AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert speak after today's AFL drugs summit. Picture: Mike Keating Source: Herald Sun
THE AFL could approve a bold plan to allow clubs to fund the target-testing of players they believe are abusing drugs.
The league united to tackle illicit drugs at yesterday's summit with that proposal one of several to be considered by a new working party.
Among certain changes to the AFL Illicit Drugs Policy will be the closure of a loophole that allows players to self-report and escape a strike at will, and an increase in off-season hair testing - both recently flagged by the Herald Sun.
The proposal to allow clubs to target-test players they suspect of using drugs will create most debate.
AFL clubs are banned from conducting their own testing after then Carlton present Ian Collins controversially drug-tested players Karl Norman and Laurie Angwin in 2004.
Yesterday AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirmed clubs might be able to pay the league's drug testers to do that exact task.
Club sources said the AFL might also provide clubs with details of their players' drug use each year.
No names would be revealed, but a club may find out the number of players who had positive strikes, how many strikes they were on, which drugs they had used, and how many had self-reported.
The historic summit was hailed a success by clubs, the AFL, medical experts and players, but a battle will be fought over the information flow to clubs when players test positive a second time.
Hawthorn led the charge of clubs keen to be alerted after a second strike, but that issue will be thrashed out by the working party with AFL chief executives Stuart Fox (Hawthorn), Gary Pert (Collingwood), Travis Auld (Gold Coast) and Ian Robson (Essendon).
Either the chief executive or welfare officer of a club may eventually find out about a second strike, but clubs would have to commit to extensive privacy provisions.
Collingwood's Luke Ball and Bulldog Robert Murphy leave today's AFL drugs summit. Picture: Mike Keating Source: Herald Sun
Fox said it was imperative clubs knew earlier than under the current policy.
"Hawthorn has lived through the three-strikes system with Travis Tuck and we are quite passionate about someone at the club knowing after the second strike," he told the Herald Sun.
"Clubs are much better placed and more sophisticated, so they can deal with that knowledge."
The self-reporting loophole will almost certainly see players allowed to confess to drug use - sparing a positive strike - only once a season.
Some chief executives pushed for the practice to be banned if a player was on two strikes, or even have the self-reporting seen as a third strike.
The loophole will be changed after it goes to the AFL Commission and is approved by AFL Players' Association delegates.
AFL clubs were not given specific details on the flagged rise in illicit positives - likely to be released late next month - but were told of a 21 per cent rise in drugs across the community.
Pies boss Pert said of the playing age group: "Taking drugs is a part of their lives. We are very concerned. Every CEO is concerned about what happens now, and what happens in the future."
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