Mantra revives Eagle's dream

DRIVEN: Mark Hutchings has been given a second crack at AFL football. Picture: Will Russell Source: PerthNow

IT was the blueprint that engineered Mark Hutchings' return to AFL level.

It sat on his desk, contained three key points and one common thread, and was looked at almost daily. It repeatedly read: improve.

The year was 2010 and Hutchings had gone from an extreme high of entering the AFL system as a St Kilda rookie, to the "shattering" low of being delisted at season's end without playing a senior game.

So he took out a sheet of paper and a pen. And he wrote.

"It was pretty tough because it was my dream to play AFL, and to have that dream shattered for that moment was very disappointing," Hutchings said. "I'd always had the desire, but that gave me the extra drive to succeed.

"I always knew I was good enough - I knew I had it in me - I just had to show it to people.

"So, I tried to learn from what people were saying to me, set those goals and forget what happened in the past."

Hutchings, a former WA under-18 captain, re-entered the WAFL, switching from East Perth to arch-rival West Perth.

Hutchings was drafted by the Saints after averaging 12.3 disposals in 2009 as an 18-year-old with the Royals. Two years later, this almost doubled to to 21.4 touches.

Last year he finished runner-up in the 2012 Sandover Medal after averaging 24.9 disposals a game.

And all the time he had his list.

"I talked to my dad and wrote it down, just so I had it in front of me on paper," Hutchings said. "It was there in front of me every day, or when I looked at it every couple of days, so that it didn't just bobble around in my mind.

"If you get it down on paper, then it gives you something to look back on and help you stay on track.

"I left it on my desk and maybe every month I'd come back and add ways of how I was going to achieve those goals.

"The goals never really changed - it was more the 'how'; how I was going to achieve those goals that would help me get there (back to the AFL)."

West Coast gave Hutchings his second chance, using its third-round pick, No.60 overall, in last year's national draft. The Eagles identified the 22-year-old as a ready-made midfielder who would add the depth they needed for a premiership tilt.

Hutchings showed how far his development had come last weekend when, in West Coast's opening NAB Cup clash against Geelong, he grabbed six possessions and  made four tackles to be among the Eagles' best against a Cats midfield that included Joel Selwood and Jimmy Bartel.

It was a showing Hutchings always knew he had in him, but one he was prepared to display in any arena if his second stint in AFL had not eventuated.

"I would've still given it my all for West Perth (if I hadn't been drafted)," he said.

"The overriding goal was always to be the best footballer I could be and if that wasn't good enough to make AFL, then so be it.

"This time around, I feel a lot more confident in my abilities and I think I'm a better player. I tried to improve specific areas of my game that were letting me down and I think, over the past couple of years, I made some big improvements and that's why I got this second chance."

The news of his drafting took a while to hit Hutchings, who, as a personal trainer, was in the middle of a session with a client and unable to answer the flood of calls made to his phone on November 22 last year.

But the emotion of playing for the team he had supported as boy has stuck with him. And now he has a new list to write; one that maps out his plan for breaking into one of the strongest midfields in the competition.

"I know we've got a really strong midfield, like (Scott) Selwood, (Matt) Priddis and guys like that and they're all really fit and firing and they're experienced AFL footballers," he said. "But, then again, I'm a good player as well."

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

AFL boss leads crackdown on injections

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says the league will implement ''very serious measures'' to outlaw any questionable medical practices at clubs. Source: Herald Sun

EXCLUSIVE: THE AFL will ban the use of injections - other than painkillers - in a significant crackdown on doping.

Chief executive Andrew Demetriou has pledged the AFL will outlaw any questionable medical practices at clubs as the league vows to restore the trust some fans have lost in the game in a tumultuous off-season.

"Rogue" elements in and around clubs - whether they are players, staff or hangers-on - will be driven out.

Surveillance will be increased with a "substantial investment".

Club doctors will be required to be involved in all treatments of players, cutting out the risk of any unauthorised use of external people.

And the injection of all supplements will be banned.

Read the full interview with Andrew Demetriou

Asked if the AFL intended to stop sports science staff from conducting injections on players, potentially in the stomach, Mr Demetriou said: "Absolutely."

Outlining the crackdown, he said: "There will be a ban on IV at clubs, not just on game day.

"We are implementing some very, very serious measures to restore the treatment of players under one person and that is the club doctor.

"There is an audit going on of all supplements.

"We have got our AFL medical officers sitting down with club doctors, reviewing practices, particularly the use of external people.

"There is going to be a restriction on the use of injections.

"Painkilling injections have a legitimate use, but we will limit the use of injections."

The AFL introduced a rule a decade ago that banned clubs from using IV drips within 24 hours of a match.

It came about after the Brisbane Lions were using IV drips at half-time of its games in 2001.

Mr Demetriou was adamant the AFL should also restore more power into the hands of AFL club doctors instead of sports science staff members.

And in a wide-ranging interview with Sunday Herald Sun columnist Shane Crawford, he revealed he wanted clubs to monitor the people who could put the code's integrity at risk.

"We have drawn a line in the sand," he said.

"We are going to put a stop to rogue elements at clubs and the insidious nature of some individuals who are trying to spoil it for the rest of the code.

"It is only a handful of people but it can cause significant damage.

"The public are entitled to be questioning the values of the code because they are wondering about it given what has happened with Melbourne, Adelaide and Essendon (investigations).

"I have said the issues of values, principles and ethics in the code are absolute non-negotiables."

Mr Demetriou said clubs had been provided a "road map" of warning signs: "Things like ex-players, anti-ageing clinics, gyms and tattoo parlours".

On increased surveillance, he said: "We are investing more in data-based management, surveillance and intelligence gathering."

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pokies tax scorned

Carlton chief Greg Swann slams pokies tax idea. Picture: Smith Ellen Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON chief executive Greg Swann has slammed the idea of "pokies tax"' proposed by the Western Bulldogs.

The plan, as outlined in the Herald Sun yesterday, would see large gains from pokie machines split between all AFL clubs.

Carlton owns 360 gaming machines which made more than $4.5 million in revenue across five venues last year and as such would be one of the hardest hit under such a scheme.

But Swann said the tax "won't be happening'' and said the Dogs were missing the point in the ongoing equalisation debate.

"The issue is the stadium deals, that's the difference,'' Swann said. "The big interstate clubs don't have pokies and their reaping a fortune out of their stadium deals.

