Under AFL rules, a player testing positive to illicit substances on three occasions faces suspension from the game and the offending player’s name is made public.
This practice is flawed for the simple reason a player is allowed to continue his erroneous ways without recourse unless ofcourse he is caught out for the third time.
A simple rule for a complex issue which has come to the fore on the eve of the 2010 finals series to bite the Australian Football League in the butt.
Travis Tuck, 22, an upcoming Hawthorn player who’s father is none other than the Hawthorn legend himself, Michael Tuck, became the first player to offend three times under the League’s drug rule.
Travis could not have come from a better footballing family, but unfortunately a couple of Fridays ago was found by police unconscious in his car in Berwick and was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital where he was found to have taken the illicit ‘party’ drug GBH (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate).
The AFL was quick to act and handled the case with dignity by offering the young man assistance and rehabilitation.
Having been caught on the ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy, the player was named and had to face the AFL’s tribunal which gave him a very lenient 12 match suspension.
At least with the help of his club will now have a chance to resurrect his career.
All well and good and handled with honour, respect and compassion by the AFL.
There is one disturbing point.
The AFL carries out thousands of drug tests on and off season and players do get caught out on occasions but are given a second and third chance before they are named and shamed.
When caught for illicit drug taking the only people in the know of the player’s offence is the player himself, the drug testing agency and the AFL.
Not the player’s family, not his personal doctor, not the club medical staff and not the football club’s administration.
This practice is flawed for the simple reason a player is allowed to continue his erroneous ways without recourse unless ofcourse he is caught out for the third time.
If the appropriate people in the player’s life are notified early after the first offence then they are in the best possible position to help that person’s rehabilitation and avoid subsequent positive tests.
The way it is handled currently is wrong and this issue should be addressed by the AFL so that any player who offends is made known to people that can help rather than hiding the offence or offences ‘under the carpet’ until it’s too late.
It’s time for the AFL to re think its illicit drug strategy!
