PauloBarnesi Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 (edited) Not really surprising The use of banned drugs in Australian professional sport is "widespread", a year-long investigation has found. The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) said scientists, coaches and support staff were involved in the provision of drugs across multiple sporting codes, without naming any individuals. In some cases, the drugs were supplied by organised crime syndicates, it said. Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said the findings were "shocking and will disgust Australian sports fans". "Multiple athletes from a number of clubs in major Australian sporting codes are suspected of currently using or having previously used peptides, potentially constituting anti-doping rule violations," Mr Clare said. "It's cheating but it's worse than that, it's cheating with the help of criminals." In its report, the commission said it looked at the use of a new form of PIEDs (performance and image enhancing drugs) known as peptides and hormones, which provide effects similar to anabolic steroids. "Despite being prohibited substances in professional sport, peptides and hormones are being used by professional athletes in Australia, facilitated by sports scientists, high-performance coaches and sports staff," it said. "Widespread use of these substances has been identified, or is suspected by the ACC, in a number of professional sporting codes in Australia." The use of illicit drugs in some sports was thought to be "significantly higher" than official statistics showed, it added. In some cases, players had been administered with drugs not yet approved for human use, the report also said. The commission found that organised crime syndicates were involved in the distribution of the banned substances - something Mr Clare, the home affairs minister, called particularly serious. "Links between organised crime and players exposes players to the risk of being co-opted for match-fixing and this investigation has identified one possible example of that and that is currently under investigation," he said. Because criminal investigations are under way the report does not go into details, our correspondent says. The Aussie rules Australian Football League (AFL) and the National Rugby League (NRL) have said they are already working with the commission. Sports Minister Kate Lundy: "If you want to cheat, we will catch you" "We've worked with the crime commission in the last week or so and information has come forward for NRL specifically that affects more than one player and more than one club," Australian Rugby League Commission chief Dave Smith said. Earlier this week AFL club Essendon asked Australia's anti-doping authorities to investigate supplements administered to players last season. Sports Minister Kate Lundy said sports organisations would be encouraged to establish "integrity units" and engage the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency and law enforcement agencies to root out the problems. "If you want to cheat, we will catch you, if you want to fix a match, we will catch you," Ms Lundy said. The report said there were "clear parallels" between what had been discovered in Australia and the US Anti-Doping Agency investigation into disgraced Tour de France cyclist Lance Armstrong. It said the links underlined "the trans-national threat posed by doping to professional sport". "The difference is that the Australian threat is current, crosses sporting codes and is evolving," it concluded. With fans asking which sportsmen and women can be trusted, it is a black day for Australian sport, he adds. 'We'll catch you' Edited February 7, 2013 by PauloBarnesi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 I mentioned this in the football doping thread. I wounder how long it will be before a similar story breaks about the premier league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 7, 2013 Moderator Share Posted February 7, 2013 Sounds like unfair dinkum to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Strewth. I hope our Brett has been behaving himself, the great galah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunRickyRun Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Doping is common in almost all sports. It just depends on how hard you are prepared to look. Lucky football has FIFA as its ruling body. You know how hard those guys will investigate any possible corruption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Does FIFA have a doping policy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunRickyRun Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Does FIFA have a doping policy? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeyVillan Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Does FIFA have a doping policy? I'd appreciate it if you were to ask my permission before posting pictures of myself and my family on the internet in the future. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Does FIFA have a doping policy? It allows the various federations conduct their own testing policies and they actively reject the more strict WADA policies like the one about athletes having to report their movements. They put up the results of their 'testing' on the fifa website and proudly announce that there is a failure rate of less than half a percent and of that half a percent less than 1 percent are due to actual performance enhancing drugs. Most failures are just due to recreational drugs apparently. It is a total joke and can't be taken seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DelboyVilla Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 The whole point of these latest drugs and supplements is that the doping authories cannot detect them the new technology moves so fast!!! The Australian authories have said that they have had to use other forms of investigaion. In conjunction with the Police they have used informants, wire taps, survierliance etc to catch the people involved!! Anyway loads of mileage for me over here in Perth.....Cheating Skippys!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 This is probably one of the biggest news stories in Australian sport ever. It hits close to home since I'm an Essendon fan as well. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised in one sense (in regards to doping in Aussie sport) but knowing that your own club is being investigated for this feels like crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 The Australian authories have said that they have had to use other forms of investigaion. In conjunction with the Police they have used informants, wire taps, survierliance etc to catch the people involved!! I'd like to know what the legal basis for doing that is. It sounds to me like some people are so enraged by people cheating at sports that they're throwing the civil rights book out of the window. People should be able to put whatever they want into their bodies. The only time it becomes anyone else's business is when they show up to compete. If people are going to compete, it's reasonable to ask them to prove they're not cheating, but surveillance and wiretaps sounds like losing perspective a little bit (though I don't pretend to know exactly what they've been up to). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDuck Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 The Australian authories have said that they have had to use other forms of investigaion. In conjunction with the Police they have used informants, wire taps, survierliance etc to catch the people involved!! I'd like to know what the legal basis for doing that is. It sounds to me like some people are so enraged by people cheating at sports that they're throwing the civil rights book out of the window. People should be able to put whatever they want into their bodies. The only time it becomes anyone else's business is when they show up to compete. If people are going to compete, it's reasonable to ask them to prove they're not cheating, but surveillance and wiretaps sounds like losing perspective a little bit (though I don't pretend to know exactly what they've been up to). Well we have organised crime gangs involved by all accounts - surely the police should have any powers open to use that they'd have in any other criminal investigation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 (edited) Well we have organised crime gangs involved by all accounts - surely the police should have any powers open to use that they'd have in any other criminal investigation? Is it really a CRIMINAL investigation, though? You'd think most of the stuff isn't actually illegal, it just gives you a competitive advantage as an athlete. Even if the stuff is illegal, I'd question the basis for it being so until it's scientifically proven to turn people into rapacious, murdering lunatics (or at least one out of three!). Edited February 8, 2013 by CrackpotForeigner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 I am sure as a punter you are happy to know that a game of sports is fixed by drug taking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I am sure as a punter you are happy to know that a game of sports is fixed by drug taking... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponky Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Suck it Essendon scum :-P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunRickyRun Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Well we have organised crime gangs involved by all accounts - surely the police should have any powers open to use that they'd have in any other criminal investigation? Is it really a CRIMINAL investigation, though? You'd think most of the stuff isn't actually illegal, it just gives you a competitive advantage as an athlete. Even if the stuff is illegal, I'd question the basis for it being so until it's scientifically proven to turn people into rapacious, murdering lunatics (or at least one out of three!). I'd hope fraud is illegal in Australia. If betting syndicates and criminal gangs are involved then it's safe to say that their interests wouldn't be entirely legal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meath_Villan Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 wondered why that young lad swimmer retired so young ....strewthabout the fifa one ....rio ferdinand what ban did that lad get for sneaking out the back door when he was called to be tested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 was big around 2001/02 a few high profile players in Italy Stam, Guardiola and Davids failed tests. so did Frank De Boer. Dont think between them they did 2 years. Worse was Carlos Gurpegi who failed a test and didnt start the ban for about 3 seasons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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