"And unless that's addressed then all this other stuff is just a redirection of money from Victorian clubs to other Victorian clubs when it should be an issue that's addressed the competition.''

Conversely, Swann backed plans raised in the Herald Sun this week that would see ticket prices raised for blockbuster games and potentially even lowered for lower-drawing matches.

In submission to the AFL the Western Bulldogs said it believes in "a system in which club poker machine profits over a certain proportion of gross club revenue were contributed to a common pool for equitable distribution''.

"(It) would be a preferable model for a `luxury tax' and might have the additional benefit of reducing the incentive of clubs to increase their own dependence.''

But Swann disagreed, saying it would be unfair to strip such revenue away from clubs who have gone out and sourced such an income.

"We've worked hard for our gaming interests,'' he said.

"We've invested a lot of money and we're carrying a lot of debt, so we don't think that's a viable option.

"There's all sorts of legalities from the casino and gaming point of view, the legislators, so it's not feasible.

"The issue of equalisation is more about the funding that's made within the game, this from our point of view is a separate thing.''

Swann said his club would be happy to entertain a hike on ticket prices for marquee games throughout the season.

"They're things that can be looked at because that's money from the game,'' he said.

"It's like anything else in life, you go to the theatre, you sit in the best seats, you pay more money than you do if you sit up the back.``So personally we don't have an issue with that.''

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Eagles in no rush to re-sign Worsfold

ON HOLD: John Worsfold and West Coast will wait until the end of the season to discuss the coach's contract. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow

WEST Coast has delayed contract negotiations with coach John Worsfold until the end of the season.

Worsfold's current two-year deal runs out after 2013 and he and club chairman Alan Cransberg have agreed to delay talks over a new contract until the season ends.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times, Worsfold:

- Believes Mick Malthouse will coach better than ever this season at Carlton and that it would have been a tragedy if the 59-year-old was lost to coaching;

- Is confident veteran midfielder Daniel Kerr will again go close to playing every game this season, despite off-season knee surgery;

- Supports the AFL capping interchange rotations and that players will have little trouble learning to adapt; and

- Thinks tanking remains a grey area in football after the penalties given to Melbourne this week.

Worsfold, who did not sign his last deal until well after the Eagles' fairytale 2011 campaign finished, said both parties were happy to delay negotiations.

"For where I am now, I think it's important for me and for the footy club just to concentrate on this season and then make a mutual decision at the end of the year," he said.

West Coast's favourite son has not been given a minimum requirement for earning a new contract, but the Eagles are firmly in premiership mode and club chiefs expect a top-four finish after last year's semi-final exit at the hands of Collingwood at the MCG.

Worsfold, 44, is West Coast's longest-serving captain and coach after breaking Malthouse's club games record last season.

The dual-premiership captain and 2006 premiership coach has been at the helm for 259 matches, the longest continuous streak of any current coach.

Malthouse (Carlton) and Kevin Sheedy (Greater Western Sydney) both had breaks before starting their current coaching jobs.

Worsfold welcomed the return of his former coach Malthouse to AFL coaching ranks following a year in the media.

The West Coast legends will go head-to-head when the Eagles take on the Blues in a Saturday night blockbuster at Patersons Stadium in Round 4.

Malthouse, who left Collingwood after being replaced by Nathan Buckley as part of president Eddie McGuire's succession plan, will coach Carlton for the first time in today's NAB Cup clashes against Sydney and GWS.

"I thought Mick was coaching really well at Collingwood at the end of his career there and I think he's at the peak of his game and probably even more so with a year off," Worsfold said.

"I think it would be a tragedy if he wasn't coaching in the AFL for what he's got to deliver."

Worsfold threw his support behind the league's interchange cap trial, with teams to be allowed 20 rotations per quarter from next weekend's Round 2 of the NAB Cup, and the potential introduction of a cap for the 2014 regular season.

The AFL informed clubs on Friday that they would be allowed an additional two substitute players in the NAB Cup, meaning teams will start with three interchange players and three subs, but the trial of 80 rotations will remain.

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Old rivals set to face off again

New Carlton coach Mick Malthouse comes up against rival GWS mastermind Kevin Sheedy today. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

MICK Malthouse will take his first steps back in to coaching at Blacktown today.

And when Carlton takes on Greater Western Sydney at 4.40pm the legendary coach will be confronted by the reality that as much as things change, they also stay the same.

Since leaving Collingwood after the 2011 Grand Final loss to Geelong, the Giants have come in to the fold as the AFL's 18th club.

That's the new bit.

But as unfamiliar as Malthouse might feel coaching against a team based in the western suburbs of Sydney, Malthouse can take a sense of comfort from the fact he will once again be pitted against his old sparring partner Kevin Sheedy.

The old Richmond teammates have been the greatest of coaching rivals across the decades.

First there was Essendon's "scarf-waving'' brinksmanship with Malthouse's West Coast during the 1990s and then of course years of Anzac Day battles when Malthouse made the switch to Collingwood.

Whether they thought they would ever get the chance to compete again when Sheedy left Essendon in 2007 -- let alone when Malthouse appeared done 18 months ago -- is a fact unknown.

But the duo wasted no time in getting back in to old habits this week, trading barbs ahead of the NAB Cup opener at the Blacktown International Sports Park.

Responding to suggestions that Carlton is primed for an assault on this year's premiership, Sheedy said: "I don't think they've got much chance at all.

"Not with Grumpy in charge,'' he said, referring to Malthouse. "We've got a better chance than Carlton, don't worry about that.''

The insult hit its target -- even if Malthouse had to feign annoyance.

"He calls me grumpy? That was actually my nickname for him,'' Malthouse said.

"Is he coaching? Or is Leon Cameron coaching? You should ask him.''

But there was no faking the smile that sprung to his face when asked how he was feeling about his return to coaching after a year out of the game.

"It is exciting,'' he said. "I'm rapt to be back.''

WESTERN Australian Josh Bootsma yesterday withdrew from the Blues squad to take on Greater Western Sydney and Sydney because of illness. He was replaced by rookie Frazer Dale.

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Elliott's hard work pays off

Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott soars high above the pack during the Magpies NAB Cup match against Essendon. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

Collingwood small forward Jamie Elliott is looking to make his mark in 2013. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CHASING and laying a tackle on an AFL footballer is hard work.

Doing it 15 times in a match is bloody tough.

But that epitomises Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott.

He's worked harder and done it tougher than most.

