AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan says Willie Rioli and other AFL players have no one but themselves to blame if they make a poor decision and fail a drug test.
Rioli is facing a ban of up to four years after allegedly substituting his urine sample with a different liquid during an ASADA drug test on August 20.
The 24-year-old was target tested by ASADA in the wake of that incident, and recorded a positive result for cannabis after West Coast’s elimination final win over Essendon on September 5.
Cannabis is a prohibited match-day substance under the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code.
Former WADA president John Fahey said that the cannabis would have had to have been consumed within 48 hours of the match to show up on the test.
McLachlan says Rioli should be accountable for the breach given the amount of education he would have received about the drugs policy.
“I think the education is extensive. I know or I’m confident that he was aware of the policy and the rules and the process,” McLachlan said.
“We can educate but in the end there’s an accountability from players for their decision-making.
“We do our best with the policy but individual accountability in the end rests with the player.
“People make mistakes. He (Rioli) has made a couple of very poor decisions and he’s going to pay a price for that.
“I’ll also say that Willie’s having a tough period at the moment and of equal concern is his health and well-being.”
Because the positive drug test for cannabis happened on September 5 – before Rioli was notified on September 11 of his alleged urine substitution – it is considered a concurrent rather than consecutive matter.
Therefore, Rioli is facing just the one penalty – whichever one is worse.
Some critics have demanded that cannabis be taken off the banned list given that its performance-enhancing qualities are questionable at best.
McLachlan said it wasn’t for the AFL to decide.
“We can talk to ASADA and to WADA but that’s an ASADA/WADA issue about what’s on the banned list and what’s not,” McLachlan said.
“We can all have our views but the reality is that it’s transparent and clear that on match day it’s on the banned list.
“Whether it should or shouldn’t be other people can debate, but it’s very clear that on match day it is (banned).”
