Brown in strife over caffeine
By Dan Oakes
The Age
May 7, 2005
The fallout over the widespread use of caffeine by AFL footballers intensified yesterday, with Richmond star Nathan Brown believed to have received a blast from coach Terry Wallace over comments he made endorsing the stimulant.
It is believed that Wallace issued Brown with a "please explain" yesterday morning after the midfielder, whom he coached at the Western Bulldogs, said on Channel Nine's The Footy Show that he "normally took a couple before the game and one at half-time".
"It just gives you a bit of a buzz. It does give you an advantage," Brown said.
Wallace is believed to be concerned that younger players may be encouraged by Brown's admission to use the stimulant. He was also displeased by the implication that the use of caffeine is club policy. The Tigers' coaching and fitness staff will discuss its use next week.
Shortly after Brown's comments, Hawthorn star Peter Everitt revealed that the use of caffeine by footballers was widespread as far back as four years ago, a claim supported yesterday by former and current senior coaches. Everitt also admitted taking five caffeine tablets before and during games, the equivalent of 10 cups of coffee.
AFL medical commissioner Dr Harry Unglik yesterday cast doubts on the effectiveness and fairness of footballers using caffeine tablets as a performance enhancer.
Caffeine was removed from the list of substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency only in January last year. Recent revelations of use at AFL clubs since it was removed from the list have thrust caffeine into the limelight.
A memo was sent to club doctors four weeks ago, requesting feedback on increasing use of the stimulant. Fremantle, St Kilda, Hawthorn, Richmond and Collingwood have acknowledged that they have experimented with it in the past.
Unglik said yesterday that he stood by the AFL's official position, which is that although the substance is legal, it should be used under supervision by club doctors. But he said his personal view was that it was detrimental to the competition.
"If you're talking about large doses of caffeine, personally, I'm not giving the opinion of the AFL, I just don't like it," Unglik said. "I think it's pushing the boundaries, it's trying to get an edge that if you measured in terms of the advantage it gives on athlete over another athlete, you're talking . 1 per cent. I think we should have a level playing field."
On the subject of how long clubs had been experimenting with the stimulant, Unglik said that he was unaware that the practice began at least four years ago, but that testing procedures suggested it was not taken in doses exceeding the WADA guidelines.
Coaches The Age spoke to said a number of clubs were not only using caffeine, but also valium as a muscle relaxant after games. The strong theme that came through these discussions was that the use of stimulants such as caffeine was the domain of the fitness staff.
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/05/06/1115092686435.html