When your father dies in your first teenage year, and your brother nearly does when you are 16; when your footy dream looks to have passed you by and you get overlooked in the AFL draft; when you have another crack at the big time but break your collarbone after just a few weeks... it tends to put busting your gut on the footy field into perspective.

JAMIE ELLIOTT was 10 years old and living in Dongara, 370 kilometres north of Perth, when his father Gary was diagnosed with melanoma.

"Dad had driven across to visit family in Queensland and one night he was having a shower and he found a couple of lumps under his arms. He had them checked. It was skin cancer. It was spreading all through his lymph nodes.

"Mum and dad kept it pretty quiet for a while. I knew he was sick but it was only maybe a year or two later that I really found out how sick and began to understand. I can remember there were times when mum would get really upset late at night.''

Jamie was 13 when his father passed away and he struggled to grasp what it all meant.

But just a few short years later he was forced to contemplate mortality once again.

By now his mother Fiona had moved her four children to Victoria to live with their grandmother Dorothy in Euroa.

It was Dorothy who answered the phone and went ashen-faced when the voice on the line told her that Jamie's older bother Matthew had wrapped his car around a tree and was lying in a coma in hospital.

"That was pretty tough. We went to visit him and he was lying there with all these tubes poking out everywhere, from his face and his body. It was something you never want to see,'' Elliott recalled.

"It feels like that was harder to deal with than my father. I was older, maybe 16, and I understood more and thought about it more.''

After a few days the doctor raised the possibility of switching off the life support system. Fiona would not countenance the idea.

Matthew came out of the coma after 25 days but remained in hospital for weeks.

"He's actually really good now. There are a few things he has trouble with, his memory's not the best, but he's my brother and I just love having him around.''

The experience scarred Elliott, though.

"I had to mature quicker than most other blokes,'' he said.

For a long time Elliott would not even entertain the idea of driving a car -- "I feared the worst'' -- so it speaks volumes that he not only overcame the phobia but  this year is contemplating spending his time away from football having lessons so that he might gain a helicopter licence.

OVERCOMING adversity has helped Elliott to tough it out on his football journey, as well.

He was overlooked in the 2010 AFL national draft but returned to play for the Murray Bushrangers as a top-age player.

"There was this realisation after not being picked up as an 18 year old and feeling I hadn't worked hard enough,'' he said.

"The people around me helped me to realise there's a lot of hard work goes into making it as a footy player.''

Early in the 2011 season he was chosen to represent Vic Country, but upon returning from the U18 national championships he broke his collarbone in the Bushrangers' next match.

Rather than curse his luck he sought out a local trainer to help him come back stronger.

Three times a week Elliott would ride to work, then pedal his bike 10 kilometres out of town to the gym for rehabilitation, ride back to work and then head off to footy training.

Collingwood recognised his commitment, selecting him to play in two VFL games that season before securing him later in the year as part of a trade with Greater Western Sydney (in which Elliott, Marty Clarke and pick  67 headed south in exchange for pick 25 to the Giants).

The Pies coaches love what Elliott has brought to their team since.

Attributes like passion, hunger and defensive pressure.

"Billy'', as he is known at the club, strung together 15 games in his debut season and in one of them -- the Round 14 win against Fremantle at the MCG -- he set a club record for the most "defensive indicators'' or DIs.

"You get marks for tackles and one-percenters and that sort of thing,'' Elliott explained.

"It's just a pretty good indicator of your desire for the ball and for helping your teammates.''

In the Dockers game Elliott's score was off the charts.

Forwards coach Matthew Lappin wandered up to him at the three-quarter time huddle and whispered:

"Ten tackles.''

He told the youngster to keep going and he would spring for dinner.

By the final siren Elliott had almost doubled the previous club record for DIs.

"I've got no idea what that was,'' he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Pressed about the score, a hint of a smile crept over his face before he sheepishly revealed "yeah, it was 70.''

"I never consciously really thought about it in my junior days, but obviously Collingwood takes pride in defensive indicators and that's become a little strength of mine,'' he said proudly.

"Being my size you need it, you need to bring something to the team. You find something to really help you.''

Lappin, who conceded he was yet to make good on the dinner offer, said Elliott had made the most of the opening created by injuries to smaller forwards such as  Andrew Krakouer, Brent Macaffer and Alan Didak.

"We like the defensive elements of his game, but on top of that he's got some genuine offensive elements as well,'' Lappin said.

"And he's working hard to bring that good mix of attack and defence to our forward line.

"As he gets fitter and stronger and can sustain his efforts longer, he's going to become a valuable forward for us.

"He's predominantly a marking forward for us at the moment, and as we saw in the first NAB Cup match he can get off the ground for an overhead grab. But we need him to impact a little more at the drop of the ball.''

Elliott has worked over the summer with development coach Craig McRae, a small forward in three Brisbane premiership teams, on his running patterns and crumbing skills.

Lappin, for one, believes Elliott is up to the task:

"We saw some really good quarters last year, and we want to see that translate to halves and three quarters and full games. It's hard to do as a small forward, it's a hard position to play. But that's what he's working on.''

And judging by Elliott's background you would back him to work hard, tough it out and overcome the next challenge.

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Integrity name of the game

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou vows to maintain the integrity of the sport. Source: Herald Sun

THE AFL has vowed to restore the trust it concedes some football fans have lost in the code, insisting it will rid the game of "rogue elements".

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou insisted the competition would not tolerate anyone who puts the integrity of the game at risk.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Herald Sun columnist Shane Crawford, Demetriou rejected calls for his sacking from former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett.

"All of us want to have our supporters and our key partners believe in the game and live up to its values, and I think in the main that we do," Demetriou said.

"But it is sometimes the acts of individuals that taint great people at clubs, boards and players. The actions of a particular player at a particular club could taint the whole playing group, so what we have to do is live up to the values that we set ourselves."

Asked if he could understand why some supporters might be questioning the game after a tumultuous off-season, Demetriou said: "I certainly can, because in this organisation we pride ourselves on very, very strong core values, on being transparent, being honest, acting with integrity, acting with the right ethics.

"That's what the public expects. It is something that should apply in any organisation, any club, any business.

"We have drawn a line in the sand. We are going to put a stop to rogue elements at clubs and the insidious nature of some individuals who are trying to spoil it for the rest of the code. It is only a handful of people but it can cause significant damage.

"The public are entitled to be questioning the values of the code because they are wondering, given what has happened with the Melbourne, Adelaide and Essendon (investigations). I have said the issues of values, principles and ethics in the code are absolute non-negotiables."

