Aker: Take drug claims seriously

Jason Akermanis says the Brisbane Lions are wrong to instantly dismiss claims that six players at the club in the past decade were heavy users of drugs. Picture: Darren McNamara Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Lion Jason Akermanis has urged Brisbane to fully investigate claims that six players at the club in the past decade were heavy users of drugs.

Brisbane yesterday distanced itself from claims by Ash McGrath's cousin Jason McGrath, a confessed drug dealer, that six Lions were heavy users of speed, ecstasy and marijuana over a period spanning 2002-09.

Akermanis said the Lions were wrong to instantly dismiss the claims.

"People say he is a drug dealer, but if you are a drug dealer you generally know who you are giving the drugs to,'' said Akermanis, who played for the Lions between 1995-2006.

"Who knows who is in his little black book? But you have to be really careful not to just dismiss it straight away.

"That can be the worst thing that can happen.

"I would be more than happy for Jason (McGrath) to expose any player, but he will probably go into hiding and nothing will come of it.

"Come show us the facts and we will happily deal with it.

"You see what you see even though you might not know everything that is going on.

"There are elements of truth that if they are serious they need to uncover.

"Six years ago I was saying things like this (about drug use among AFL players at the time) are going on. Six years later, the ACC (Australian Crime Commission) come out with some air, but it does suggest that some very shady characters are now involved.

"If they had just listened six years ago ...

"The AFL have been telling people for so long that nothing is going on. They didn't do the work."

Akermanis believes the AFL should also investigate Jason McGrath's claims that the Lions fixed a match, although he did not believe it was possible to do so.

"We went through eras when we seem to be winning every game," he said.

"It is impossible to fix a game of football.

"It may have been linked to exotic bets like first goals and stuff like that. Clearly he believes things were happening and games were being manipulated."

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Full whack for Bailey, Connolly

Heavy penalty: Dean Bailey (above) and Chris Connolly will each be barred from working in the AFL for several months. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Melbourne coach Dean Bailey and his football lieutenant Chris Connolly will be forced to serve the full term of bans for tanking.

The Herald Sun last night confirmed the AFL had rejected a bid to have part of their sentences suspended.

Bailey and Connolly will each be barred from working in the AFL for several months. The pair will become the face of tanking with Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab appearing to have escaped sanction in the seven-month probe.

The AFL Commission considered a report on the investigation into Melbourne's 2009 season at a meeting yesterday. Melbourne will be fined about $500,000 - but has been spared the loss of draft picks or premiership points.

Despite Melbourne's protests, it is believed the AFL have found the Demons were guilty of deliberately manipulating results.

Bailey, who is an assistant coach at Adelaide, has refused to comment since the investigation began.

He was sacked midway through 2011 and said at his final press conference: "I was asked to do the best thing by the Melbourne Football Club and I did it. I put players in different positions."

Bailey did not explain who asked him.

The AFL tanking investigation, led by chief integrity officer Brett Clothier, involved dozens of interviews with past and present Demons officials.

At the centre of the investigation was Melbourne's selection and game-day strategy during the contentious 2009 season.

Club insiders have claimed Bailey was under fierce internal pressure to lose games.

It was also alleged several club figures held a secret meeting in 2009 to plot their tanking strategy.

Connolly became a central figure after it was reported he reminded football officials about the importance of losing matches to improve the club's draft position.

He no longer works in Melbourne's football department but is employed by the club in marketing.

Matches scrutinised by the AFL included Melbourne's Round 17 loss to Sydney at Manuka Oval and the after-the-siren Round 18 loss to Richmond.

The tanking probe was triggered in July when Carlton midfielder and former Demon Brock McLean revealed on Fox Footy's On the Couch that a major reason for leaving Melbourne was its strategy of deliberately losing games.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has warned any person guilty of manipulating a result would "never work in football again".

There was no decision last night on a proposal to install integrity officers at every AFL club.

The commission was last night told new equalisation proposals were still being considered by clubs, several of which have criticised the so-called "rich tax".

