AFL giving themselves an out re: drugs

[Sockeye Salmon]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/now-its-four-strikes-for-afl-drug-users/story-e6frf9ix-1225868871780


This sounds very much to me like the AFL are trying to set up an out for themselves.

It has been a very poorly kept secret in football circles that a high profile player tested positive three times. We all know who.

I think it is inevitable that eventually someone will stop being frightened of the AFL and report it and when they do, the AFL will need to explain why they tried to cover it up.

Now they have an answer - "he was getting treatment so it was OK".

[Mantis]

This sounds very much to me like the AFL are trying to set up an out for themselves.

It has been a very poorly kept secret in football circles that a high profile player tested positive three times. We all know who.

I think it is inevitable that eventually someone will stop being frightened of the AFL and report it and when they do, the AFL will need to explain why they tried to cover it up.

Now they have an answer - "he was getting treatment so it was OK".

My SC team name might give away the answer. ;)

[Sockeye Salmon]

My SC team name might give away the answer. ;)

Except that none of us know the name of your SC team?

[Mantis]

Except that none of us know the name of your SC team?

'3 strikes for buddy'

How fitting that my team is performing like they are on some sort of narcotic.

[Mofra]

Now they have an answer - "he was getting treatment so it was OK".
I'd love to know the definition of "treatment".

Not only have they given themselves an out, they have done so via a legally ambiguous term to avoid any later issues. It wouldn't be hard to argue that "conselling" is a form of treatment.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I'd love to know the definition of "treatment".

Not only have they given themselves an out, they have done so via a legally ambiguous term to avoid any later issues. It wouldn't be hard to argue that "conselling" is a form of treatment.

'Conselling' sound like some kind of deal where the customer doesn't end up getting what they thought they would.

[Desipura]

'3 strikes for buddy'

How fitting that my team is performing like they are on some sort of narcotic.
Why would the AFL oust a big name player who gets the turnstiles clicking over. Would imagine the loss of $$$ would severely dent their coffers.

[Sedat]

The AFL do not give a stuff about player welfare with regard to recreational drugs. Their "groundbreaking" policy has been designed with the sole purpose of catching as few people as possible, and catching nobody enough times to the extent that they can be publicly named and shamed. Priorities 1, 2 and 3 are protecting the brand image of the AFL, and protecting the image of the game is so much easier when caught drug users continue to play under anonymity. And on those occasions when pesky drug dabblers are caught by the fuzz and not by the AFL's "stringent testing regime", and therefore inadvertantly bring the game (and by association the failures of the AFL's shithouse policy) into disrepute in the public domain, the AFL join the queue to take pot shots (or better still get media plants like KB, Wilson and Sheahan to fire the shots) at these players as opposed to offering the requisite welfare and support to these players. The AFL must think we all just waltzed in from the cotton fields :rolleyes:

In the eyes of the AFL, clean game image = happy sponsors and stakeholders, which = bigger coffers, which = bigger bonuses for the AFL CEO and team. They are shameless when it comes to sticking their snouts in the pig trough.

Meanwhile an issue that is directly affecting the welfare of the players, the playing surface at the Gabba, is being swept under the carpet by AFL HQ. We're not going to see any games moved from a 35k stadium to a 20k one under this regime, doesn't matter how many injuries the Gabba cricket wicket surface causes. That's why we will get penetrometor readings that miraculously declare the Gabba perfectly 'safe to play' :rolleyes:

People will eventually cotton on that the AFL cares intimately about the filthy lucre and very little about anything else.

[LostDoggy]

^^^

This.

About your last line, I think most of us have already cottoned on to it, but tell a lie often enough and people will start believing it and repeating it themselves. Besides, some people will have you believe that there is nothing wrong in priority one being 'Make Money' even at the expense of screwing everyone else.

ps. a 'Penetrometer' sounds vaguely risque (actually, nothing vague about it, it's fully ponographic!)

[Sockeye Salmon]

The AFL do not give a stuff about player welfare with regard to recreational drugs. Their "groundbreaking" policy has been designed with the sole purpose of catching as few people as possible, and catching nobody enough times to the extent that they can be publicly named and shamed. Priorities 1, 2 and 3 are protecting the brand image of the AFL, and protecting the image of the game is so much easier when caught drug users continue to play under anonymity. And on those occasions when pesky drug dabblers are caught by the fuzz and not by the AFL's "stringent testing regime", and therefore inadvertantly bring the game (and by association the failures of the AFL's shithouse policy) into disrepute in the public domain, the AFL join the queue to take pot shots (or better still get media plants like KB, Wilson and Sheahan to fire the shots) at these players as opposed to offering the requisite welfare and support to these players. The AFL must think we all just waltzed in from the cotton fields :rolleyes:

In the eyes of the AFL, clean game image = happy sponsors and stakeholders, which = bigger coffers, which = bigger bonuses for the AFL CEO and team. They are shameless when it comes to sticking their snouts in the pig trough.