Demetriou said clubs had been provided with a "road map" of warning signs - "things like ex-players, anti-ageing clinics, gyms and tattoo parlours".

He would not be drawn into criticism by Kennett, who suggested on Footy Classified that the AFL was being run on a culture of fear and intimidation.

 Kennett also said the AFL Commission had to start considering a time frame for change at the top of the AFL.

But Demetriou was adamant that he still had the fire in the belly to help restore the faith that some people might have lost in AFL football.

"I'm not distracted ... I'm not tired," Demetriou said of the criticism being levelled at him. "I am very excited about the season ahead.

"(And) I am very excited about the new people we are about to appoint and bring in to reinvograte the executive."

In his interview with the Sunday Herald Sun, Demetriou also said the AFL would ban the use of intravenous injections other than painkillers and would ensure the club doctor would be the sole person responsible for player treatment.

"There will be a ban on IV at clubs - not just on game day," he said. "We are implementing some very, very serious measures to restore treatments of players under one person and that is the club doctor."

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Sandilands faces 'ruthless' future

ROAD TO RECOVERY: Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands has another five years left in him, according to champion ruckman Paul Salmon. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

ONE of the most accomplished and durable ruckmen in VFL/AFL history says Aaron Sandilands could have another five years of football left in him.

However, AFL Hall of Fame member Paul Salmon says the Fremantle giant's longevity will rest on him being "as ruthless and as selfish as he's ever been in his life".

Salmon won two premierships in a 224-game career with Essendon that spanned 1983-95 and 2002. But his durability came to the fore after he switched, as a 31-year-old, to Hawthorn, where he added further 100 games over five seasons.

Sandilands, who turns 31 at the end of the year, averaged almost 20 games in his first eight years at Fremantle, but two toe injuries limited him to a total of just 27 during the past two seasons. He faces an eight-week layoff after tearing a hamstring in last Sunday's NAB Cup opener.

Salmon went through similar trials, with an achilles reconstruction and a double-hernia operation as a 29 and 30-year-old that limited his game tally to the same as Sandilands  27 in two seasons.

Salmon stressed he had no insight into the Docker's specific situation, but said Sandilands would likely have to adopt the same mentality he did at that stage: be selfish and patient.

"I love watching Aaron and, as a footy fan, I would hope he's got two to five years ahead of him," Salmon said.

"But, to get there, he's probably going to have to be as determined, as ruthless and as selfish as he's ever been in his life.

"If he locks in on what he wants and locks in on the way to get there, he'll be fine.

"If I was injured at this time of the season, I would say, `if I want to play next year, what work do I need to do right now'. I wasn't thinking about what I needed to do to play in Round 1.

"I knew, at my age, that by doing things with a longer-term approach, I would be laying a much more solid foundation.''

Salmon, who at 206cm is 5cm shorter than Sandilands, said his key to longevity was a rejuvenation of both mind and body in his switch to Hawthorn.

"When the fitness guy at Hawthorn interviewed me going into my second pre-season, he asked me how I wanted to prepare for next season," he said.

"I said: 'Don't prepare me for next year, prepare me for the year after.'

"Players and ruckmen in their 30s don't want to get sucked into that short-term thinking.

"I wanted to play footy, I loved playing footy and I wanted to give more to Hawthorn - as Aaron, I'm sure, does to Fremantle - and I needed to trust my body again.

"I played 22 games in a season only twice in my career and the second time I did it was as a 35-year-old, which included two finals, so I played 24 games.

"At 21, you're taking the highway, but at 31, you're taking the scenic route."

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lions and Suns shine against Hawks

Gold Coast Suns midfielder Harley Bennell in the NAB Cup opener against Hawthorn. Picture: Chris Hyde. Source: Getty Images

QUEENSLAND'S two AFL sides bundled Hawthorn out of NAB Cup contention at Metricon Stadium last night.

The Lions join Collingwood and North Melbourne as the only three club to have won both games in the round robin format.

You can't read too much from two 20-minute matches, but both the Suns and Lions showed signs there is a chance they can build on the momentum they built at the end of last season.

The Suns smashed the Hawks in the clearances and contested possessions in the opening game which they won 4.6 (30) to 4.5 (29) with an after the siren point from Luke Russell.

But they remain highly dependent on skipper Gary Ablett and looked like a different side in his absence from the second game.

Brisbane motored through their hosts 2.6.3 (57) to 4.6.24 in the final game giving Michael Voss the perfect start to his 2013 campaign.

The encouraging sign for Suns coach Guy mcKenna is his side has clearly taken another step in its physical development.

They no longer look like boys playing against men and were able to match both Brisbane and the Hawks physically. They weren't outmuscled by the Lions they were just outplayed.

Their two new faces look ready to step into the AFL in round one.

Jesse Lonergan adapted to senior footy with ease and Jaeger O'Meara also showed he was in the Suns' best side.

Like most footy fans Ablett is excited at the prospect of O'Meara's entry into the AFL this season.

He demonstrated his undoubted class in the 2012 NAB Cup and he showed last night he is more than ready for the physical demands of senior footy.

"He did really well, he played the role we asked of him and we're really pleased," Ablett said.

"He didn't kick any goals tonight but he cracked in which is what we wanted and he made his presence felt, the goals will come there is no doubt about that."

Brisbane's decision to recruit Brent Moloney apears to have paid immediate dividends.

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Chris McDermott: Fall on sword Hird

The buck stops with Essendon coach James Hird. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

MAKE absolutely no mistake - you will be caught. That's the promise from AFL headquarters after the Australian Crime Commission's explosive revelations regarding drug cheats in Australian sport.

Problem is we've heard it all before. And despite boasting world's best practice in the fight against drugs, the reality is the AFL has anything but.

Its Integrity Unit established in 2008 to protect the game has proven to be insipid at best, an abject failure at worst.

The AFL has not fumbled the ball, it has lost sight of it. The game of Australian rules at the highest level has rarely been in worse shape.

It beggars belief that the practices revealed at Essendon Football Club this week by the Melbourne media could have gone unnoticed by everyone at AFL House. This is surely a case of gross negligence by trusted members of the game's governing body and those heads must be held accountable as much as those involved with the administering of substances legal or otherwise.

The AFL says ignorance is no defence for players choosing to put unknown substances in their body. It can be no defence for them either.

Sadly the first head to roll might have to be one the biggest in the game.