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Ray of hope for Dons

Playing on: After accounting for the Bulldogs on Friday, the Bombers will again be looking to take their minds off the drugs inquiry when they face Richmond on Saturday week. Picture: Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON players could be cleared of sanctions for any violation of the World Anti-Doping Agency code by proving they were not aware they were taking illegal substances.

The club believes its players did not take any non-WADA approved substances, but they could have unwittingly been given illegal peptides by sports scientist Stephen Dank.

The WADA code and the AFL's Anti-Doping Code both have a section on "exceptional circumstances".

Legal experts believe the case of Ukrainian rower Olena Olefirenko in 2004 could be relevant to the Essendon players.

Olefirenko tested positive to the stimulant ethamivan at the Athens Olympics, but was able to prove her team doctor administered it without her knowing it was on the banned list.

She lost her bronze medal, but was not banned from future Olympics.

WADA's rule 10.5.1 discusses the principle of "No Fault or Negligence", and is based on athletes proving beyond doubt they did not know what they were being given by sports scientists or doctors.

If an athlete can prove "in an individual case that he or she bears no fault or negligence, the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility shall be eliminated".

In other words, any future ban can be wiped or dramatically reduced.

While a potential mitigating factor, WADA warns the law is meant to have an impact "only in cases where the circumstances are truly exceptional and not in the vast majority of cases".

Sportspeople can have sanctions reduced rather than wiped completely, although WADA warns that "athletes are responsible for their choice of medical personnel and for advising medical personnel that they cannot be given prohibited substances".

Essendon players were given a log of substances they took under Dank, with players signing consent forms.

The Bombers are also facing an AFL-ASADA investigation for the manner in which substances were administered, with intravenous infusions banned in almost all circumstances under the AFL Anti-Doping Code.

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Stevie J set to miss blockbuster

Best of mates? The field umpire asks Cats Steve Johnson and Hayden Ballantyne to cool it. Source: Getty Images

Geelong's Steve Johnson crunches Fremantle's Hayden Ballantyne during their Round 1 NAB Cup match at Patersons Stadium. Source: Getty Images

STEVE Johnson is likely to become the latest Geelong star suspended for the Round 1 blockbuster against Hawthorn after being offered a one-match ban by the match review panel.

Johnson was charged with striking Fremantle antagonist Hayden Ballantyne in Geelong's NAB Cup loss to Fremantle on Saturday.

James Kelly is already ineligible for the Cats' season-opener after he was suspended for making forceful contact to Tendai Mzungu in last year's elimination final loss to Fremantle.

Geelong said last night they were yet to make a decision on whether to appeal Johnson's penalty, but history shows they rarely take cases to the tribunal.

The Cats would risk a two-match ban if they chose to fight the charge.

Johnson, looking to block for a teammate, was caught on camera delivering a swinging arm to the stomach of Ballantyne in the second half at Subiaco Oval.

The incident was assessed as intentional conduct (three points), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point), drawing 125 points and a one-match ban.Under new rules, players suspended during the pre-season must serve their ban during the season proper.

Johnson was already walking a tribunal tightrope, with an existing 80 carry-over points stemming from his one-match sanction for rough conduct against Sydney's Dan Hannebery in Round 23 last year.

Geelong coach Chris Scott denied after Saturday's game that there was any lingering ill-feeling from last year's heated Round 1 match against Fremantle, in which Ballantyne was suspended for striking Paul Chapman behind play, before he was punched in the face by Matthew Scarlett.

"I would be amazed (if there was still friction), none that I've seen. There tends to not be too much friction in NAB 1," Scott said.

But Scott appeared to have a dig at the Dockers goalsneak for staging.

"I didn't see what happened. I know (Ballantyne) was down for a long time," he said.

"I was more concerned with how quickly he got up and set up the next goal, he didn't look too bad did he?"

Hawthorn hasn't beaten Geelong since the 2008 Grand Final, a sequence of nine matches.

