THE AFL is instituting a tougher policy about the use of needles as part of stricter new guidelines to regulate supplement use and the medical treatment of players.
It comes after a season blighted by the Essendon supplements scandal as well as the positive test to a banned substance by St Kilda forward Ahmed Saad.
The AFL's new guidelines are even tougher than those of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and will cover three areas – the AFL prohibited treatment list, the AFL controlled treatment list and AFL prohibited provider list and sets out what players, clubs and officials may and may not do around the treatment of players and the use of supplements to prepare to play in the AFL.
The major changes to the code are:
1. New AFL treatment rules will govern supplementation and medical treatments for players above and beyond the requirements of the WADA code;
2. AFL treatment rules establish the concept of controlled treatments and prohibited treatments;
3. Controlled treatments may be used, but must be approved by the club doctor and recorded in a register made available to the AFL;
4. Prohibited treatments may not be used under any circumstances;
5. The AFL will develop the controlled treatments list and an AFL prohibited treatments list in close consultation with clubs, the AFLPA and other stakeholders and these lists will be subject of regular review;
6. No substance is to be administered to any player by injection other than by an appropriately qualified medical practitioner and only to the extent it is necessary to treat a legitimate medical condition. No person may possess needles or injectables other than the club medical officer;
7. Clubs will have obligations with respect to proper storage and inventory of treatments on their premises;
8. Persons must report approaches or invitations to breach the code or any knowledge of potential breaches.
AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said the new guidelines had already received the backing of the Australian Sport Anti Doping Authority (ASADA).
"The AFL does not want clubs to pursue a pharmacological advantage over one another or test the limits of the WADA prohibited list," he said.
"The changes to the code reflect this approach and also the need for greater monitoring by the AFL and accountability of clubs, officials and players.
"The increasing evidence for our game is that there is a significant ongoing risk to the AFL competition of new and emerging performance enhancement initiatives and it is necessary for the AFL to increase the formal controls around the existing WADA code."
Mr Dillon added that the policy aimed to clearly distinguish acceptable nutritional substances and treatments from potentially dangerous supplements and performance-enhancing materials and to stamp out any ambiguity.
"We seek to ensure there is a reduced risk for decision-making error by players, officials or clubs around supplement use and to build on the standard ethical and professional conduct requirements to better manage player safety in AFL clubs," he said.
The AFL has also established an industry group to assist it advise the AFL on the ongoing work required in this area, headed by AFL medical director Dr Peter Harcourt and which includes doctors, sports scientists, dieticians and high performance managers representing AFL clubs, the AFLPA and pathway programs.