James Hird, coach of Essendon, must be held to account for his role in the debacle at Windy Hill even if the substances involved are found to be legal. That he has allowed his players, almost to a man, to be used like guinea pigs without comprehension of what he was asking them to do is the worst football decision he will make and it could be a career changer.

It was not long ago the Brisbane Lions were banned from intravenously rehydrating their players under medical supervision because it wasn't a good look for the game.

Off-site injecting rooms have far greater implications and cannot go unpunished.

Despite suggestions injections were not forced on players, mob mentality is strong inside a football change room and young players would have felt obliged to participate in the practice after their coach condoned it.

It is abuse of his position at the very least - and the sight of Essendon's press conference with chairman, CEO and coach minus any Bomber logos, colours or sponsors was clear indication their issue is far greater than suspect supplements.

The AFL has pleaded for voluntary confessions rather than forced ones, so Hird may well be best served falling on his sword and admitting misuse of his powers in the hope of returning to the game in some fashion in the not-too-distant future.

By Hird's own admission as coach the buck stops with him. The 253-game dual-premiership player, Brownlow medallist, Norm Smith medallist, five-time All-Australian, AFL hall of famer and former club captain might have to make one more sacrifice for his team in the hope others follow suit.

Australians are by nature a forgiving mob to those that admit fault and in time Hird will be welcomed back with open arms, but choose the Lance Armstrong method of deny, deny, deny and in the public's eye a life sentence could await.

As powerful as the ACC's findings were, talk is cheap and villains must be identified and, where appropriate, arrests must follow.

The sporting public of Australia is currently left with more questions than answers. Quick action by the law enforcers is needed to protect the innocent as much as to catch the guilty.

Thursday February 7, 2013, has been labelled the blackest day in Australian sport history.

A nation so proud of its sports heroes has been left to question every one of them and every team they cheer.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou pleaded with fans yesterday "not to lose faith in the sport".

Too late, she cried, for some.

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Michie set for NAB Cup opener

COMEBACK TRAIL: Fremantle's Viv Michie at training this week. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

FORGOTTEN Docker Viv Michie is in line for Saturday's NAB Cup opener after taking another step in his comeback from injury in Friday's intra-club game.

Michie, who was taken by Fremantle with pick 44 in the 2010 national draft as part of the compensation received for losing Chris Tarrant to Collingwood, is yet to debut.

Dockers football operations manager Chris Bond praised the 20-year-old's resilience after a two-year struggle with foot stress fractures, but said the club did not have great expectations for him this season.

"It was great to see him out there playing," Bond said.

"To miss two years of football and come back means that he's still got a lot of work to do, but he's a very impressive young man and he'll continue to do that work.

"Our main concern with Viv has been getting through training, so there's no expectations on Viv at all and his first aim is to play good, consistent WAFL football.''

Michie said last year his struggle had given him more motivation to forge an AFL career.

"Basically, each time I've gone to come back, my body hasn't handled it and I've broken down again," he said.

"(But) I am pretty confident within myself and my own ability that I can be successful in the future."

The Dockers will take on Geelong and West Coast in shortened matches at Subiaco on Saturday. The clash with the Cats, in the first game of the triple-header, will be a rematch of last season's elimination final.

Fremantle's upset 16-point win at the MCG was hailed as a watershed moment for the club and raised questions about whether Geelong's dynasty was over.

It will be Cats coach Chris Scott's first visit to Patersons Stadium since he labelled the ground unsuitable for children after a loss to West Coast last August. Scott can also expect a fiery welcome from Eagles fans after labelling them "disgraceful" last year.

Key Fremantle midfielders Nat Fyfe and David Mundy could join skipper Matthew Pavlich on the sidelines.

Mundy and Fyfe, along with Pavlich and Doig medallist Ryan Crowley, sat out of Freo's intra-club hitout at Patersons Stadium on Friday morning.

Fyfe has been carefully nursed through the pre-season program following a series of shoulder problems last year. The club remains confident Pavlich will play later in the NAB Cup following back surgery in November.

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Warnock desperate to make impact

Robbie Warnock in action. He faces stiff competition for a spot in the side this season. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Limited

WHEN he gets his hand on the ball, Robbie Warnock makes things happen. The problem is he doesn't make them happen enough.

Warnock, 26, has only played more than 12 games in a season once (20 in 2011) since first playing with Fremantle in 2007.

A career that has promised so much is in danger of delivering little and the 206cm left-footer knows it. And it won't be easy as he enters 2013 in a desperate race for a rucking spot given Matthew Kreuzer and Shaun Hampson are at the club.

Kreuzer, fit and well, will presumably take the number one role leaving Warnock head to head with Hampson, given coach Mick Malthouse is prepared to play two ruckmen if their form and hardness at the contest warrants it.

At 206cm the former Brighton Grammarian is one of the tallest in the game (Aaron Sandilands is number one at 2011cm) but height alone won't put him in front of Kreuzer or Hampson.

"We've all had our time in the sun as number one ruckman at different stages. We haven't all been fit at the same time so it will be interesting to see what they do. If we are all up and playing well then it's out of our hands," said Warnock from Carlton's community camp in Bendigo.

Last year he played just five matches, averaging 32 hit-outs to place him fifth in the competition. But the key to Warnock was his number one ranking on the hit-outs to advantage table.

It's why his midfielders like roving to him, plus Warnock isn't out of the contest once the aerial work has ended judging by his four clearances per game (2nd best of the top 10 hit-out winners).

He also won 74 per cent of his possessions in a contest, second only to the predictable figure of Nic Natainui. But none of the above will guarantee a game under a new coach named Michael Malthouse.

Warnock, who is a clear thinker, wasn't totally sure what to expect when Malthouse arrived although he knew he was a winner.

"I find him a great communicator. He actually keeps things pretty basic and as much as that might sound not smart, I think it is (smart) to a degree. He just doesn't over-complicate it," said Warnock.

"And his record speaks for itself. He took the Bulldogs a long way in the 1980s (3rd in 1985), the Eagles to finals every year (10 seasons) including two premierships from three Grand Finals and then Collingwood from 15th to 9th to a Grand Final.

"He has the runs on the board and is very clear on what he wants.When you speak to him it is obvious he knows what has to be done."

What Malthouse desires at Carlton is for at least two of Warnock, Kreuzer and Hampson to play in the same team, with Levi Casboult a chance to play as a forward who can go into the ruck. Sam Rowe and Luke Mitchell will have the chance to secure a key forward spot which would allow Jarrad Waite to use to his aerobic ability rather than being constantly bashed in pack marking situations.

