More drugs in AFL

[Voice]

Michael Johnson from Fremantle is being spoken to by police tonight regarding an amount of cocaiane allegedly found on him. I haven't found any storys to link to as yet but it was reported on On The Couch tonight.

[maxyoz]

"AFL player Michael Johnson is being investigated by police over an alleged drug-related matter in Perth on Saturday night.
No charges have been laid but Fremantle football club tonight confirmed it was aware of the matter."



http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/fremantle-docker-michael-johnson-investigated-over-alleged-drug-related-matter/story-e6frg1xu-1225867917384

[whufc]

Is anyone really surprised, has been going on for many years at all levels of aussie rules.

[whufc]

Is there a cultural problem amongst AFL players.

Not trying to start a soccer vs football argument or anything like that but i follow European football very closely and can not think of to many cases over the last couple of years where players have been caught with drugs. Is this because the european media don't report these incidents but its strange as there are alot more soccer teams, players, officals and so forth in European soccer than the AFL.

The same can be said for other sports such as the MLB, NHL, Super 14's, Rugby Union comps in Europe and so forth.

[Dogwatcher]

The name Mark Bosnich ring a bell?

[Voice]

Is there a cultural problem amongst AFL players.

Not trying to start a soccer vs football argument or anything like that but i follow European football very closely and can not think of to many cases over the last couple of years where players have been caught with drugs. Is this because the european media don't report these incidents but its strange as there are alot more soccer teams, players, officals and so forth in European soccer than the AFL.

The same can be said for other sports such as the MLB, NHL, Super 14's, Rugby Union comps in Europe and so forth.

There's definitely drugs in every sport and I'm sure we just don't hear much about O/S soccer over here. It's a problem in society so with the $ these guys earn it would be naive to think that it doesn't happen everywhere. Doesn't make it any less stupid though as these sportsmen have a chance that alot of us would have killed for and they seem quite happy to throw it all away for a synthetic high.
Dedicated yourselves completely to you team and fell the biggest high of all, a premiership.

[Voice]

The name Mark Bosnich ring a bell?

Maradona (spelling?).

[whufc]

The name Mark Bosnich ring a bell?

yeah that one 10 years ago, can't think of to many more especially in recent times, go back further and you would have Gascoigne, Best, Maradona but can't think of too many in the last five years.

[Dogwatcher]

In the past six years 24 players have been penalised by the FA on drugs charges.

WHUFC, I'm guessing we don't hear about those cases as much over here because in Australia where AFL/NRL are our top codes, things like that don't get reported in our media as much.
If it was a Beckham, Thierry or Terry as an example we'd hear about it.

I'm pretty certain that if players were doing it in Best's day, then they would certainly be now, given the accessibility of drugs in society today.

[Q.]

People use drugs. Sportspersons are people.

There's a connection here somewhere...

[whufc]

In the past six years 24 players have been penalised by the FA on drugs charges.

WHUFC, I'm guessing we don't hear about those cases as much over here because in Australia where AFL/NRL are our top codes, things like that don't get reported in our media as much.
If it was a Beckham, Thierry or Terry as an example we'd hear about it.

I'm pretty certain that if players were doing it in Best's day, then they would certainly be now, given the accessibility of drugs in society today.

True, but like i said i follow European football very closely, have my subscription to a few different soccer magazines and constantly reading different websites, while match fixing, and player loyalty are huge issues in soccer, Drugs for whatever reason doesn't seem to be very prominent.

Im just going through my last 5 years of British Football Weekly's and in the last two years they haven't reported a single case of players involvement in drugs, not even drunk intoxicated behaviour like is rife in AFL/NFL, like i said it maybe just a case that the media over there don't really report these incidents with so much other stuff happening.

[Dogwatcher]

Bendtner leaving nightclub with pants down, Ledley King arrested on suspicion of assault after night out in Soho, Harry Redknapp talking about banning alcohol for the next season, earlier this season a Sunderland player was charged with drink driving.