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Players need to pressure AFL: Bucks

Port Adelaide's Kane Cornes tries to cool down at AAMI Stadium last Sunday. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley believes the AFL Players Association must pressure the league in coming days to make sure players are not exposed to undue duress in extreme heat during the NAB Cup.

Buckley suggested the AFL needed to be wary of putting its pre-season rules experiments, in particular "gathering information about the 3 and 1 interchange rotation", ahead of the players' welfare.

His comments came after Adelaide, Port Adelaide and St Kilda sweltered through 38-degree heat at AAMI Stadium on Sunday afternoon, prompting Saints coach Scott Watters to call for "a close look at the heat policy".

Speaking at Healesville Sanctuary on Monday, as part of Collingwood's community camp in the region, Buckley said tweaking the policy "is probably something that the AFLPA will look at strongly over the next couple of days in particular".

"If we're playing in 35-plus-degree conditions, there's a duty of care to the playing group to make sure that we shuffle things a little bit to make sure players aren't under undue duress," Buckley said.

Clubs must trim their squads to 22 for the rest of the pre-season as the AFL's trial of a cap on interchange rotations takes effect.

They can make just 80 interchange rotations, 20 per quarter, under the experimental rule.

Buckley queried the relevance of taking statistics about interchange rotations during the extreme heat of the pre-season anyway.

"Moving the time of games is a consideration but I can understand the broadcasting relationship," he said.

"Adding players to the interchange bench, sometimes you need to say as much as we'd like to get this information, the conditions don't allow us to do that."

The AFL has scope to shorten quarters and extend breaks under its extreme heat policy.

Buckley said he was "sure the AFL and AFLPA will come to some arrangement and I'd be surprised if we didn't see some movement to support the welfare of players... In the end the thing that the AFL and the PA need to be commended for is that they have had the players' welfare at heart, and I think common sense will prevail."

Collingwood's next NAB Cup match against the Eagles is scheduled for 4.40pm in Perth on Sunday March 3.

He said the Magpies' two wins to begin their NAB Cup campaign on Friday night were "quite encouraging", and was unperturbed about the two-week break until the next match.

"We'll have a solid training session on Wednesday and probably some match simulation on Friday," he said.
Buckley believes the Magpies are well advanced in their preparations to this time 12 months ago.

"Clearly we believe the decisions we made on the trade table in our recruiting have us better placed," he said.

"We believe that we're in a position to contend for premierships right now and a lot of our decisions came with that in mind.

"We feel we're stronger and we feel we're deeper."

He said the club was relatively well placed on the injury front, with Dale Thomas (ankle), Alex Fasolo (foot), Tyson Goldsack and Luke Ball (knee) a chance to be back to full fitness by Round 1.

He expected tall backman Lachy Keeffe to return from a knee reconstruction a couple of months into the season.

Apart from the community camp in the Yarra Ranges, Buckley has just spent a few days in Mansfield with a dozen youngsters as part of the club's first-year players camp, which incorporated golf and hiking.
 

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Demons probe decision imminent

Dean Bailey could face possible suspension when the Demons learn the outcome in the Melbourne tanking investigation. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE expects to learn the outcome of the AFL's tanking investigation today or tomorrow.

The Demons, who have assembled a team of lawyers and wealthy benefactors in anticipation, believe they will hear from the league at the start of this week.

Melbourne remains confident any AFL sanction won't involve the loss of draft picks, with Dean Bailey and Chris Connolly the only individuals likely to be suspended.

But reports have suggested the club could be hit with a fine of up to $500,000.

The Demons have been accused of deliberately losing matches during the 2009 season to secure draft picks.

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Drugs breach hard to Swallow

Andrew Swallow is frustrated by renegade players abusing the illicit drugs policy. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

NORTH Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow has hit out at renegade players abusing the AFL's illicit drugs policy.

Swallow, 25, backed the league's three-strikes code but said the game's stars were being let down by a group of players exploiting loopholes in the system.

The three-time club best-and-fairest winner said it was frustrating for players and a concern for league chiefs that some players felt they could manipulate the policy.

