Swans to fight Casserly banDale Miller
The West Australian
March 1, 2011A shell-shocked Swan Districts will appeal against a two-year ban for a positive drug test arising from last year's WAFL grand final that has torbreaded the AFL aspirations of Travis Casserly.
WAFL Tribunal chairman Paul Heaney yesterday delivered a shattering verdict for the 23-year-old in choosing to uphold an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority recommendation to apply the maximum ban.
The decision has ended Casserly's hopes of securing the final rookie position at Richmond where he has been training since December.
The Tigers must decide on the rookie spot between the NAB Cup grand final and the start of the premiership season.
Any appeal process by Casserly is certain to extend beyond that deadline.
Casserly pleaded his innocence at a hearing last Thursday night in a bid for leniency after returning a positive test for the restricted substance pseudoephedrine, having been tested in the wake of Swans' one-point victory over Claremont in last year's grand final.
The defender claimed he took one 60mg Sudafed tablet before the game and one at half-time to treat a long-term hay fever condition on the understanding the dosage should not have taken him over the allowable limit.
But Heaney's assessment was particularly damning. He effectively labelled Casserly a drug cheat in saying he was satisfied the player had taken pseudoephedrine with the intent of enhancing sporting performance.
"I am satisfied that the high reading of pseudoephedrine found in player Casserly's urine sample indicated that his use of the substance went beyond the therapeutic to the enhancement of his sporting performance and that it was his intent for it to do so," Heaney said.
Under the world anti-doping code, a pseudoephedrine concentration above 150 micrograms per millilitre is considered a positive test. The reading on Casserly's A sample was 240 and on the B sample it was 230.
The length of the ban is the same given to East Perth midfielder Dean Cadwallader, who tested positive for an anabolic steroid last year.
The penalty will prevent Casserly from playing or training with any football club and has been backdated to October 18 last year.
It is understood the two-year penalty is unprecedented for a positive test involving pseudoephedrine anywhere in the world.
Three months is the most severe punishment previously delivered.
Pseudoephedrine was returned to the worldwide list of restricted or banned substances only last year, but Heaney said the onus was on the player to check if the substance was prohibited under the AFL anti-doping code.
WAFC football director Grant Dorrington said the ruling sent a simple message that any footballer who took an illegal substance was playing Russian roulette with their future.
"I think there's a message to every sport and every athlete, don't put anything in your mouth or inject in any way unless you know from someone with medical advice," Dorrington said.
"And by the way, this is a drug bought over the counter that we can all take every day. Don't do it unless you get checked."
Runners-up Claremont have always maintained they will not challenge the result of the grand final regardless of any findings against Casserly.
Casserly, who will not be stripped of his premiership medallion, will stay in Melbourne to reassess his situation as Swans plan their appeal. The club can appeal against the ruling before a WAFL Tribunal panel or by going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
A Richmond spokesman said Casserly would not train with the club until the appeal process was over.
Swans football operations general manager Phil Smart said the club was shocked, believing Heaney had made a mistake.
"The ASADA website is quite clear that if you take three Sudafed tablets of 60mg you will go over, you will have a positive reading," Smart said. "He took two and that wasn't challenged by ASADA."
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