Saints in drug probe Caroline Wilson
The Age
July 31, 2013 The AFL is investigating whether a St Kilda footballer took a banned substance after an irregular sample was provided by the player early this month.
The AFL and the Saints would not comment on Tuesday night on the shock development, which comes as the ASADA-AFL investigation into the Essendon drugs program draws to a close.
Fairfax Media understands the player has claimed he took the substance unwittingly. It is not known whether the league's anti-doping investigators have completed their investigation into the player nor whether he has delivered more than one positive sample.
Although the AFL is understood to have accepted the player could have taken the banned substance in error, he still faces a significant suspension from the game.
AFL spokesman James Tonkin would not comment on the investigation when contacted on Tuesday night. St Kilda officials did not return calls from Fairfax Media.
VFL player Matthew Clark was suspended for two years after the banned substance dimethylamylamine was detected in his system after a game in 2011.
The Frankston midfielder was originally suspended for nine months, but that term was extended after ASADA appealed against the leniency of the initial suspension. It was found that Clark had accepted a pre-match drink nicknamed Hemo-rage from a teammate.
Clark has always maintained that he was assured by his teammate the product was permitted under the drug code.
Richmond's Justin Charles was the first AFL player to be suspended for taking banned drugs, in his case an anabolic steroid. He was suspended for 16 weeks.
If charged, the St Kilda player would face a specially convened AFL tribunal hearing, chaired by David Jones and including at least one anti-doping expert.
Doping authorities have the power to overrule any decision handed down if it is deemed to be inappropriate.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/saints-in-drug-probe-20130730-2qxha.html
