- Smith, 27, has been charged with cocaine trafficking
- Sport Integrity Australia reportedly sent text messages by star
- Demons skipper Gawn spoke about a scandal on Wednesday
Max Gawn is confident Melbourne does not have a drug culture as the AFL club cast doubt on new anti-doping charges against teammate Joel Smith.
In a dramatic escalation, the league confirmed on Tuesday evening that Sports Integrity Australia (SIA) had charged Smith with three Australian Football Anti-Doping Code anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) for allegedly ‘trafficking or attempting to traffic’ cocaine to third parties.
Gawn acknowledged the new allegations were shocking, but the Demons captain staunchly defended his club.
It’s the latest blow in a tumultuous offseason for Melbourne, with several off-field issues keeping the club in the news for all the wrong reasons.
Gawn (pictured playing for Melbourne on Sunday) is confident the Demons do not have a drug culture problem, despite sensational allegations against his teammate Joel Smith
Smith (pictured with fiancée Elise Carroll) has been accused of sending text messages about cocaine to other players in Melbourne
Smith has been provisionally suspended since October, when he was informed of a positive cocaine test following the Demons’ win over Hawthorn on August 20.
Asked on Wednesday if there was a club problem, Gawn said: ‘In my opinion not, no.
‘It’s obviously quite shocking. (But) all I can say is I’ve been drug tested for 16 years, and hair tested for 10 years.
‘In those ten years I was never told that our club had a drug culture.
“Until I’m told we have a problem or until I can see the problem with my own eyes, all I can do is deviate from face value.”
Gawn and AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon noted that the SIA investigation into the allegations was ongoing and nothing had yet been proven.
After Melbourne crashed out of the finals in straight sets for the second season in a row, issues surrounding their star onfielder Clayton Oliver escalated and Smith’s positive test also became public.
The 27-year-old’s career is in jeopardy after Sport Integrity Australia laid new anti-doping charges against him, including allegations he trafficked cocaine
Amid other media reports of off-field problems at the club, CEO Gary Pert claimed the club’s culture was ‘the best I’ve seen in forty years’.
“I’d like to think I have a good understanding of our group and that we’ve had an incredible summer, with the turmoil we’ve had in September and October,” Gawn said.
“I’m incredibly optimistic that we have the right culture.
“I’m not hiding – there are issues – and we’ll make sure we get that right. But there will be problems every year, whether you (the media) write about them or not.’
Gawn spoke impressively at an AFL function on Wednesday morning, noting he was limited given the ongoing investigation.
The Demons captain also said Tuesday night was the first he heard of the claim that Smith had texted teammates regarding cocaine.
Demons skipper Gawn (pictured playing last Sunday) didn’t deny the club has problems with its culture – saying the team has had an ‘incredible summer’
According to the code, human trafficking is defined as “the sale, giving, transportation, shipping, delivery or distribution of a controlled substance by an athlete… to a third party.”
Smith was also served with another ADRV for possession of cocaine on September 9, 2022.
He was already facing a ban of up to four years under the AFL’s anti-doping code due to his positive cocaine test.
It is unclear how much the additional costs could add to any suspension, or when that would be determined.
Smith remains provisionally suspended and cannot train or play with his teammates, and the AFL confirmed under the code that the new alleged offenses will be further investigated by SIA.
The 27-year-old’s case could be heard at the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal, but there is no timeline on when that could happen.