I'm not sure why these stories aren't coming through in what you're reading but they are easily obtainable on the net.

[Dogwatcher]

Another drugs example in English soccer:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/nov/0 ... andalcohol

Five Premiership footballers, including three current England players, are set to face random drug tests following claims that they regularly take cocaine.
The quintet are likely to have to undergo a series of unannounced tests over coming months after matches and at training as the Football Association tries to clear up the latest doping affair in the national game.

The FA said it would 'take seriously and investigate' allegations from ex-player Leon Jeanne in the Sun that four present or past England internationals and a fifth star - none of whom was named for legal reasons - used the Class A substance. Jeanne, 22, claims to have taken cocaine with the players, or seen them do it, three years ago.

FA chief spokesman Adrian Bevington said the FA could now ask UK Sport, Britain's sports drug testing agency, to 'target test' individual players who may be taking banned substances. These are additional to routine drug tests and are only performed when a player has already failed a test or is under suspicion. Players targeted have to give a urine specimen to sampling officers who can turn up once or several times.

However, the FA stressed that it had received no hard evidence to back the claims made by former Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City striker Jeanne, a self-confessed one-time cocaine addict who failed two drug tests during his career and was last week found not guilty of supplying drugs.

'No current England player has tested positive for any drug, whether performance-enhancing or recreational. If information does come to light, we will obviously investigate as we take all claims of drugs misuse seriously.'

UK Sport confirmed it had passed on to the FA information it had received from a Sun journalist about Leanne's claims. 'We always treat information about alleged drug use seriously and in the strictest confidence. We are liaising with the FA on this information with regards to taking appropriate action', said a spokesman. The agency last month launched a confidential hotline for sportspeople to report fellow athletes they believed were taking drugs.

The FA is overhauling its anti-doping procedures after Manchester United and England star Rio Ferdinand 'forgot' to attend a routine drugs test after training. The £30 million defender was last week charged by the FA with missing the test and could be banned for two years.

[Dogwatcher]

I'm guessing it's a problem across all professional sports, as it is across all strata of society.

[whufc]

Bendtner leaving nightclub with pants down, Ledley King arrested on suspicion of assault after night out in Soho, Harry Redknapp talking about banning alcohol for the next season, earlier this season a Sunderland player was charged with drink driving.

I'm not sure why these stories aren't coming through in what you're reading but they are easily obtainable on the net.

A couple of these stories are appearing as i read on but alcohol is the only drug that is coming through. I'm yet to read any stories about players dealing/buying or being caught with drugs.

[whufc]

I'm guessing it's a problem across all professional sports, as it is across all strata of society.

Agree.

[the big bang]

whufc, i'm a self confessed soccer dunce. i know as much about the game as the average male knows about 15th century antiques.

but, and i don't want you to take this the wrong way, you just said you don't hear of any soccer players being caught on drugs. DW just bought to your attention a report saying 24 players in the last 6 years have been penalised because of drug related incidents.

you then mention that drunk and disorderly behaivour hasn't been reported in the last two years. DW then bought to your attention a few stories of alcohol related incidents.

you then say that you are now reading these stories, but the only drug referenced to is alcohol, and you've not heard of any drug related incidents.

is it just me, or are you and DW just going to go around in circles.........

you say no drugs,DW points out drug incidents, you say no alcohol, DW points out alcohol incidents,you say no drugs again etc.....

my theory is it either dosnt get reported as much (here or there if you are reading "imported" news), or you're reading the wrong paper/mags/websites.

[Wedgie]

How many Australian Rules Footballers in England have you read about being involved with drugs WHUFC? I'm guessng less than you've heard about than soccer players.

[Rik E Boy]

Soccer that super clean sport. Come on, if any game requires artificial stimulants it's that snoozefest.

regards,

REB

[Voice]

Soccer that super clean sport. Come on, if any game requires artificial stimulants it's that snoozefest.

regards,

REB