AFL player receives sanction
Australian Rules football player Joel Smith has received a four-year and three-month ban for five Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs), including the Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of a Prohibited Substance (three charges), the Presence of a Prohibited Substance and its metabolite and Possession of a Prohibited Substance.
Mr Smith, who was playing in Round 23 of the Australian Football League (AFL) for the Melbourne Football Club, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an In-Competition doping control test on 20 August 2023.
His sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, which detected the Presence of Cocaine and its metabolite Benzoylecgonine.
In addition to the Presence ADRV, it was determined by Sport Integrity Australia and the AFL that Mr Smith also committed the following ADRVs:
- Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of Cocaine on and/or between 28 July 2022 and 30 July 2022;
- Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of Cocaine on and/or between 5 September 2022 and 10 September 2022;
- Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of Cocaine on and/or between 12 April 2020 and 7 September 2020; and
- Possession of Cocaine on 9 September 2022.
The 2021-AFL-Anti-Doping-Code.pdf (AF Code) implements the WADC and associated International Standards which came into effect on 1 January 2021.
Pursuant to Article 10.8.2 of the AF Code, a case resolution agreement was entered into between the World Anti-Doping Agency, Sport Integrity Australia, the AFL and Mr Smith to resolve the matter.
A total sanction of four years and three months was imposed.
Mr Smith is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 9 January 2028.
He may return to train with a team or use the facilities of a club or other member organisation of the AFL’s member organisation from 9 November 2027 in accordance with Article 10.14.2 of the AF Code.
