- Smith is said to have tested positive after the 23rd game last year
- The maximum penalty for this offense is a four-year suspension
- Any resulting ban may be reduced to just one month
Melbourne Demons star Joel Smith is facing a minimum two-year ban after Sports Integrity Australia reportedly discovered he had used cocaine last season.
The 27-year-old was provisionally suspended by the AFL in October last year after the league claimed a urine sample he provided after the Round 23 match against Hawthorn at the MCG had tested positive for the drug.
The maximum penalty for a competitive test is a four-year suspension.
Smith received a report from Sports Integrity Australia informing him of the news on Tuesday Herald Sun reported.
Joel Smith (pictured after Melbourne’s loss to Carlton in last year’s final series) faces a ban of at least two years if he is found to have used cocaine as a performance-enhancing drug last season.
The news comes just weeks after the 27-year-old announced his engagement to Elise Carroll (pictured together), who gave birth to their daughter Tilly last September.
The key figure is likely to challenge the finding, the publication said, adding that the AFL Players Association is aware of the report and sources believe a two-year ban is likely.
“The AFL advises that the matter involving Melbourne Football Club’s Joel Smith, which is being investigated by Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) under the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code, is ongoing,” the AFL said in a statement declaration.
‘Joel remains suspended for the time being and will therefore not be allowed to participate in the pre-season training in Melbourne when it resumes in the coming days.
“Due to the ongoing nature of the anti-doping process, the AFL will make no further comment at this time.”
Athletes who test positive for cocaine during competitions could face a ban of up to four years, Sports Integrity Australia (SIA) said.
However, if the athlete can prove that the cocaine was used outside the competition period, for example in the off-season, and was not related to the pursuit of an advantage in his or her performance, that ban can be reduced to three months.
The ban can be further reduced to just one month if the offender completes a treatment plan approved by SIA.
If Smith does receive a ban, it could be reduced to just one month under Sports Integrity Australia rules
The key forward became a regular for the Demons after breaking into the team in round 12 last year
“It is alleged that a sample provided by Smith during an in-match doping control test on August 20, 2023 returned an AAF for the presence of cocaine and the metabolite benzoylecgonine, a prohibited substance under the Code,” the AFL said in a statement to the time.
Smith made the Demons side in Round 12 against Carlton last year and went on to play in every match for the rest of the season.
He scored three goals in Melbourne’s semi-final defeat to Carlton and became a father for the first time in September when his partner Elise Carroll gave birth to their daughter Tilly.
Smith announced that he and Carroll were engaged on December 15 last year, sharing a photo of the happy couple with her diamond ring on display.
“It was always you,” she wrote along with a white love heart.
Smith’s teammates were quick to express their well wishes in the comments, with stars Clayton Oliver and Bayley Fritsch congratulating the overjoyed couple.