He's wandered out of AF, and discovered not everyone is a mindless idiot who hates the AFL for no other reason than they're told to/it's something different. I'm sure it's confusing for him.

lolwut? You don't know me. You know nothing of my reasoning for supporting Liverpool. And that has nothing to do with anything. What is wrong with you?

Wow a caring bunch in the AFL:

"ESSENDON coaches took drugs that were banned for players, the former club sports scientist at the centre of the Bombers' drugs crisis claims.

Stephen Dank last night said coaches - whom he did not name - took substances not approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

"A couple of coaches were using supplements that were a little bit outside the WADA code but, again, they were entitled to it and nothing illegal in those," Dank said."

Link:http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/former-essendon-sports-scientist-stephen-dank-drops-new-bombshell-claiming-coaches-took-drugs/story-e6freck3-1226575060123

Just when you thought you had heard it all.

What is the point in the coaches taking the substances? :?

Silence on Lions drug den claims as self-confessed drug dealer also tells of match-fixing

Andrew Hamilton From:The Courier-Mail February 18, 2013 1:00AM

THE AFL has refused to reveal if it will investigate serious allegations of match-fixing, illegal gambling and drug use levelled at the Brisbane Lions.

Jason McGrath, the cousin of Lions premiership player Ash McGrath, has made a series of threats to expose behaviour at the club between 2002 and 2009, as the fallout continues from Australian sport's doping storm.

The Courier-Mail can confirm that Jason McGrath, a self-confessed drug dealer, was seen in the Lions' dressingrooms and at functions at times during that period.

The newspaper made contact with Jason McGrath after he made a series of Facebook posts claiming he was ready to expose dodgy AFL practices: "If you don't think the drugs and match-fixing is real, I bet on the AFL and was involved in a game being fixed."

He told the newspaper he had been a drug supplier between 2002 and 2009 and named six Lions players from that period who were heavy users of speed, ecstasy and marijuana.

He said members of the Lions' coaching staff knew some players were regular drug users.

Lions chief executive Malcolm Holmes refused to confirm if the club would investigate the claims or pass the allegations on to the AFL.

"The Brisbane Lions do not comment on unsubstantiated allegations, rumour or innuendo," Holmes said.

The AFL has also refused to say whether it will look into Jason McGrath's claims.

The Courier-Mail can confirm the Lions administration at the time had heard suggestions about drug use by two of the players in question.

Jason McGrath claims to have been involved in fixing a match involving the Lions in 2003, another instance of spot fixing, and to have regularly received inside team information from Lions players just before games for the purposes of betting.

Jason McGrath also told of an occasion where he had delivered an ounce of speed to a Mad Monday celebration at the Broadway Hotel, another where a player was hospitalised after a binge on speed, and multiple times where players had smoked pot in his home.

He also said he had supplied cocaine to players on occasion.

Four players named by Jason McGrath are still playing in the AFL.

He also claimed he would provide to the newspaper betting slips and phone records to substantiate his claims about match-fixing, but he has since gone to ground and refused to return phone calls.

He claims to have received threats from a current player after making his Facebook posts.

He sounds like a credible witness.

Other than drug dealers, who else would know this kind of stuff? It really doesn't sound that outlandish or unbelievable. It'll be interesting if he can produce the evidence that he claims to have

As a known drug dealer, I'm sure he has supplied far and wide.

The rest sounds like the mad ravings of someone who has smoked plenty of quality pot.

2013 Membership Totals (as of 15/2/2013)
Collingwood - 60,000+ (Target 75,000)
West Coast - 52,222
Hawthorn - 48,872 (Target 65,000)
Adelaide - 42,000+ (Target - 50,000)
Fremantle - 40,000+
Essendon - 42,020 (Target 50,000)
Richmond - 40,921 (Target 60,000)
Carlton - 34,351 (Target - 50,000)
Geelong - 30,819
Sydney - 25,000+
St. Kilda - 25,870
Port Adel. - 26,032
Melbourne - 22,962 (Target - 40,000)
North Melb - 22,800
Western B - 19,642
Brisbane - 14,252
Greater WS - 9,477
Gold Coast - 8,502

So you take his word when he says that he's a drug dealer but then choose to reject anything else he says? Interesting.

.... but it appears the key expansion markets for the AFL have a long way to go.

Of course, the numbers don't lie. The bottom three (the three newest clubs from non-heartland states), are miles behind even the middle of the pack.

Some people might try and downplay the progress the Swans have made in Sydney. On the other hand, their numbers are bigger than five clubs from heartland areas (and bigger than most other sports clubs in Sydney).

Brisbane have been bottom four the last three seasons in a row, but still had average home attendances of 20,300 last season. That's low compared to their very best years, but for a team that has been struggling for a few years in a non-heartland state, it's actually not all that bad.

And yes, the introduction of the Suns may have impacted as well.