Meanwhile an issue that is directly affecting the welfare of the players, the playing surface at the Gabba, is being swept under the carpet by AFL HQ. We're not going to see any games moved from a 35k stadium to a 20k one under this regime, doesn't matter how many injuries the Gabba cricket wicket surface causes. That's why we will get penetrometor readings that miraculously declare the Gabba perfectly 'safe to play' :rolleyes:

People will eventually cotton on that the AFL cares intimately about the filthy lucre and very little about anything else.

This.

Structuring the draw to maximise income rather than to run an equitable competition should have been the first alarm.

[BulldogBelle]

Spot on with all of the above - AFL are hypocrites

[westdog54]

The AFL have shot themselves in the foot bigtime on this one.

This high profile player who no one knows the identity of;) could have been made an example of for the league to say that the system is there for a reason and no one was safe.

Instead, they've seen the financial ramifications of this particular case and have tried to dance around it as best they could. Yet like all cover-ups, all it takes is one blow of the whistle from one person who no longer wants to play ball, and it will blow up in their face. And the two biggest losers will be the fans and the players. The fans will have been cheated and ripped off, the players who have agreed to this system in good faith will be wondering what the hell the point was.

This will blow up bigtime and all of the good work done by some people in this system, work and negotiation done in good faith, will have been for nought.

[LostDoggy]

Bumping this thread rather than creating a new one.
Not sure if this is very true. The source is a nutcase, eg 'I have links to the underworld'. Truth probably somewhere in the middle.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-ignores-soccer-stars-drug-claims-20110215-1av3z.html

[Go_Dogs]

Not surprising really. Not sure what the he's trying to accomplish though?

[Sockeye Salmon]

Not surprising really. Not sure what the he's trying to accomplish though?

I don't know that he's trying to acomplish anything, I have absolutely no doubt what he says is true, whether he has first hand knowledge of it or not.

How very AFL of them to dismiss it outright. No-one can fail a test they don't take.

[LostDoggy]

These two statements are incongruous.

''The first thing an AFL footballer said to me when I got back to Melbourne and I was in a nightclub was, 'do you want a line of coke?' I said I was happy with a shot of Agua''

''I can tell you there are players on drugs. Why? Because I am linked with the underworld and I know people and they tell me things. You can bury your heads in the sand, but rest assured, idols in the AFL and NRL are out taking drugs.''

I do believe that AFL players are out their taking drugs, however surely a stronger statement would have been

''I can tell you there are players on drugs. Why? Because I have been personally offered drugs by an AFL player in a nightclub. You can bury your heads in the sand, but rest assured, idols in the AFL and NRL are out taking drugs.''

Sounds to me like he is trying to take a little bit of wind out of the AFL sails in an effort to promote Socccer in Australia.

Yes thats right, Soccer.:p

[Mofra]

Yes thats right, Soccer.:p
The bigger Soccer gets in Australia, the more important the Bulldogs become to the AFL ;)

[Twodogs]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-ignores-soccer-stars-drug-claims-20110215-1av3z.html



Look at Derek Kickett. When he retired he said 70% of AFL is on drugs. I’d back that up 100%


That'd be Dale Lewis he's talking about, not Derek Kickett. But then again a white anglo saxon wouldnt have suited Ljubo's purposes.

[Murphy'sLore]

Sounds like he's got a case of the Akers.

[LostDoggy]

If you want to know how much of an idiot he is have a look at this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoonwzNFKVI

[LostDoggy]

That'd be Dale Lewis he's talking about, not Derek Kickett. But then again a white anglo saxon wouldnt have suited Ljubo's purposes.

Ljubo is a disgrace to this country. He's a racist against Anglos hiding behind his ethnicity. He hates Australia and is leaving to go over to Europe because he's "respected there".

I hope his he hires a private jet and the only parachute is attached to the pilot. There isn't words to describe what i feel about him.

Of all the people who could have barked this out you couldn't have got a worse songbird.

[Ghost Dog]

'I have links to the underworld' meh what a loser.

Not alot of love for Australian Soccer on this forum is there? Personally, there is a taint of racial stuff that I hate in Australian soccer. How does it go...Victory is for Croats / Serbs / some-other and this team is for blah blah?

Which AFL player would be dumb enough to brag about having links to the underworld?

