encouraged to fake an injury or illness.
Davis added he believes there are players who take advantage of the policy.
“There’s no doubt that some players get swept up in that may not have problems and are just on the side of the fence when they think they can take advantage of the system,” he stated.
“I think we can all agree they’re the players we want to stop. But when you create a policy, are you willing to throw out the ones that need protections to gain the ones that are taking liberties? Or do you have the model they’ve got now.”
Listen to Phil Davis’ full perspective in his interview with Gerard Whateley below