No doubt, when one or the other make a run at a top 8 position, their attendances will improve. That's the cycle of life.

It is not just the non heartland clubs that are falling behind but the usual suspects as well:

St. Kilda - 25,870
Port Adel. - 26,032
Melbourne - 22,962 (Target - 40,000)
North Melb - 22,800
Western B - 19,642

And 3 out of 5 have been constant top 8 teams over the last few years.

That is why the AFL is trying to change the equalization formula 1 year after introducing it. These clubs are unsustainable, let alone the new ones, not even 20 years has done much for Brisbane.

Port Adelaide as I understand it includes AAMI (Footy) Park members, I once read 11k of those count for Crows and Port Adelaide memberships, they count them both. The joys of AFL membership numbers.

Edited by justafan: 18/2/2013 06:05:28 PM

still six weeks out from the start of the season - all of the above teams will add at least 8,000 members to that number by 30 June.

Yeah, but 5,000 of those will be pet memberships.

Edited by afromanGT: 19/2/2013 02:12:22 PM

Cover-up claim hits Brisbane Lions as AFL launches probe into allegations of match-fixing and drug use
Rhys O'Neill, Andrew Hamilton From:The Courier-Mail February 19, 2013 1:00AM

A day after self-confessed drug dealer Jason McGrath - the cousin of premiership player Ash McGrath - made stunning allegations he supplied illicit drugs to Lions players from 2002-09, new reports emerged that one player sat out games in the same period to hide a drug issue.

But Brisbane coach Voss says only the individual and the club doctor would be privy as to why a player would miss games in that instance.

"I'm learning some things here, apparently. Trying to sort through what is fact and fiction is a little hard at the moment,'' Voss told Triple M this morning.

"There are inconsistencies that players have missed games ... because as officials and (other) players, we don't get notified.

"The doctor does that with the (individual) player and we don't know. That shouldn't be general knowledge and no-one should know except the player and the doctor.''

Voss, who led Brisbane to the 2001-03 flags and until 2006, admitted he couldn't be certain teammates weren't using drugs under his leadership.

"They could have been (doing anything),'' he said.

"I'm not naive enough to sit here and say that it hasn't happened. I couldn't say that with 100 per cent certainty.

"But there has been a whole bunch of things mentioned and I'd really question the validity of those allegations.''

When asked if he'd ever met Jason McGrath, the six-time All Australian said: ``not that I can certainly recall''.

"That's why we say they (the claims) are unsubstantiated. The names that have been thrown around I haven't even seen before,'' Voss said.

"We have after-match functions where there are probably 200 or 250 people. There are a lot of people hovering around and I might have walked past him two or three times but apart from seeing his photos recently I wouldn't know what the guy looks like.

"Speaking to some of my other teammates yesterday they don't know who he is either.

"He's out and about but he's a bit of a phantom to us all at the moment. But he might be familiar to some of our players at that stage of our careers, but he certainly wasn't to a majority of us.''

Voss hoped the drugs in sport saga didn't harm the club's image or sponsorship deals.

The Courier-Mail today revealed explosive allegations that the reason for a Brisbane Lions player's absence from some games last decade was falsified to cover-up an illicit drug issue.

A former Lions staffer told The Courier-Mail a player missed specific matches in this period because of the illicit drugs issue.


It is just one of several allegations to emerge that have prompted the AFL to open an investigation into behaviours at the club between 2002 and 2009.

The AFL confirmed yesterday the league's integrity unit would investigate.

It follows claims by Jason McGrath, the cousin of premiership player Ash McGrath, that he was involved in match-fixing, illegal gambling and was a drug supplier to six Lions players from that period who were regular users of speed, ecstacy and marijuana.

The Courier-Mail revealed these claims yesterday and was then contacted by a former staffer who worked at the Lions for several years.

The ex-staffer said he could confirm many of Jason McGrath's allegations surrounding drug use.

Another former employee also made the revelation that while at the Lions he was told the reason for a player's absence from the side was a fabrication to cover up an issue with illicit drugs.

Last week AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirmed players in the AFL have been repeatedly forced to miss matches because of serious breaches of the league's illicit drug policy.

The Lions reacted angrily to the decision by The Courier-Mail to publish Jason McGrath's allegations.

"These claims from a 'self-confessed drug dealer' are completely unsubstantiated and do not deserve publicity," the Lions said in a statement.

"We have no reason to believe the word of a 'self-confessed drug dealer', but if anyone, including The Courier-Mail, has any evidence with regards to this, or any other matter, it should be referred to either the AFL integrity unit or the Queensland Police.''

AFL corporate affairs manager James Tonkin said the league had opened a probe into events at the club between 2002-09.

"We don't comment on unsubstantated claims, but the matter has been referred to the integrity unit,'' Tonkin said.

The AFL confirmed the League's integrity officer Brett Clothier will also investigate a 2003 game involving the Lions with regards to match-fixing claims.

