Demetriou warns on drugs

AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou. Photo: Getty Images

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou is directly warning players of the dangers of dabbling in drugs that are not approved for human use, in addition to the established bogies of performance-enhancing, illicit and prescription drugs.

Demetriou, who started briefing players and staff from the 18 clubs on the state of the game this week, has already told players from two clubs about the dangers of four different types of drugs - including those not approved for human use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in this country.

In briefing players at all clubs about the drugs-in-sport issue, Demetriou's message is that players who are involved in illegal activities ''will be caught'' because of the greater investigative powers of law enforcement agencies such as the Australian Crime Commission.

While the Essendon scandal has centred on the question of whether the Bombers took substances that violate the World Anti-Doping Agency code, the issue of substances not approved for human use has been put on the agenda by rugby league club Cronulla, which is alleged to have used equine substances without TGA approval for humans.

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Demetriou said his message to the players and staff at the clubs - which reiterated what club boards had heard - was based on the contents of the explosive and contentious ACC report.

''It's not a new thing from us, it's in the ACC report,'' he said. ''So that was what we briefed all the clubs about. Sport, globally, and our sport is not immune, has vulnerabilities one is obviously performance-enhancing [drugs] which are on the WADA list. One is to drugs that are not necessarily on the WADA list but are banned for human consumption, prescription drugs which you've seen recently with swimming and, obviously, illicit drugs.

''We're saying that there are people with far greater powers than us who are aware of some of these activities because they've got incredible, extraordinary investigative powers.'' Demetriou said these powers included the ability to record phone calls.

Demetriou said the players from the two clubs briefed had received this message on drugs ''very, very well, from what I can gather''.

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Demetriou warns on drugs