"I think it's a worry that the processes that are put in place and the guidelines put in place exactly to help those people are being abused," Swallow told the Herald Sun.

"I think that's what annoys, especially the majority of the AFL.

"The policy that we've got might need to be tweaked, but it is looking after the welfare of the guys that need it.

"The guys that are abusing it, well, we expect better than that."

A loophole allowing players to dodge a drugs strike by self-reporting use is under the most scrutiny and is expected to be limited to one chance only.

One player is believed to have "self-reported" three times last year.

The Herald Sun has reported six players from one club reported their own drug use to the AFL a total of 10 times last year.

After concerns about players' "volcanic" off-season behaviour were raised by Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert and an industry-wide summit was held, the AFL established an illicit drugs policy working party to refine the league's drugs code.

While the working party process is under way, league executives will begin meeting with club officials this week to discuss the findings of the Australian Crime Commission report into drugs and crime in sport.

"At the moment the club meetings with the AFL executive are a priority, but the IDP testing continues as normal," AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said.

The AFL has defended its drugs policy, as the first of its kind in Australian sport.

But the country's top crime watchdog has warned drug use is far more wide-spread than testing results would indicate. Players are tested for illicit drugs twice a year on average.

Swallow said North's leadership group would discuss the drugs crisis with the rest of the players immediately.

"From a leadership point of view we don't want any of our players taking or being a part of any illicit drugs," he said. "But then there's the other hand where you've got to create an environment where blokes who are having certain problems and addictions feel comfortable enough to come and actually speak up.

"We will definitely be extremely strong on coming across that it is not on and it is not acceptable.

"It is not part of being a premiership footballer.

"We still need to make sure they understand and they know if they are having issues they can come and open up and feel like they have the trust of us and that we actually want to help them."
 

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One leader for Blues

Marc Murphy (above), Andrew Carrazzo and Kade Simpson are officially in contention to replace Chris Judd as leader at Carlton, but it has effectively become a two-horse race between Carrazzo and Murphy. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Front-runner: Andrew Carrazzo is Mick Malthouse's preference for the top job. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON has ruled out appointing co-captains, with the race for the leadership to start in earnest this weekend.

Sydney has exploited the co-captaincy model with excellent results over the years, winning the 2005 and 2012 flags.

But Blues coach Mick Malthouse is not a supporter of the concept, which has been swiftly dismissed as an option at Visy Park.

Andrew Carrazzo, Marc Murphy and Kade Simpson are officially in contention to replace Chris Judd, but it has effectively become a two-horse race between Carrazzo and Murphy.

It's believed Malthouse's preference is Carrazzo, but all three will get a turn to lead Carlton during its pre-season campaign, which starts in Sydney on Sunday.

"For me it's just an honour to be mentioned in the running with the likes of Marc and Andrew and we'll see how we go in the NAB Cup and Mick will make a decision after that," veteran Simpson said yesterday.

"I'm sure Mick has got a fair idea of who he wants, but he said at the start of pre-season that everyone will have a run (as captain) during the NAB Cup so we're looking forward to that."

Bryce Gibbs yesterday admitted his 2012 form was the reason that he didn't nominate himself for the club's leadership group on the pre-season camp in Arizona in November.

"My performance last year wasn't up to a high level and that's something I really want to focus on this year - just getting that consistency in my game," Gibbs said.

"I thought I could step out of the leadership group and focus on a few areas of my game.

"I'm looking forward to hopefully spending a bit more time in the midfield this year."

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Mick stands by flag belief

We're in with a chance: Mick Malthouse has talked up Carlton's prospects at the club's family day. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON coach Mick Malthouse has made no apologies for declaring the Blues have the makings of a premiership side.

Malthouse, speaking at the club's family day yesterday, was given the opportunity to water down the bold comments he made in his program notes at last week's intra-club match.

Instead, the veteran coach further cranked up the hype, telling a sea of navy blue fans there were "no limits" on Carlton's prospects.

"If you aren't an optimist you're in the wrong game," Malthouse said.

