Former Melbourne star Shaun Smith says the AFL must crack down on drug use before a player dies, urging the league to use Blues defender Lachie Cowan’s medical episode to drive immediate change.
Mr Smith said the league had a “massive problem” with its current drugs code after watching son Joel accept a four-year ban for multiple substance-related breaches in late 2024.
The young Demon was sanctioned under the league’s anti-doping code after taking cocaine during the 2023 season, which was detected in a match-day test, losing his AFL career as a result.
But under the league’s separate illicit drug code formed in 2005, the only player ever publicly outed or suspended was Hawthorn’s Travis Tuck in 2010.
Carlton defender Cowan suffered a seizure after attending a party at teammate Will Hayward’s house where illegal substances were reportedly consumed.
Blues chiefs are probing the incident while the league is awaiting a report from the club before it will decide whether it formally investigates.
Mr Smith told the Herald Sun in an exclusive interview AFL players were risking not only their careers but their lives over what he prefers to term as “illegal” drug use.
He said the league should follow the lead of the mining industry, where highly paid workers commit to a zero-tolerance drug-policy to ensure safety.
“I don’t know how many times this has to happen? Does a player have to get seriously hurt or die from a drug overdose or take a drug that has been laced with something?” Mr Smith said.
“First of all the AFL has to admit they have got a massive problem. They always seem to deny and deny and then sweep it under the carpet.
“Joel’s (use) was touted as an isolated incident at Melbourne. And that still makes my blood boil. People got away with murder at that club.
“It’s just wrong. The only way I can see for the AFL to fix it is they test players once or twice a week. End of story. It will fix it. The reason why they won’t do that is because they won’t have a competition. The way the system is now, it allows players to get away with taking drugs because they can work the system.
“If I worked on the mines and was getting $300,000 a year, the second I got caught with alcohol or drugs in my system I would be sacked. It is your workplace.”
Mr Smith’s son Joel sent text messages to teammates Melbourne that referenced cocaine use, which meant he was found guilty of trafficking or attempting to traffic cocaine.
Carlton star Will Hayward has denied taking illicit drugs during the weekend’s party at his South Yarra home despite also needing hospital treatment.
He told friends he hit his head in the shower after dropping his toothbrush, requiring as many as six stitches after he hit it on a soap container as he was picking up the item.
Carlton players reported to medicos that Cowan had suffered some kind of seizure.
The Victorian government issued a warning about drugs being laced with potent substances only hours before both players were taken to hospital.
Blues bosses are on the warpath as they attempt to get to the bottom of exactly what happened but players would have to admit drug use to face any sanction or penalty.
The Herald Sun revealed on Monday the league’s new illicit substances policy is yet to be implemented almost seven months after being unveiled, effectively giving players a free pass to take drugs.
Under the current policy, set to be replaced before the start of next season, players can be hair-tested over the off-season when they return to training but receive only counselling and target-testing instead of any sanction.
Only if they admit to public drug use or that drug use is publicly revealed are they in danger of a two-week ban for “conduct unbecoming” or bringing the game into disrepute.
The AFL has agreed to a new illicit drugs code which ends the current “strikes” policy and the new framework has no public accountability but instead carries an escalating series of consequences.
But Mark of the Century winner Smith said it was ridiculous for the AFLPA and AFL to suggest any drug use was acceptable because it was a microcosm of society.
“If they say something like that, it’s a massive cop out,” he said.
“Only a very select few in society get selected to play at AFL level. How many people are getting paid $1 million a year. It is up to the AFL to really crack down on drug use because (the penalties) are like getting a speeding fine and getting fined $10.”