Melbourne’s doctor and other officials will be called before the AFL following claims the club had a relationship with the man at the centre of the Australian sport anti-doping investigation.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said claims on the ABC’s 7.30 Report that it had text messages between Demons club doctor Dan Bates and former Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank were inconsistent with what Melbourne had told the AFL.
“They had maintained a position … that they’ve never employed Stephen Dank,” Demetriou told ABC radio on Friday.
“If there is an association with Mr Dank, that is inconsistent with what we have been told.”
The ABC’s revelations are certain to lead to the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) and the AFL widening the probe into supplement use to include the Demons.
Demetriou said Melbourne had some questions to answer if the ABC report was true.
“As of this morning we will be calling in the doctor, the Melbourne Football Club doctor, together with any other relevant officials based on things we’d been told previously,” Mr Demetriou said.
“There appears to be some inconsistencies.
“If there was an association, regardless of whether there has been an employment agreement, I think that would have been relevant to our briefings.”
Demetriou did not want to speculate on the ramifications for the club if it was shown to have mislead the AFL about a relationship with Dank.
“This issue of ethics and trust in our code … is something that you can’t play ping-pong with,” Mr Demetriou said.
“If anybody hasn’t got the message that they must be absolutely truthful … then there will be consequences.”
In a lengthy statement on Friday morning, Melbourne said there was no evidence any of its supplements breached the WADA drug code, and that Dank never directly treated players nor worked directly for the club.
But it admitted Bates and Dank had been in communication prior to the launch of ASADA’s investigation into Essendon, though Bates always had the final say in any treatment for Demons players.
“At no time was Dank able to directly treat players,” Melbourne said in its statement.
“Dank and Dr Bates communicated via email, phone and text, regarding supplements (prior to the ASADA investigation).
“Our processes require Dr Bates to consider the appropriateness of any treatment and make a determination as to its suitability at all times, to ensure that the welfare of our players is always maintained.”
The AFL, which last week said Essendon was the only club involved in the wider Australian sport anti-doping investigation, issued the Demons with a “please explain” over their involvement with Dank on Thursday night.
“The AFL was not previously aware of the claims broadcast … by the ABC and these will form part of ongoing investigations by ASADA and the AFL,” the AFL said in a statement.
“The AFL is urgently seeking a further explanation from Melbourne Football Club about the veracity of the claims and how they can be reconciled with previous statements from the club.”
The ABC alleges the text messages between Dank and Bates continued until the day Essendon fronted a media conference to reveal they had concerns over their supplements program and Dank’s work at that club.