I know for a period of time and may still do Brisbane acknowledge there was a bad culture in footy in that good players were not being treated harshly by administration when caught drugs . As a result Brisbane introduced their own internal random drug testing and a system for offenders along the lines of receiving support and 3 strike rule you are out. No matter who you were same rules applied. tigertown should introduce something similar.
Not doubting what you may know Nucky but I highly doubt Brisbane would come down as hard on a star player as they would on a nobody.
Darren Lockyer was strongly rumoured to get stuck into cocaine during his playing days, not much come of that from the Broncos management. Brisbane talk a good game, maybe that is why all of the dramas that surface from within their club are swiftly swept out of sight.
read it in wayne bennett book was published 2007 i think. Thought it was a good idea nonetheless. He acknowledged there was unfairness to good players which was the reason of such policy …
Taken with a grain of salt, I have heard anecdotes of LOADS of footballers enjoying the nose candy. It's always been a drug of the well-paid young party set, which is exactly what football is.
One of the best rumours I heard was Anthony Miniciello's wedding, where all the players past and present got into the talc, including Brad Fittler, all off their tits.
I've heard rumours of players offering cocaine as payment for things like cleaners or food delivery etc.
Even if 5% of what I've heard is true, that still makes for a lot of drug abuse. The ADF reports that 2.1% of all Australians over 14 y.o. have taken cocaine within the last 12 months, and there's no reason why this would not apply to footballers too (and arguably you could say at least 2% of them).