Warnock knows he is third in the pecking order when it comes to being effective up forward, although he figures if he's rucking well enough it won't matter as much.

"Ruck is my preferred position. You do have to go forward these days the way the game is going but if you are number one ruckman then you will play 70 per cent of the time," he said.

"My season last year was slow to start after double shoulder surgery, then I came back and did my hammy, played a couple then hurt my shoulder again. I knew I was unprepared."

Last season his three year contract with the Blues had finished prompting speculation he could find a third AFL club over summer with up to four teams showing interest. Warnock decided to end speculation by re-signing during the year.

It was an act of faith in a place he believes is going places, claiming expectations this season are "limitless".

"The facilities are great, our playing list is really talented. If things click I really believe we can have some success and I want to be part of it. Our staff, medical, assistant coaches are all very good. We have no limitations on where we can finish," said Warnock.

"But you don't know what can happen so all you can worry about is week to week. When you see blokes play consistently, be injury free, then you will improve. You have to be on the track session after session, you can't do it in the weights room."

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now is the time for all good men

ALL SET: Luke Shuey is looking to take his game to an even higher level in 2013. Picture: Will Russell Source: PerthNow

THAT was then. This is now.

Then, Luke Shuey was little more than a promising name on West Coast's list; he was drafted in 2008, didn't play at all the following season due to injury and split his six games in 2010 to bookend the wooden-spoon campaign.

Now, Shuey is one of the most crucial cogs in the Eagles' future; successor to Daniel Kerr as West Coast's midfield marshal and proving increasingly capable of tearing games apart.

And, having then been a fresh-faced teenager, hoping to one day be a leader at the club, he is now part of a "brotherhood"; a leadership group forged in the wreckage of 2010 and one that bonds his side together. It was a sense of family that helped the 22-year-old last December to sign for a further two years at the club, when he could have returned home to Victoria.

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It made him stay in WA after the death of his sister, Melanie, in 2009. And it inspired him and Scott Selwood to go to Geelong last April for the funeral of John Schofield - father of teammate Will - who died from a heart attack.

"That meant a hell of a lot to me," Schofield told The Sunday Times last year.

"I think it just says a lot about them as people and why I look to a lot of the people at West Coast and see them as my family."

That trip defined Shuey's emerging leadership qualities.

The pair travelled east on a Monday for the funeral, came back to Perth for training, before returning to Melbourne on the Friday to play Richmond on the Sunday.

Shuey denies the support he showed was leadership - "leadership didn't have anything to do with it" - but it was a selfless act that would have taken tremendous emotional strength, given the year marked what would have been Melanie's 21st.

"Schoey's one of mine and Scooter's (Selwood) best mates at the club," Shuey said.

"A few years ago, I had Glassy (captain Darren Glass), Coxy (Dean Cox) and Adam Selwood come over for my sister's funeral and I remember feeling so appreciative for the effort they put in.

"It was a pretty emotional day; you get there and you can relate to what they're going through and how hard it is for them.

"But when I was sitting there, I didn't want to feel too sorry for myself, because it was a day to remember John and everything he gave the Geelong community.

"It was a great service. Will and his two other brothers were in great spirits and had the crowd in stitches."

That was then. This is now.

Now, Shuey has officially been installed in the Eagles' leadership group, recognised for outstanding traits both off-field and on-field as one of two additions to the clique for 2013, alongside Eric Mackenzie.

It marks a recognition after years marred with personal trials, with Shuey having overcome osteitis pubis, two hernia operations, a broken leg and glandular fever, in addition to dealing with Melanie's passing, all in a little more than 12 months at the Eagles.

After all that, football was easy.

The tyro installed himself inside the Eagles' top-six ball winners in both 2011 and 2012, nipping on the heels of revered names at the club such as Priddis, Kerr and Rosa.

"Everything I went through in the first few years gave me a really good outlook on football," Shuey said. "It was a good wake-up call that footy's not the be-all and end-all for me.

"Now, looking back on the injuries and stuff, I'm just blessed to be able to run out every training session, every game, and not be injured.

"I look at guys going through rehab now and just feel sorry for them, but I've said it before, if you're going to go through a successful career, there are going to be times when you do it tough.

"I certainly feel ready to be recognised as a leader, but I don't think much is going to change (for me) around the club."

One aspect of Shuey's game that he knows he must change is his discipline.
He missed three games last year due to suspension for what he labelled "brain explosions"; striking charges on Fremantle's Paul Duffield in Round 9 and North Melbourne's Lindsay Thomas in Round 15.

Then, he was just another foot soldier, but Shuey understands his role now as a leader requires him to rein in that behaviour.

"My two suspensions last year were, I'd like to think, out of the ordinary for me," he said. "I'm not a dirty player, they were just two things that came up and were a bit of a brain explosion.

"But I'm certainly confident it won't happen again and where I want to be as a leader, it's something I'll have to get out of my game."

Shuey described the feeling of preparing for his fifth season as "scary", but what is scary is his potential.

So, too, that of the brigade that surrounds him.

He said it was time for the rising stars of now to repay the superstars of then.

"It's scary thinking I'm going into my fifth season now, I've really only played two full seasons of football," he said. "We went through the hard roads to get to where we are and had to cop the wooden spoon on the chin.

"Now we're starting to be pretty successful and that, along with the brotherhood feel around the club, was a major reason why I signed on (for two more years).

"I think we're in for a really successful era over the next few years, but I couldn't tell you when, exactly.

"We're going to see guys like Glassy, Coxy, Embers, Kerr-y, depart within the next four or five years, guys who have been absolute superstars for the footy club and we're so blessed to be taught by these guys, who are masters of their trade.

"Hopefully we can win another premiership for those guys, I'm sure they want it as much as we do."

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jay ready for a breakout season

Port Adelaide Power footballer Jay Schulz is fit and ready to make an impact. Picture: Tait Schmaal Source: adelaidenow

JAY Schulz has been Port Adelaide's leading goalkicker twice in three years, is among the AFL's most accurate full forwards and acts as the obvious centrepiece of the Power's attack.

This will be his 11th season, having been at Punt Rd before being traded to his home state of South Australia at the end of 2009. There have been hauls of seven goals three times in his time with Port.