[Murphy'sLore]

I know a girl who used to go out with a guy who said his cousin was in the mafia -- does that count as "links to the underworld"??

[Ghost Dog]

People who have any real links to the underworld I am very sure would not go around flashing their credentials to a reporter.

[Daughter of the West]

People who have any real links to the underworld I am very sure would not go around flashing their credentials to a reporter.

Unless you're Roberta Williams, and then you're trying to sell reporters videos of your exploits! :D

[Stefcep]

Ljubo's a bit of a nutter, but he calls it as HE sees it, and sometimes he's bang on the money, sometimes way off the mark. There's no middle ground with him, thats for sure! And he doesn't give a rats who he pisses off!

BTW to call him a racist against Anglo's is off the mark IMO. I'd say anyone who grew up as a migrant in the West in the 60's, 70's and 80's and didn't experience racism woul be the exception. I suspect he's just telling what he's experienced: racism at the hands of Anglo Australians.

I know I did too, but also a couple of my best mates as a kid were Anglos, so you get all sorts in every background and there are some pieces of shit in every culture.

[LostDoggy]

Ljubo's a bit of a nutter, but he calls it as HE sees it, and sometimes he's bang on the money, sometimes way off the mark. There's no middle ground with him, thats for sure! And he doesn't give a rats who he pisses off!

BTW to call him a racist against Anglo's is off the mark IMO. I'd say anyone who grew up as a migrant in the West in the 60's, 70's and 80's and didn't experience racism woul be the exception. I suspect he's just telling what he's experienced: racism at the hands of Anglo Australians.

I know I did too, but also a couple of my best mates as a kid were Anglos, so you get all sorts in every background and there are some pieces of shit in every culture.

You should read more of his rants in the last couple of months Stefcep (unless you already have). He's racist against Anglos is the way i read it. I'll try find some nice excerpts from the fountain of lisp.

EDIT:



Here's a couple of rants, and replies to his ramblings of recent. Apologies for the length.

Ljubo interview on SEN

http://bit.ly/enTyZw


Football Mag 442 - http://au.fourfourtwo.com/blogs.aspx?CIaBEID=2333




1. Ljubo Milicevic leaves Australia in disgrace
By dasilva
Yesterday

I was watching Ljubo Milicevic’s farewell interview on SBS and was finding it mostly entertaining, with his forthright opinions. However, towards the end of the interview, Ljubo pulled out the stunner: “I’m Croatian, I’m not Australian. You guys don’t want me here.”

He justifies this by saying he doesn’t feel any loyalty to the Union Jack as he believes that the flag represents rapists and pillagers; that his backyard has fruit in the trees (like the rest of Australian doesn’t have fruit in their trees); that his father has Croatian music in his CD player and that he was raised as a Croat; that he’s emotional and passionate and relates more with Goran Ivanisevic than Australian sports stars as he finds them dull and boring; that Australians can’t pronounce his name right; and that he is embarrassed about Australia Day, where people use the day as an excuse to get drunk.

He also criticises Australia for picking and choosing when migrants are considered to be Australian.

Now, whether you agree or disagree with what he says is kind of irrelevant. In fact, a lot of his supporting statements make a lot of sense to me, but there’s a big leap with agreeing with his supporting statement and then saying, “I’m not Australian.”

You see, the problem with Milicevic is that he has confused negative stereotypes of being Australian. The fact is Australia is a liberal democracy and there’s no precondition in personality or political belief to be Australian.

All you have to be is an Australian citizen to be Australian (to be a good person on the other hand has a lot of conditions, but unfortunately people have a tendency to mix being a good person and Australian up).

About 45 per cent of the population voted yes for the Republic, which shows that a lot of people don’t have loyalty to the Union Jack. However, those people aren’t less Australian than people who voted no. We have a former Prime Minister in Paul Keating who wanted to change the flag to remove the Union Jack.

Whether you agree with Keating or not, you can’t say that he isn’t Australian.

There is a lot of Australians who bemoans the fact that sports stars are boring and there are a lot of people who find the frankness of some foreign sports stars to be refreshing as well. I seriously doubt that most people weren’t embarrassed by the Cronulla riots or some of the past treatments of Aborigines as well.

His statements about the Union Jack being a flag of rapist and pillagers are just outright offensive and racist due to its gross generalisation.

There isn’t a single country in the world that doesn’t have rapist and pillagers and there is no evidence that the United Kingdom and their respective colonies are pillaging any more than any other country in the world. I’m quite sure most countries’ flag would become symbols of atrocity if we go through past histories, and I’m not too sure why the Union Jack has to be singled out for that.

