Maverick politician makes explosive cocaine allegations about Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin

Andrew Wilkie has sensationally accused AFL executives of ‘covering up’ Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin’s alleged cocaine use.

Federal MP Wilkie made a series of explosive claims in parliament on Tuesday evening after receiving a signed statement from former Demons chief doctor Zeeshan Arain admitting to conducting illegal drug tests ‘off the books’.

He also claimed the clandestine drug testing was facilitated by the AFL.

As part of his lengthy statement to Parliament, Mr Wilkie reflected on Dr Arain’s testimony and made a comment about the AFL’s alleged handling of former Melbourne chief executive Glenn Bartlett’s concerns about Goodwin’s alleged cocaine use.

“Two things stand out,” he began.

“The first is the cavalier manner in which AFL executives discussed Mr. Bartlett’s concerns about Goodwin’s alleged cocaine use, which is reflected in this signed statement from Mr. Bartlett in which he says he believes AFL executives and others attempted to cover up Mr. Goodwin’s alleged cocaine dealings. cocaine use, hiding their concerns about alleged drug use for up to 18 months.

He claimed Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin’s alleged drug use had been covered up

‘That seems to me to be well explained by Mr Bartlett’s testimony in which he states: they all knew my views on this matter and that as an employment lawyer I would have taken appropriate action to address the alleged illegal conduct and would have refused to go to court. turn a blind eye to it.

‘The second thing that strikes me is that Mr Bartlett made it clear to Mr Goyder and Mr McLachlan that he intended to tackle cocaine abuse in his club at every level, including executive level, and eight weeks later the Mr Bartlett was unexpectedly expelled from the AFL, despite recently being asked to remain president for another three years. I’ll say that again.

‘Highly regarded Melbourne Football Club president Glen Bartlett was dumped by the AFL just eight weeks after a meeting with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and AFL chairman Richard Goyder where he proposed mandatory drug testing for AFL managers.’

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.

“Every club is now interested in more information,” Goodwin told reporters on Wednesday.

“I’m sure that’s a given across the league and we’re one of them (clubs).

Wilkie claimed Gillon McLachlan was protecting Goodwin when alarm bells sounded

‘Everyone in clubland would want answers and to understand how the policy works and whether it is a success. We are no different in this.

“We’ve been through it a bit (as a club), but this is AFL policy and we will ask the right questions and get the answers we need.”

“I have no idea about the ex-doctor or what that’s about,” Goodwin said.

“This is new information and this (illegal drug policy) has been around for a long time.

“This is an AFL policy. It has nothing to do with our doctor, our ex-club doctor; this is an AFL-wide issue.”

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon confirmed on Wednesday that urine testing has been part of the illegal drugs policy for “some time”.

Goodwin said the allegations would not make him doubt the information he receives from club doctors, insisting he has ‘never questioned anything’ about withdrawing players from matches.

“When you start to process the information you’re given, you take it at face value,” Goodwin said.

“This is a process that the AFL, the AFLPA and the club doctors have put in place from a confidentiality perspective, so it is not unusual not to have a line of sight.

“But I have enormous confidence in our doctor in that he can do his job, so I’m not going to doubt the way he does his job.”