Yet if his career finished today - and it has come close because of his horror run with injuries - he would give himself a fail mark. Schulz has yet to play finals; in his decade in the AFL, the closest was a ninth-placed finish with the Tigers in 2006 and 2008.

"Every team wants to play finals and we're no different; we're desperate to play finals," Schulz said.

"It's a really big desire for me and the main thing that keeps driving me. Until I get there I'm not going to feel like I've passed (as a footballer)."

Over the years, Schulz has spent as much time on the sidelines as he has in the team.

His list of injuries includes broken ankles, ribs and collisions that have seen him miss matches for a gouged eye and internal bleeding.

The last one, which came after a collision with teammate Justin Westhoff, was a sickening clash that left him in hospital with banged-up kidneys and a sizeable blood clot.

But it's never been an issue for Schulz, who has taken a pragmatic approach to injuries; in his position, and the way he plays, they will be endured.

His attack on the ball is also what makes him as a player, what keeps him involved in matches - and new coach Ken Hinkley has had to tell him to ease up when he's been at his most aggressive over summer.

As laid back as he is off the field, he can be a fiery bastard on it.

But he's patched up again, and one of the reasons his confidence hasn't been rocked by the hits and their repercussions is because part of him expects them to come.

"I had a scan in January this year and that's all clear, (the) blood clot's gone and the kidneys are working back to normal," he said. "I've done close to a full pre-season and had a really good summer.

"Sometimes the way I play I do that in training as well and I have to try to not kill myself at times. But if I don't train that way I don't think I'll play that way either.

"I haven't really thought about it (the injuries) that much. Injuries are injuries   ...  and the way I've played my whole career and the position I've played, mainly tall, key forward or back, that's what happens in those roles.

"There are always big contests, whether they are in the air or on the ground, and I just accept that."

FOR all of that, he's feeling every one of his 27 years (28 in April), and there is a new level of urgency of reaching the top eight before he exits the game.

"With such a young team, I do rock up feeling old," Schulz said. "But at the same time, having all those kids around makes you feel younger, because they're always up and about. They seem to joke a lot more and are good fun to have around. And they keep you on your toes, as an older fellow, especially when you do competitive work.

"They say it's supposed to get easier as you get older but I think it's probably the other way around. It gets harder and harder because the game just gets harder and harder, with the speed of the game.

"But it's also been a very enjoyable pre-season. We've had a lot of guys who have come back from surgery and we think we're in pretty good nick. But I know everybody does this time of year."

It's a different feel around Port Adelaide this summer.

The drills at training have taken on a different look, there are new voices and ideas from the coaches and fitness men.

Schulz corrects himself from time to time, laughing at the fact that all clubs are brimful with optimism this time of year, but he said it does feel like a fresh beginning at Alberton.

"Every coach coaches differently and Kenny (Hinkley) has his own little bits that he brings to the team, and that's great," Schulz said. "The old saying goes `a change is as good as a holiday' and that really goes with footy.

"Any time something new and fresh comes in, blokes get excited about it and want to learn as fast as they can and try it out.

"Kenny's been great, along with Richo (senior assistant Alan Richardson) and Burgo (fitness coach Darren Burgess).

"All the boys have bought into what they brought."

A couple of things have stood out already.

Hinkley has noted how Port had to scrap for their goals last year only for the opposition to respond with a cheap goal.

Part of it was because of poor decision-making, part of it from turnovers that came through lack of technique in congested situations.

"We've been doing a fair bit of work on things like ball security - not fumbling the footy when you're tackled but hold on and give a handball off - tackling as well and move the ball with speed," Schulz said. "We're just trying to score more quickly and easier; we seemed to have to do a lot of work for our goals last year and a lot of teams seemed to get easy goals."

Schulz reckoned Angus Monfries' crossing from Essendon would make his life easier.

With Justin Westhoff and Brett Ebert struggling for consistent form last season, Schulz was minded closely by opposition clubs but he is hopeful some of the attention will be diverted by Monfries and Westhoff, who has enjoyed an impressive and injury-free summer.

"Gus (Monfries) has been fantastic, both up the ground and in the midfield," Schulz said. "He's a really smart footballer and he's really good in the air for his size.

"I look forward to having him there and Westie's done the whole pre-season and he's looking forward to taking his game to another level and have a really consistent season."

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia centre of peptide world

THIS is the map that the Australian Crime Commission says shows Australia is becoming the peptides capital of the world.

Online enquires into the performance enhancing drug - specifically the variant known as GHRP - have skyrocketed in the past six years as athletes both professional and amateur, body builders and the anti-ageing fraternity seek to improve their bodies.

The substance, which is suspected to have been used by Essendon footballers and players from several rugby league clubs, is illegal in Australia and is on the World Anti-Doping Authority's prohibited list.

But it isn't stopping people from using peptides, either to promote muscle growth or recover from soft-tissue injuries.

Peptides stimulate the release of an increased level of human growth hormone and are difficult to police in professional sport because they are rapidly metabolised.

They are sold as a cream or in a solution for injection.

In its recently released report into organised crime and drugs in sport, the ACC says widespread use of peptides "has been identified, or is suspected" in a number of sporting codes in Australia.

It cites one instance of team-based doping, orchestrated by some club officials and coaching staff, while noting other players were sourcing peptides for personal use.

Bodybuilders and older individuals are also increasingly turning to the product as a way of improving their appearance.

The substance is purchased online - contributing to a marked increase in the number of border detections of hormones by customs officials - but according to the ACC is also being sourced through anti-ageing clinics.

The ACC says some medical practitioners were supplying pharmaceutical-quality drugs to athletes, in some cases without prescriptions.

In the wake of the ACC findings, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has moved to restrict the sale of peptides.

It has issued new regulations that prevent Australian-based suppliers selling the drugs online without a prescription.

Suppliers have already begun removing the substance from their websites.

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Woewodin tries to clear his name

Shane Woewodin with his Brownlow Medal in 2000. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: News Limited

BROWNLOW Medallist and Brisbane assistant coach Shane Woewodin has stepped forward to clear his name after being embroiled in the AFL drugs scandal.

Woewodin was dragged into the drugs crisis that has rocked Australian sport after his relationship with convicted drug trafficker Shane Charter resurfaced during the week.

Woewodin worked with Charter from late 1999 to early 2001 and claimed the 2000 Brownlow Medal after starring for the Melbourne Demons. Charter was later credited with being the "architect'' of Woewodin's Brownlow triumph.