The Lions received an irate phone call from the AFL in 2003 following the game.

The AFL's Integrity Unit was not established until 2008.

Lions chief executive Malcolm Holmes declined to return calls from The Courier-Mail yesterday requesting further comment.

The Courier-Mail has alerted the AFL to the latest allegations, but have protected the identity of our sources.

It can be revealed that one person has made himself available for a confidential interview with the AFL's integrity unit and another is considering his position.

Other sources declined.

Last week, The Courier-Mail contacted several former players and staff in an attempt to interview about Jason McGrath's claims.

None of the sources had proof of any drug-taking, but each claimed they were aware of drug use by some or all of the players from the 2002-09 period mentioned by Jason McGrath.

Former Lions chairman Graeme Downie said he was unconcerned about the allegations.

"I never heard questions about any matches and I never heard any rumours of drugs during my time,'' Downie said.

Voss last night told Channel 7 there was no chance drug taking could have happened at the club in the years of his captaincy without his knowledge.

Voss captained Brisbane in each of their three premiership years in 2001-03 and until his retirement in 2006.

"You would know, when you are amongst the players, you would know,'' Voss said.

"If there is evidence to suggest that we would encourage you to go to the AFL integrity office or Queensland police.''

So Melbourne found not guilty of tanking but for some reason get fined half a million and the head coach and football operations manager cop bans. Anyone want to explain how that works?

Indigenous team to 'close gap'
February 27, 2013

A BOLD plan to promote indigenous football talent will see an all-Aboriginal side play in the TAC Victorian under-18 competition this year.

The team – to be called the ‘Laguntas’, after the Aboriginal word for tiger – will be based at Richmond’s Punt Road Oval and will be introduced to reverse the worrying trend which now has just five Victorian-raised indigenous footballers playing in the AFL.

The AFL’s community engagement manager, Jason Mifsud, admitted there had been ‘‘a neglect in the relationship’’ between Victorian Aboriginal communities and both the VFL competition and the TAC. Denying suggestions the all-indigenous side would segregate Aboriginal footballers, Mifsud added: ‘‘It’s all about inclusion.

‘‘It’s a pilot program which aims to close the gap we’ve identified over the last few years between Aboriginal communities and the game at the elite level. This has been an issue for 18 months to two years and it becomes more exaggerated the higher you go in the game.’’

A joint venture between the AFL, AFL Victoria and Richmond, the program will include a team list of 40indigenous players and 10 indigenous staff. Mifsud stressed that while not all the team’s coaches would be indigenous, the long-term plan was also to provide a career pathway for aspiring Aboriginal coaches, given the dearth of numbers at AFL level. Yet to secure government or corporate funding, the AFL has agreed to foot the bill for the Laguntas’ first season, which will see the side compete on an invitational basis in three matches in 2013. It is expected to make its debut in June.

Despite the competition’s savage cost-cutting program which began last year at head office, the AFL’s indigenous push comes at a time of much concern around the game’s indigenous numbers, with draft numbers down, clubs struggling to retain their Aboriginal players and a telling lack of indigenous coaches across elite levels.

Brothers Adam and Brett Goodes, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Andrew Walker and Koby Stevens are the only Victorian indigenous footballers currently playing in the AFL. More concerning is that soccer has become the code of choice in key recruiting areas such as Mildura, once dominated by Australian football.

‘‘The rate of indigenous talent playing in other sports across Victoria is at an all-time high,’’ admitted Mifsud, the game’s most senior indigenous official.

The Tigers have been strongly supportive of the formation of an under-18 side, with club chief Brendon Gale determined that Punt Road’s Korin Gomadji Institute continue to develop indigenous talent across the AFL as well as providing career training. The

Laguntas are expected to sport predominantly black-and-yellow jumpers and Gale’s view is that the team would expand its presence in the TAC by 2014.

‘‘It’s positive discrimination,’’ said Gale. ‘‘We’ve raised that question and we’ve discussed it and debated it and the fact is we are under-represented in our indigenous representation and we are seeing too many talented players leaving the game.

‘‘This is about seeing good young Victorian Koori and indigenous talent coming together and training and being educated. This is not about our club but about creating a pathway for indigenous players and coaches.’’

The only all-Indigenous teams currently are the All Stars, who play exhibition game, and the under-16 Flying Boomerangs.

AFL Victoria boss Grant Williams stressed that indigenous players already participating in the TAC would remain with their current TAC Cup side.

‘‘However, if not selected, they will have the opportunity to play with the Laguntas team and continue to participate in the development program,’’ he said.

The Laguntas would also use Richmond’s training facilities, with the long-term view seeing the team play all home games at Punt Road.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/indigenous-team-to-close-gap-20130226-2f472.html#ixzz2M2xZLTqO

That seems to be correct but I personally prefer the more dignified "Flying Boomerangs" nickname that the u16s team has.