Court extends injunction on AFL story
The Age
August 25, 2007 - 3:19PM
AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said on Saturday he was outraged that a patient's confidential medical history could be traded in the media.
An injunction preventing media outlets from further publication of television allegations aired on Friday involving an AFL club and its players was on Saturday extended by the Victorian Supreme Court.
But Demetriou said it was "obscene" that records would be offered for sale and made public.
"I'm just disappointed like I know many other people would (be) that a patient's medical records are being sought to be published and be reported on," Demetriou told Southern Cross Radio.
"I don't think there would be many people who would like their medical records being published - I defy anyone to tell me that's a good thing.
"The fact that there is private medical records of a patient that are being talked about - whatever we choose to say - is obscene.
"We just have to take a step back from this now because we like many others are becoming disillusioned with certain things that are transpiring, particularly post-Braun (allegations against West Coast player Michael Braun), and now this about what our media outlets will do to acquire and publish the story."
Demetriou said he was at least pleased that several media outlets had apparently rejected the private documents, allegedly found on a suburban street.
"This story yesterday was actually offered to many media outlets who chose not to run it which I commend them on, chose not to purchase it, which I also commend them on.
"But the fact that private medical records, which could contain anything in them - forget the drug policy - could contain issues relating to family history or to illness, that actually find there way into the public domain, is honestly at the end of obscenity."
Demetriou said he was becoming "more and more disillusioned" with many aspects of reporting "of this nature" and reiterated the league's illicit drugs policy was working.
"The issue of how they got into the public domain will be a matter for the police, because the said doctor has reported that they have gone missing and that will be a matter for the police to determine," he said.
"And secondly we have a (drugs) policy that is addressing this issue and thank God we've got a policy because it's the policy in this case actually demonstrating how if a player is a positive (returns a positive test to illicit dugs) they get referred to confidential counselling so that they can have their behaviour changed."
He said players needed to continue to subject themselves to drug testing.
"They must because if we take the case that there wasn't any testing, if we were like (several) other sports and didn't have a policy in place then there wouldn't be any counselling and treatment happening.
"At least we've been pretty transparent to say that we've got 25 players who have tested positive who go and get treatment and counselling and it's a real attempt to change their behaviour - and we've seen the numbers come down.
The Seven Network on Friday night made claims relating to the club and players, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
In a special Saturday sitting of the Supreme Court, Judge Kim Hargraves extended the injunction until August 30.
Justice Hargraves said he was "not persuaded" that there was a case not to extend the injunction.
"I recognise that there is argument ... that some aspects have entered the public domain," he said.
"However there is no prejudice to Channel Seven or other media (outlets) of a delay for several days."
The AFL club that the allegations were made against made no comment on Saturday
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Court-extends-injunction-on-AFL-story/2007/08/25/1187462573491.html