There are also Australians who don’t support Australia Day and cringe at the excessive alcohol that is drunk on that day. In fact, there are certain groups on the left who believe that Australia Day should be changed to another day in respect for Aborigines as we shouldn’t be celebrating the day England colonised Australia.

Other countries with Indigenous cultures don’t do that. Now whether you agree with those views or not, it doesn’t make you any less Australian.

He says that he was raised as a Croat. Well Australia is a multicultural country that doesn’t discourage people from expressing their cultural identity and doesn’t overtly discourage people behaving differently to the mainstream.

Therefore, contrary to his statement, that is a very Australian upbringing. I also find it strange that he justifies his status as a Croatian because he listens to Croatian music, has a cellar and has fruit in the trees in his garden. It seems an overly simplistic summary of Croatian culture.

I do agree with him that Australia does have double standards in terms of how they treat migrants. If migrants are successful, they are Australian.

If the migrants commit crime or fail, they are ethnic, when, in reality, the success and failure of migrant communities are a reflection of Australian culture just as much as the success and failure of the wider community are reflection of Australian culture. After all, Martin Bryant is just as Australian as Don Bradman.

This type of double standards encourages nationalistic thinking that Australia equals good values and foreigner equals bad values. However, having problems and criticising Australian culture doesn’t stop you from being Australian as Australia is a liberal democracy.

I also believe that he is being overly sensitive on Australians being unable to pronounce his name. The Chinese have been in Australia since the gold rush in the 19th century, however I doubt Milicevic will be able to pronounce the names of most traditional Chinese names as he doesn’t know the Chinese language.

If you don’t know the language of a particular country, then it is expected that people will find it difficult to pronounce names of people coming from those countries. It is expected that the European countries have a far more developed language education due to the closed borders with countries that speak a completely different language, and therefore it makes sense that people in Europe are more likely to be able to pronounce his name more accurately than people in Australia.

Nevertheless, I’m quite sure if you become friends with people, eventually they will get your name right.

It’s a shame that Ljubo could only make friends within his own ethnic culture as he boast that there are “no Anglos” at his BBQ. It’s a shame that he couldn’t find someone of an Anglo background with similar political and social values that he can relate with, but I’m quite sure his negative assumptions of Anglo culture prevents him from doing that.

I felt sad watching the interview with Ljubo as we see a person rejecting a country where he has lived for most of his life. Australia gave him his education and a football education.

I do believe that Ljubo got it completely wrong in his announcement that he isn’t Australian. I also believe that Ljubo revealed his racism by picking and choosing negative attributes to summarise the entire Australian culture.

However, I don’t completely blame Ljubo because the worst feeling I have watching the video is the realisation that perhaps the nationalists have won; that perhaps the idea that being Australian, you have to have a narrow specific personality and political values is so widespread, that people outside the mainstream such as Ljubo end up agreeing with the nationalists that to be Australian you have to have these certain values.

Therefore, he and other like minded individuals agree with the nationalists that they aren’t Australian and therefore fuel criticism of migration and how they don’t integrate within Australian society.

Hopefully Ljubo’s attitude to what it means to be Australian is not widespread across the community.

-----------------------------

Ljubo shoots back at the Roar of the Crowd
By Ljubo Milicevic
Today

In response to this article written by Roarer Dasilva – Ljubo Milicevic leaves Australia in disgrace - Ljubo himself has responded exclusively on The Roar. And he isn’t happy! Read on to see what he has to say about Australian football and Australian supporters in general.

“To all that seem to care, yes that sums up most of you!

I could go on and rebuke all your comments towards me, but if I do so, I’m wasting my time and energy. You simply do not have the mental capacity to understand where I’m coming from, so why would someone like me bother with most of you?

I don’t, I won’t, and believe me, I don’t give a f— about your opinions! Comprehend that? Ha!

I left Oz in search of good football. No disrespect to the A-League. I think it’s marvelous, so many positives, too many for me to mention here, I have enjoyed being a part of it. I have to thank the FFA and various other people like Brendan Schwab at the PFA for making it viable for all of us!

But …

Until we get rid of the dinosaurs that are stuck in many of the clubs, you will never truly see Australia’s best talent. There are better players out there not being picked because they do not fit the “Anglo” stereotype needed to succeed in this country. Sorry to offend but its true.

The NSL was a better standard because there were more “Wogs” involved. Do not be offended by the names I’m using, they are after all, the labels you gave us!

So just accept the fact that we’ve accepted your monikers and are quite proud of where we came from. Most of you have no idea what you are? What you stand for? Or what you believe in?

