Friction remains between AFL and Players Association over illicit drug testing hit-list

FRICTION remains between the AFL Players’ Association and the AFL, with the player union still suspicious of the league’s target testing methods.

In what is an ongoing point of tension, the AFL’s explanation of how it forms the player list for Sport Integrity Australia to conduct performance enhancing drug tests has done nothing to appease the AFLPA.

The Players’ Association continues to investigate whether the league has breached the agreements in place for the existing illicit drugs policy, fearing confidential data has been used covertly.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon last week told SEN.com.au that player confidentiality around the illicit code had not been breached.

“What is absolutely clear is that the results from hair testing are kept absolutely confidential,” Dillon said.

“For transparency, those (hair) testing results might be part of the intelligence you use when compiling the list, but by no means is it every single player on that list has got a positive hair test in the same way that not every player on that list has been part of the intelligence gathered by any other means.

“There are many data points. We give them the names, but not the (reason) for the names and they don’t ask for that.”

It’s understood that comment raised the eyebrows of the AFLPA, who would take issue with the league using what it says should remain confidential information to form a testing hit list.

The friction between the AFL and the AFLPA comes at a delicate time, with the two bodies already at loggerheads over the league’s determination to toughen the contentious illicit drugs policy. As part of a proposed crackdown under a new code, the league continues to push for a $5000 fine for a first strike.

Under the existing policy, there is a suspended $5000 fine for a first offence.