One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on January 06, 2009, 01:52:13 AM
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(http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6427907,00.jpg)
Welcome, Benny Cousins
Sam Edmund | January 06, 2009
DRUG testers have made Ben Cousins a target hours into his first training session of the year.
Cousins, 30, who yesterday returned for Richmond pre-season training with his teammates after a two-week break, was immediately identified by drug officials.
Testers from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) arrived at Punt Rd about 10.30am.
They could be seen picking out players from the boundary line before Cousins left the field.
The AFL Commission last year ordered Cousins to have up to three urine tests a week as well as up to four hair tests a year.
For the hair tests, Cousins must commit to being able to provide hair at least 3cm long, unlike late last year when his shaved head and waxed body meant he could not be tested.
Hair testers have been to Richmond at least twice in the pre-season.
But the rigorous testing regimen deals only with illicit drugs and not performance-enhancing substances.
ASADA is the AFL's performance-enhancing drug tester.
If required, Cousins would have provided a urine sample, which is taken to a lab in Sydney before a result is known in the coming days.
The AFL employs Dorevitch Pathology to conduct tests for illicit drugs.
Cousins will be tested at the football club or during his weekly visits to doctors. He will not be tested outside of those times.
Richmond football operations manager Ross Monaghan said Cousins and the club had no idea when testers would appear at Punt Rd.
"He'll undergo the same testing procedure as all the other players - it's totally random," Monaghan said.
"We don't know when they're going to arrive. We won't have any warnings and there's no set schedule. It will be just whenever they send people out."
Richmond media manager Jude Donnelly said: "Richmond and Ben will adhere to the testing policy as outlined by the AFL commission."
A chiselled Cousins looked strong yesterday as he continues to build towards his long-awaited comeback.
In what looms as a difficult season for the 2005 Brownlow medallist and a landmark year for the AFL, Cousins faces immediate suspension if he fails a drugs test, is not available or refuses a drugs test.
He must co-operate with AFL medical officers and attend any drug rehabilitation program or medical expert nominated by them.
Cousins has never tested positive to an illegal substance.
He was suspended for 12 months by the AFL Commission in November 2007 after being found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.
Under the AFL's illicit drugs policy, a player who receives a third positive test will be named and banned for up to 12 weeks. A fourth positive test would mean a season ban
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,24877324-19742,00.html
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With the drug testers coming to get samples from Cousins quite frequently, does that mean our whole playing group is going to be tested a whole lot more than other sides?
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With the drug testers coming to get samples from Cousins quite frequently, does that mean our whole playing group is going to be tested a whole lot more than other sides?
To tell the truth I don't know, but you would think they have their pre-set samples and targets scheduled for them and just because a particular player is targeted shouldn't have implications for the whole team for increased testing.
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There's always some journo after a eye-catching headline...
http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2009/01/06/Taking_the_pss_Cousinss_first_taste_of_his_testing_future
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It would be like if spome was running back to take a mark and a kid ran out onto the feild. The next days report would read something like AFL play runs over kid.
So it would be taken completely out of context.
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Aren't we talking about 2 different testings here? ASADA would be doing Performance enhancing drug testing whether cousins was at Richmond or not. And aren't the hair and urine tests for illegal substances are submitted at AFL scheduled doctors appointments? If I am correct then I can see no additional impact on the club or an increase in our overall testing compared to other clubs.
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ben just needs to stay off the gear. :pray
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Aren't we talking about 2 different testings here? ASADA would be doing Performance enhancing drug testing whether cousins was at Richmond or not. And aren't the hair and urine tests for illegal substances are submitted at AFL scheduled doctors appointments? If I am correct then I can see no additional impact on the club or an increase in our overall testing compared to other clubs.
That's my impression of what happened too tiga. The media making news out of no news.
I was told when ASADA turned up and wanted Cousins he was on the far side of Punt Rd Oval and as he walked over he kept his eyes on them the whole time.
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I wonder if this will apply to Benny or will he have to continue having random tests...
AFL PLAYERS' Association boss Brendon Gale has thrown his support behind a plan to have players nominate one hour of each day they can be drug tested.
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s new code, all Australian sporting organisations that receive government funding must provide information on the whereabouts of athletes – who must in turn be available for one hour each day for unannounced drug testing.
Full article at:
http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=71225