It has been dubbed the darkest day in Australian sport. The Australian Crime Commission on Thursday released its findings from a 12-month investigation into organised crime and drugs in sport.
The 45-page document details the importance of sport, performance enhancing drug use, sources of peptides and hormones, organised crime and drugs in sport as well as what it means to integrity mechanisms.
Here’s our snapshot of the report:
HOW BIG IS THE PRESENCE OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS?
- The ACC revealed the performance-enhancing drug market had expanded, with record numbers of seizures, detections and arrests and increasing reports by users that they were injecting them.
- "The use of illicit drugs within some sporting codes is considered to be significantly higher than is recorded in official stats" – the ACC said on Thursday.
- The report also showed a 255 per cent increase in number of hormones detected by customs and a record number of steroid seizures and arrests.
- "The Australian threat is current, crosses sporting codes and is evolving," the report concluded.
HOW MANY CLUBS COULD BE CHEATING?
- The ACC admitted it suspects the use of illegal peptides is widespread and across a number of professional sporting codes in Australia. It also revealed individuals from a number of other sports are also under investigation.
- Multiple players from one code and across several clubs are suspected of violating the drugs code with peptides.
- Racehorses have also been injected with drugs. The ACC revealed peptides and hormones have been given to thoroughbred race horses, a clear breach of the Rules of Racing.
- Most damningly, the ACC report included the case of a team doping. It was orchestrated by club officials and coaching staff, with peptides possibly given to players.
HOLD ON… WHAT ARE PEPTIDES?
- It’s a chain of amino acids. Just as letters of the alphabet form words, amino acids can be combined to produce "words" that are effectively messages for the body. The banned peptide GHRP-6 signals to the brain to release human growth hormone.
- Peptides are at the centre of the Essendon drugs scandal, although former player Mark McVeigh is adamant he was only ever injected with vitamin boosters.
ARE THEY USING ANY OTHER DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES?
- Yes, in fact, some which have limited or no history of use in humans.
- A peptide extract from pig brain and calf blood are among the untested substances which could have been administered to athletes.
WHO IS SUPPLYING THESE DRUGS?
- It’s as easy as an online click in some cases, with many banned substances available at the touch of a button. This, however, has been the downfall for several athletes, with orders traced to athletes attempting to dope.
- Anti-ageing clinics have been identified by ASADA and the ACC as a major source of peptides, hormones and other performance-enhancing drugs.
- Doctors, pharmacists and sports scientists (including high-performance staff) have sourced illegal drugs for athletes, many of which are consumed using injections and IV drips.
ORGANISED CRIME? WHERE DOES THAT FIT IN?
- The report said: Organised crime has been found to have a tangible and expanding footprint in this market, and their activity is being facilitated by some coaches and support staff of elite athletes.
- Why? Under current Australian legislation whereby organised crime identities cannot be sanctioned for trafficking performance-enhancing drugs to athletes. Only athletes can be punished, under the doping code.
MATCH FIXING? IS THIS AN ISSUE TOO?
- Yes, the ACC is investigating at least one very real case of match-fixing.
- The director general of WADA says the influence of organised crime in sport is increasing, with the trafficking of drugs and money laundering present as well as match-fixing.
- Victoria Police say they have match fixing investigations underway at the moment, including probes into horse racing.
- Melbourne Victory coach Ange Postecoglou says "of course" A-League is vulnerable to match-fixing.
