Carlton coach Mick Malthouse wants the AFL to show greater leadership in the wake of Jobe Watson’s shock admission, saying he’s disturbed and disappointed by its silence this week.
Reigning Brownlow Medallist Watson revealed on Monday night he was injected last year with the substance AOD-9604, which is banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s code, sparking a week of speculation and debate.
Players, coaches, pundits and officials have all passed comment about whether Watson should be, or will be, stood down or stripped of the league’s highest honour.
But the one voice that’s been missing is that of AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, or any of his subordinates.
Malthouse, a revered figure in the game who is second on the all-time list of coaching most VFL/AFL matches, called on the league to provide some clarity.
“I think it’s certainly opened up Pandora’s box. Well that was probably already opened, maybe this is another one inside there,” Malthouse said on Thursday.
“We’ve heard from Essendon, we’ve heard from a lot of football clubs. But interestingly enough, the one massive surprise in my book, is we haven’t heard from the AFL. At all.
“I find that disappointing, disturbing, and this is a time when people from the AFL have to stand up and show real leadership. Not let the back pages hang out there and murder a player at Essendon, or Essendon themselves.”
The Bombers are being investigated by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and the AFL for last year’s supplement program.
The AFL is hopeful ASADA will announce its findings in early August.
Malthouse noted “precedents have been set”, pointing to state leagues and former Richmond ruckman Justin Charles, who was suspended for 16 games in 1997 after testing positive to an anabolic steroid.
But the 59-year-old was unwilling to offer an opinion about Watson’s plight, or what should happen to the Essendon captain.
“It’s not for me to do that,” he said.
“We need a leading light in his area. It can’t just be left to the media’s opinion, and Watson’s innocence – or his statement if you like.
“It’s left the football world thinking ‘what is going to happen?’.”
