The AFL have announced a ban on injections for players unless they are required for a medical condition.
In the wake of the supplements scandal that engulfed Essendon in 2013 and led to the club being banned from the finals series, the league has also changed its anti-doping code to allow the AFL to conduct its own sample collections for intelligence purposes.
This measure exceeds the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.
“No substance is to be administered to any player by injection other than by an appropriately qualified medical practitioner and only to the extent it is necessary to treat a legitimate medical condition,” the AFL said in a statement.
“No person may possess needles or injectables other than the club medical officer.”
Clubs will be permitted to use controlled treatments but they must be approved by the club doctor and recorded in a register made available to the league.
The AFL website reported on Thursday the league’s charge sheet against Essendon in August 2013 stated that if the Bombers supplements program had continued as planned, 26,000 injections would have been administered to players.
Gambling on all Australian football competitions by AFL players and officials has also been banned.
All players, coaches and assistants, as well as members of match committees have been put on notice that they must at all times perform on their merits.
Mobile-phone use will be restricted in change rooms and coaches’ boxes on game days and all club employees must be registered.
Homicide squad detective and former Carlton reserves player Tony Keane has joined a beefed-up AFL integrity department as an investigator.
Keane will report to senior investigator Gerard Ryan.
“The appointment of these two highly-experienced investigators to join our specialist intelligence analysts underlines the commitment of the AFL to continue our proactive stance to counter the emerging integrity risks that face all sports in Australia,” AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said.
“Following the establishment of the integrity unit in 2008, the AFL is determined to remain at the forefront of work to protect the integrity of the game and to keep our players and officials safe from the threats of doping, corruption and organised crime.”