https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/af ... 1944b91c3b AFL 2024: Melbourne footballer Joel Smith accused of cocaine traffickingThe failed drugs test probe into Melbourne’s Joel Smith has taken a dramatic turn, with anti-doping investigators accusing the Demon of cocaine trafficking.
Anti-doping investigators have accused Melbourne footballer Joel Smith of cocaine trafficking in a dramatic escalation of his failed drugs test probe.
Sport Integrity Australia officials have uncovered multiple text messages sent by Smith referencing cocaine, after reviewing his phone.
In one message sent to Demons teammates last year, he offered them a quantity of the drug, it is alleged.
This masthead has not confirmed how many Melbourne players the SMS was sent to, or the amount of cocaine offered.
Any attempt to supply a prohibited substance, even in small quantities, can be considered trafficking under national anti-doping regulations.
SIA has asserted to Smith that he has violated several anti-doping rules and asked him to respond by mid-March, before it delivers a finding.
The AFL is understood to be awaiting the outcome of the SIA probe before deciding whether to launch its own integrity unit investigation.
Allegations and evidence could also be referred to police.
Smith, 27, was already facing a suspension of two years after testing positive to cocaine on game day late last season.
He was initially hoping for a ban of three months after his positive urine sample was collected after the Demons defeated Hawthorn by 27 points at the MCG in round 23.
But the ramifications for Smith could now be much more serious, with a potential four-year ban mooted, while Melbourne also faces questions.
The AFL has been approached for comment, but had not responded by the time of publication. Smith’s management and legal teams declined to comment.
A SIA spokesman said the agency did not comment on “operational matters”.
One source close to the probe said Smith should not be “scapegoated” over what they asserted was a wider club issue.
“It looks like they are planning to hang Joel out to dry for behaviour that is commonplace at Melbourne,” the source said.
“It is not unusual for a group of young men who party together to share drugs. Joel might be foolish but he’s hardly Tony Mokbel.
“The club should be taking responsibility for what is happening to Joel instead of blaming him in order to cover up a much wider problem. Joel is not a bad apple in a barrel of clean ones – the whole joint is rotten.”
The latest of several off-field blows to Melbourne comes more than three years after former Melbourne president Glen Bartlett raised concerns with the club board about its culture.
Crisis talks were held with AFL commission chairman Richard Goyder and ex-league boss Gillon McLachlan, but Bartlett was forced out by the board in April 2021.
Long-time club doctor Zeeshan Arain was also shown the door by Melbourne after raising concerns.
Demons chief executive Gary Pert recently claimed the club’s culture was “the best I’ve seen in 40 years”.
His comment came amid significant concerns about Smith’s positive test and the behaviour of teammate Clayton Oliver.
Star midfielder Oliver recently avoided a criminal conviction after being caught driving while suspended. A court heard he had been suspended from driving after he was hospitalised for a seizure, but he had not opened the letter.
In December, Oliver’s sudden departure from a pre-season camp in Lorne led to a lengthy absence from the club for personal reasons, with the four-time best and fairest winner only returning three weeks ago.
Smith, the son of Dees high-flyer Shaun Smith, has played 42 games since he was signed as a rookie in 2016.
He remains provisionally suspended while the SIA probe continues.
Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2024 10:45 am