He was a personal trainer and pharmaceutical company salesman with links to controversial sports scientist Steve Dank who is at the centre of the Essendon drugs saga.

Charter was arrested and found in possession of 100,000 pseudoephedrine-based tablets in 2004.

He pleaded guilty and received a reduced prison sentence.

Charter also worked with Essendon coach James Hird in 203 when the Bombers coach was at the backend of his playing career. The club said Charter gave Hird dietary advice.

Woewodin said he has not spoken to Charter for more than a decade and said their working relationship never involved illegal substances or practices.

"I want to make it really clear that at no stage through my career did I see or touch any drugs,'' Woewodin said."In my time with Shane Charter it was purely nutritional-based things that we did.

"We worked out ways to improve my diet to enhance my on-field performance. From things like weighing all my food to looking at when and what I ate and drank.

"I took vitamins and we took blood samples - after getting a referral from my club doctor - to see where I was deficient. That was it.

"I haven't seen nor heard from Shane Charter in over a decade now.''

After Woewodin's Brownlow Medal victory, Charter was quoted as saying, ''my life might be changing next year''.

He described his program as a "multi-faceted program that involves nutrition, modifying training and also testing in terms of urine and blood analysis. It's very tailored. The system is individualised to cater for the individual's needs''.

"Every player has different requirements in terms of his age, weight, energy, daily activity, repair to muscle tissue and vitamin, minerals and enzyme deficiencies. With Shane there were areas we could get large improvements,'' Charter said at the time.

Woewodin finished his AFL career with 200 senior games.

He is in his third year as an assistant coach with the Lions and is in charge of the club's midfielders.

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Eagles offer blueprint to screen staff

EXPERIENCE: West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett says the club could help provide a blueprint for screening staff. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper Source: PerthNow

WEST Coast could become a blueprint for AFL clubs across the country, with CEO Trevor Nisbett saying the Eagles' drug scandals last decade had spawned systems that could help the league in the wake of this week's damning Australian Crime Commission report.

Nisbett also said he had no doubt all clubs, including the Eagles, were "pushing the envelope as far as we can", but that it was crucial to the sport that the boundaries not be broken.

This week, the AFL instigated changes that require every club to submit a list of all drugs and supplements given to players, while conducting background checks on all club personnel and setting up a unit to field player concerns.

West Coast faced sanctions from the AFL in 2007 after several off-field incidents.

The club commissioned an independent review that revealed a troubling culture and the Eagles moved swiftly to implement all recommendations, resulting in the AFL's threats being lifted a year later.

Nisbett said the club already had a "thorough induction process with all our staff".

While acknowledging every club would require different strategies to combat issues, the Eagles were willing and able to use their experience to help the AFL.

"There's no doubt we can assist," Nisbett said. "Each environment's different and each club has a different culture, but there's no doubt we can assist with some processes in things that we do, have done and have implemented.

"I think it's also an opportunity for clubs to look at their staffing and whether they've got the right people in the right places to assist them in knowing what's going on in their club.

"All clubs act differently, so you'd have to ask each club individually what their plans are going forward, but it certainly puts everyone on notice and we've never taken this for granted.

"We're diligent and we'll remain this way."

Nisbett does not believe sports science has gone through a boom in the AFL, but that certain elements had become rife and required reining in.

"I'm not sure it's boomed. I think what's happened is that there's been a lot of self-promotion by sports scientists who've been detrimental to the game. That's my opinion," he said.

"Sports science; we push the envelope as far as we can, within legal bounds, and there's no doubt that's what every sports organisation does. But you can't go out of bounds."

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SA clubs vow: we are clean

South Australian clubs say they are confident their players are not involved in the drugs and betting scandal engulfing Australian sport. Source: Supplied

EVERY major club in South Australia has declared it is 100 per cent confident - or does not suspect - any of its players are involved in the drug and gambling scandal rocking Australian sport.

The Sunday Mail  has spoken to our 17 biggest clubs in the AFL and SANFL, soccer, netball, baseball and basketball, all of whom believe they are safe from the damning findings of the Australian Crime Commission.

The absence of suspicion in SA comes as rumours grow across the eastern states that several NRL and AFL clubs will admit this week to major problems with performance-enhancing drugs and betting.

The Sunday Mail can reveal that six NRL clubs are named in the commission's report and speculation is swirling around at least three AFL clubs. 

Adelaide United yesterday declared itself clean following revelations of a staggering $49 million Asian betting plunge on last year's 4-2 win over Melbourne Victory.

Football Federation Australia chief David Gallop said yesterday the plunge had been investigated but was not suspect.

Adelaide Crows chairman Rob Chapman said "given the significant education, welfare and support that is provided by us to our staff and players we have every confidence that we are compliant".

Port Adelaide boss Keith Thomas said: "As an AFL club, we must aim to set a higher standard than general society in these matters".

Adelaide United interim coach Michael Valkanis said match fixing was a problem overseas "but here, no".

SA Redbacks coach Darren Berry said he would be "shocked and staggered" if drugs were in cricket.

Thunderbirds acting chief executive Clare Harris said Netball SA could confirm no player or staff member "is implicated in these investigations".

Australian Crime Commission chief executive officer John Lawler yesterday warned its allegations about illegal drug use and match fixing in Australian sport "is no beat-up".

Facing a backlash over the refusal to name implicated clubs and players, Mr Lawler said he was working with codes to work out what they could disclose.

Mr Lawler told the Sunday Mail the release of any names of clubs involved in organised crime and drugs in sport would have to be done within the law, which states there cannot be any adverse impact on the club or individual.

While the codes were aware of the clubs involved, they were under strict legal obligations not to release the names publicly. "There is a long way for this to play out yet," he said. "This is no beat-up. We have sworn testimonies, we have corroborated evidence."

Mr Lawler said he was sympathetic to clubs and players who had done the right thing but the purpose of the report was intended to be "an alert" to everyone to improve their safeguards against drug-taking, a point he felt had been missed in the hunt for names.

It also served as a trigger for players, coaches and individuals to come forward to police.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority began quietly stashing the blood samples of AFL and NRL players almost two years ago after becoming increasingly concerned about the use of peptides among athletes.

a major element of the Australian Crime Commission report is focused on a criminal network that sought to extort NRL players who'd been supplied with banned substances.

A source said players had been tricked into taking so called "supplements", later told that they had taken banned substances. Players were later threatened with being outed as drug cheats unless they agreed to fix matches or pay money.

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