"You've got to come to the football club full of hope so that your playing group, support staff, board and members jump on board and say, 'Right, we've got a chance'.

'We want to make sure that our manta is: 'There's no limit'. Why should we be restricted? That's the thing, too often in our country, our schools and our society, we are suppressed because of what people tell us."

Carlton president Stephen Kernahan said the Blues were on a "journey of redemption" after a hugely disappointing 2012 season saw them miss finals and sack coach Brett Ratten.

"The team is in a fantastic place. It's adapting to a new style and a new attitude," Kernahan said.

"It's very important that we win back respect after a couple of ordinary performances last year."

The Blues believe they are ideally placed leading into Sunday's NAB Cup meetings with Sydney and Greater Western Sydney, with an almost clean bill of health a welcome change from the injury-interrupted pre-seasons of recent years.

Only Chris Judd (hamstring) and Jarrad Waite (calf) are carrying niggles.

Ruckman Robbie Warnock was wearing a knee brace after copping a knock in the second intra-club game, but said he would only miss a week.

This time last year up to a dozen players were still underdone or in rehab programs after operations.

"It's been pleasing as I walk past the medical room over the last few months to see it just about empty. We didn't have that luxury last year which hurt us in the long run," Kernahan said.

Malthouse said it was all part of a carefully managed and cautious summer program that put a strong emphasis on being injury-free.

"It's a real marathon. You need to get people up and feeling very confident about themselves," he said.

"Where will we end up? Everyone wants to be there in September. We are not without taking one step at a time, but we're looking at improving with every step we take."

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Johnson to learn fate today

Best of mates? The field umpire asks Cats Steve Johnson and Hayden Ballantyne to cool it. Source: Getty Images

Geelong's Steve Johnson crunches Fremantle's Hayden Ballantyne during their Round 1 NAB Cup match at Patersons Stadium. Source: Getty Images

GEELONG will learn today if mercurial forward Steve Johnson has any case to answer after his tangle with Fremantle antagonist Hayden Ballantyne on Saturday night.

The Cats returned to Victoria late yesterday, with Mathew Stokes sporting a moon boot after wrenching his ankle in Geelong's game-one win over West Coast.

The Cats say they are yet to know the full extent of the injury but admit Stokes is unlikely to play in the short-term.

Johnson appeared to make slight contact to Ballantyne's midriff with a swinging right arm during Geelong's game two loss against the Dockers at Subiaco.

If Johnson is suspended he will have to serve the ban in the home-and-away season under a change to the tribunal system.

Johnson is walking a suspension tightrope, given he has 80 carry-over points after accepting a one-match ban for rough conduct against Sydney's Dan Hannebery in Round 23 last year.

But changes to the tribunal system mean his loading for past offences, which was 40 per cent last year, has been dissolved.

Calculations for a player's poor tribunal record now only take into account the previous two seasons, down from three.

And to qualify for a poor record, a player needs to have been suspended for two or more matches within the previous two years.

Johnson's only suspension since the start of the 2011 season was that incident with Hannebery.

His three-week suspension for his infamous tangle with Steven Baker in 2010 no longer counts against him.

Cats coach Chris Scott denied there was any lingering ill-feeling from last year's heated Round 1 match against Fremantle, in which Ballantyne was suspended for striking Paul Chapman behind play, before being floored by Matthew Scarlett.

"I would be amazed (if there was still friction), none that I've seen. There tends to not be too much friction in NAB 1," Scott said.

"I didn't see what happened. I know (Ballantyne) was down for a long time. I was more concerned with how quickly he got up and set up the next goal he didn't look too bad did he?"

Stokes was on crutches during Geelong's second match, with Scott admitting post match the injury looked serious.

"It doesn't look great at the moment but, with those sort of things, they can blow up and be sore for a few days and then come good really quickly," he said.

Cats football manager Neil Balme said he did not know if Stokes would need scans.

"It's not too bad I don't think, but he'll miss something, most certainly," Balme said last night.
 

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