Just follow your blood line, you will be more ashamed than any of us (Croats, Serbs, Greeks, Italians, Asians, Africans, Arabs etc).

You so easily ridicule us, with each generation of immigrants, we are to blame for all that is no good in this country.

The funny thing is your quick to eat a kebab, order a pizza, gobble down a souvlaki or admire our talented sons and daughters, such as Mark Viduka, Bernhard Tomic, Jelena Dokic, Mark Phillipousis, Alan Didak, Peter Daicos, Nick Giannopoulos, Vince Colossimo, Eric Bana to name but a few!

You pick and choose when to like us! So for lack of better English words: “Jeebus”!

I’m sure you will all voice your opinion now, it’s your god given right, just as it is mine, to look at you and laugh! If only you knew…

Dare to be different.

PS: I love you Iskra Galic!

[AndrewP6]

I know a girl who used to go out with a guy who said his cousin was in the mafia -- does that count as "links to the underworld"??

I once passed by Mick Gatto in Chapel St. So I have "links to the underworld" too;):)

[Remi Moses]

Ljubo much loved by us Victory fans!! Come on most anglo saxans were biggoted against 'wogs' in the 50's 60's . Having said that Ljubo is a complete and utter F******!!!

[ledge]

I am english and it wasnt just the wogs who copped it, i still cop it now!
But I am proud of where I come from as well as where I am now.

[LostDoggy]

'I have links to the underworld' meh what a loser.

Not alot of love for Australian Soccer on this forum is there? Personally, there is a taint of racial stuff that I hate in Australian soccer. How does it go...Victory is for Croats / Serbs / some-other and this team is for blah blah?

Which AFL player would be dumb enough to brag about having links to the underworld?

Racial, i don't think so myself.

[LostDoggy]

I am english and it wasnt just the wogs who copped it, i still cop it now!
But I am proud of where I come from as well as where I am now.

Yes I bet it was comparable to what main land Europeans copped then and the Middle Easterners and Asians copped through the 70 and 80s.

[ledge]

Yes I bet it was comparable to what main land Europeans copped then and the Middle Easterners and Asians copped through the 70 and 80s.

Funny thing is the law agreed poms is ok but wogs is inappropriate?
We have a racial judicial system against a lot of their own background.
Thing that gets me is Footscray, we want integration and all the shops have different languages on the windows so people of english/australian language feel uncomfortable being there.
I am not racist but being an english speaking country dont you think the law should encourage both languages on windows?

[Mofra]

Thing that gets me is Footscray, we want integration and all the shops have different languages on the windows so people of english/australian language feel uncomfortable being there.
I am not racist but being an english speaking country dont you think the law should encourage both languages on windows?
How do you legislate for something to make people "feel comfortable"?

I'm not sure combating the problem of people feeling uncomfortable with another language is the most productive use of legislative time or effort.

[ledge]

Easy legislate its okay to have your language on a shop window but it is an english speaking country and we want both languages, make it an integration law, just as westerners in other countries must obey other countries laws or beliefs.
I know I feel uncomfortable walking in Footscray looking at windows wondering what the hell the shops are, feeling like I dont belong.
Dont you think that would help the different races mix?
We pride our selves on being multicultural but dont do simple things to help everyone most of all Australians.
We have let other races dictate our own identity in some areas.

[Mofra]

Easy legislate its okay to have your language on a shop window but it is an english speaking country and we want both languages, make it an integration law, just as westerners in other countries must obey other countries laws or beliefs.
I know I feel uncomfortable walking in Footscray looking at windows wondering what the hell the shops are, feeling like I dont belong.
Dont you think that would help the different races mix?
We pride our selves on being multicultural but dont do simple things to help everyone most of all Australians.
We have let other races dictate our own identity in some areas.
ledge - Australian is a nationality, not a race - Asian Australians?

Just because some people have uncomfortable feelings about certain races of people, doesn't make creation of a myriad of legislative instruments a proper use of parliament - I'd prefer more importantl issues be looked at.

[The Coon Dog]

I thought this thread was about drugs, not racism.

[LostDoggy]

Easy legislate its okay to have your language on a shop window but it is an english speaking country and we want both languages, make it an integration law, just as westerners in other countries must obey other countries laws or beliefs.
I know I feel uncomfortable walking in Footscray looking at windows wondering what the hell the shops are, feeling like I dont belong.
Dont you think that would help the different races mix?
We pride our selves on being multicultural but dont do simple things to help everyone most of all Australians.
We have let other races dictate our own identity in some areas.

The eternal question.

[Dazza]

Growing up in Oakleigh I knew a lot of people with this mindset. It's strange for sure.