Anti-doping authority set to interview over 150 NRL and AFL players, staff and administrators in doping investigation
Simon Benson and Gemma Jones
The Daily Telegraph
February 13, 2013 11:30PM
ANTI-DOPING authority investigators will interview 150 NRL and AFL players, staff and administrators, with the devastating scope of the investigation revealed by the government body.
It's understood that between 70-80 players and officials could be charged with doping violations and various penalties, including the potential for lifetime bans from their code.Players who have doped using substances unable to be detected by drug tests are also being targeted, with ASADA able to take action based on intelligence.
ASADA, which tipped off the Crime Commission resulting in its report claiming widespread organised crime links and performance-enhancing drug use in Australian sport, has warned their investigation will stretch on for months and could grow in scope.
"In response to the very serious matters raised by the Australian Crime Commission's report, Organised Crime and Drugs in Sport, the ASADA confirms that the scope and magnitude of its investigation is unprecedented," the anti-doping body said in a statement last night.
"ASADA anticipates interviewing about 150 players, support staff and administrators from two major sporting codes based on current information. The number of interviews may grow if the investigation uncovers new lines of inquiry.
"The investigation is both complex and wide-ranging and will take many months to complete."
Since 2006 ASADA has been able to take action based on intelligence and a third of athletes caught for doping violations in recent years have never returned a positive drug test.
The change recognised new age performance-enhancing drugs which are difficult to detect in traditional doping tests.
ASADA released fresh details of the scope of its investigation after growing questions about why the ACC report had yet to spark a police investigation.
At least one loophole has allowed the legal sale by crime figures to athletes of performance-enhancing drugs but the ACC made specific claims about players selling illicit drugs and doctors writing illegal scripts.
A spokeswoman for the ACC said last night she expected police investigations could still take place.
Justice Minister Jason Clare defended the lack of police investigations following the release of the ACC's report yesterday and said the government was committed to cleaning up sport in the wake of the scope of the ASADA investigation.
"The obligation on the government agencies now is to help the clubs, to work with them, to weed this out of the sport," he said last night.
Sports Minister Kate Lundy has invited state and territory sports ministers to a briefing by the Crime Commission in Melbourne today.
Ministers will be briefed on information from a classified report with one released publicly omitting names of players, officials and teams.
Representatives from the AFL and NRL will also be present to speak with state ministers.
