Disgusted ex-police commissioner says AFL bosses must resign over cover-up scandal: ‘They’re encouraging drug use’
- Sensational allegations were tabled in parliament on Tuesday
- League accused of hiding players’ positive test results
- Clubs are creating fake injuries to hide drug use, it is claimed
Former Victorian Police chief Kel Glare has called on every AFL executive who knew about the league’s secret drug testing regime to resign over the “disgraceful” scandal.
Glare – who was the state’s top cop for five years – said the league has made it easy for football stars to use drugs after sensational allegations were brought against the league and its clubs in federal parliament.
On Tuesday night, MP Andrew Wilkie revealed whistleblowers, including a former Melbourne Demons president and club doctor, alleged the AFL orchestrates secret off-the-book drug tests that keep stars from being punished.
Kel Glare β who spent five years as Victoria’s top cop β has demanded that all AFL bosses who knew about the secret drug testing system resign immediately
Glare believes executives like recently departed CEO Gillon McLachlan (pictured) should go because they led a system that ‘encourages drug use’
Wilkie alleged widespread drug abuse among football stars and claimed that false injuries are being created so that drug-using players cannot be tested for illegal substances on match day, when positive results would lead to them being banned from the sport for a long time.
Now Glare has demanded that all football bosses who were aware of the off-the-books testing program resign from their positions.
‘It is deplorable and disgraceful behaviour. They (the AFL) facilitate the use of illegal drugs,β he told the newspaper Herald Sun.
‘Not reporting those who use drugs encourages drug use because these footballers will not stop unless there is a reason.
‘The management must all resign.
βAnyone in the AFL who knew about this and did nothing should resign; that would be the only honorable thing to do.β
If Glare had his way, AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder (left) and current CEO Andrew Dillon (left) would fall on their swords
His call for his resignation was also echoed by AFL Fans’ Association founder Brian Clarke, who called on AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder to resign.
Goyder and former AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan were mentioned in Wilkie’s speech to parliament, in which he accused league executives of trying to cover up alleged drug use by Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin.
Wilkie told parliament that former Demons president Glen Bartlett told Goyder and McLachlan ‘that he intended to tackle cocaine abuse in his club at every level, including executive level’, but the pair discussed the issue in a ‘cavalier ‘ way and nothing was done. .
Federal MP Andrew Wilkie (pictured) has made sensational allegations in federal parliament
Wilkie quoted whistleblowers who claimed that players are told to fake injuries so they don’t get caught with drugs in their system on game days (stock image)
In response to the wider allegations surrounding his football club and the AFL in general, Goodwin insisted he had no knowledge of a potential scandal.
He said the allegations were “news to me” and said he had “no visibility” into the alleged clandestine testing facilitated by the league.
The AFL’s current drug policy has been in place since 2005.
After the scandal broke, the league said it remained “unapologetic” about the off-the-books plan, which it said is in place to protect “the medical interests and welfare of players.”