Aussie Football team allegedly systematically injected players with illegal peptides.

[SkinnedAussie]

We are in the midst of a major drugs-in-sport scandal with an AFL team the main focus of illegally injecting players with banned substances.

Some of the substances used aren't actually banned, but the method of injection is, which was directly in to the stomach.

A NRL (rugby league) team has already copped some of their punishment for similar practices, but ther eis one common factor in both instances. Both teams had an association with the same sports scientist.

This sports scientist is the main individual under investigation, with the head coach of the AFL already admitting that he was the recipient of some injections, but the club is standing by their point that none of the players were injected, even though the players were forced to sign a waiver, and that injections were done in a premises away from the team facility.

Now, the real interesting part is that the players of the team in question have bulked up to an extent that every other team has raised some concerns that this team is bigger and stronger than last year, and have much greater stamina which gives them the advantage of being able to overrun their opposition late in a game.

Unlike the NFL where the commish comes down quickly, and harshly, on any player who has a substance abuse query over his head, the commish of the AFL is actually trying to cover up the fact that illegal substances were used last year. If he wasn't, players involved would be sitting on the sidelines watching and waiting for the outcome of the investigation, by not only ASADA, but by WADA as well. We have even had the Australian Crime Commission involved!

So, when you are 5 weeks in to a season and have had 5 opposition coaches, as well as a couple from late last season, all make comment about the increased size and endurance of suspect players, surely action would have been taken by now.

The biggest concern is that the findings will come out in favour of the team under investigation, and thus, opening the floodgates for further legal processes. This is like forgiving Lance Armstrong now that he has retired, and allowing him to keep all his accolades.

AFL - A F***ing Laugh!

 

[Win4us]

Are these cats THAT much bigger that a new strength and conditioning program alone wouldn't justify it?

Yeah I too would like to see all performance enhancements banned for a level playing field but these players and dr's are getting uber sneaky in concealing it. Something that's always gonna be a subject unfortunately.

 

[SkinnedAussie]

The doping program started at the beginning of 2012, so any effects were not immediately known. However, one team that play against the dopers late last year could not get over how much bigger the opposition players had gotten during the off-season. Players fill out over the years, but not to that extent.

It was revealed when a couple of opposition team staff members had a 'secret' meeting with the supplier of alleged illegal substances, and this person has informed the staffers that he can supply the same substances to anyone who wants them.

The substances involved have since been banned by WADA (World Anti-Drug Authority), but at the time they were still being tested, which, under WADA rules, makes them illegal to use until otherwise cleared for human use. The sports scientist has claimed he has a letter approving the use of these substances from a WADA representative, but the letter only suggests that the enquiry be redirected to ASADA (Australian Sports Anti-Drug Authority). This letter was interpreted in a way that the use of the substances was approved by WADA, but no consultation with ASADA ever took place.

The main concern is that although the team involved is currently undefeated, it's the way they are winning. Teams usually get fatigued and slow down as the game draws to an end but this team is as strong late in the last quarter as they were at the start of the game.

 

[SkinnedAussie]

Believe it or not, this saga is still on-going. The NRL (rugby league) team named have been handed their penalty, and as such any player involved received a back-dated 3 month ban, which in effect only costs them the last three games of the season.

The AFL players 'named' have been given their 'please explain' letters, but legal action has prevented any further action from taking place. The team was 'banned' from playing in the finals (play-offs) last year, and have made it through again this year, but the longer it goes on, the more the competition will be seen as being compromised. The coach of the team at the time has served his suspension (1 year paid employment training in France + $1mill pay-out!) and is back ready to continue as before.

This still has a long way to go before coming to an end.

 

[Burgundy Burner]

You hear about these things on an individual basis all the time, but not an entire team. That's astonishing. Players who dope (and get caught) seem to have this solipsistic view to the point of being so far above the rules. That sense of entitlement is something we see with athletes here in the USA on occasion.

That kind of arrogance is currently on display from the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Wes Welker, Roger Clemens, O. J. Mayo, Aldon Smith, and so on and so on. Football in the USA has put more emphasis on punishment in recent years. Ditto for baseball. The NBA all but turns a blind eye to it.

Keep us updated. I'd like to hear how this is handled in the future.

 

[SkinnedAussie]

An aussie rules roster consists of 40 senior list players, with up to 6 rookie list players (53-player roster and practice squad, for NFL comparison), but 'only' 34 of the players from the 2012 playing list have been send 'please explain' letters.

What was happening was a sports scientist was bought in to the fold and asked how best to make the layers bigger and stronger. He suggested certain supplements that were not yet fully tested, and therefore declared as illegal by WADA. WADA is the World Anti-Doping Authority, and has the final say. Each country then has it's own branch, which in this case is ASADA (Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority).

During some random testing, some inomalies were found in the samples of these players, and further investigation took place. However, it was mentioned by the league boss to the club boss that they were about to be looked at, so the team boss 'self reported'. They hired an independent 'researcher', and he found the club was guilty of 'a pharmacological nightmare'. If was found that the substances were ordered, paid for by the club and collected, but what happened after that is the main contention.

The club had the players involved sign a waiver stating they were unaware of any untowards practices, but they still participated in a routine injection program that involved substances no yet approved for human usage. One player even went on to win the league's highest individual honour that year, and even had the audacity to admit to the fact he was part of the program and had been injected with unknown substances.

These substances didn't have any real obvious effect on the appearance of the players, but it was during games the most telling aspect became obvious. When a team is so much stronger in the second half of a game than the first, you have to ask questions, but when a team consistently outscores their opposition by 15 goals or more in the second half, you just know something is not quite right.

What is more amazing is that the sports scientist in question has not yet been questioned about his part in this scandal. The person who introduced him to the club has since been sacked, as has all of the team coaching staff except the current stand-in coach, whereas the club doctor went to court to have his sacking contested but as he could prove, by way of an email, that he did not want to be involved with the program due to some concerns he had, the players themselves are yet to be penalised.

The longer this goes on, the more everyone loses interest, and the greater the likelihood the players will escape penalty free. Something like 24 of the players involved are still with the club, whereas others have either retired or are now with other teams.

The common fan is well and truly over it, and no longer care what happens, but there is now two separate groups of supporters - those who support the club and are adamant nothing illegal took place, and those who know different.

Sorry for the rant, but I thought it best to relay hat has been uncovered thus far, and where it stands today.