A breach of trust can shatter a footy team. I would know

Recent remarks from the AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield, seemingly downplaying the severity of the drug issue, are a sad pointer.

“I think there are some dinosaurs living under a rock out there, with regard to modern society, whether or not you agree with it. We get that it doesn’t make it OK, but we also have to live in the land of reality,” Dangerfield told ABC radio.

Many fans will be asking: “Why would some players, who have benefited from years of education and support, risk their performance and that of their team by engaging in drug use days before a game?”

They have the right to be deeply concerned. Even more unsettling is the tacit protection conceded by the AFL under union pressure.

It’s unfathomable to me, given my experience as a player committed to achieving team and individual success, that a teammate would jeopardise the side’s chances and ambitions by taking drugs just days before a game. Despite Dangerfield’s blase attitude, and the protection provided by the illicit drugs policy, there is no excuse for such behaviour.

During my early years at Port Adelaide, captain Matthew Primus imposed a drinking ban on the team ahead of a crucial finals series following a dominant home-and-away season.

Ultimately we failed badly in September and it later emerged that a handful of players had broken the drinking ban. The players were confronted over the breach of trust and the team fractured, with lasting repercussions.

Kane Cornes during his playing days with Port Adelaide.Credit: David Mariuz

Fast-forward to the present, and it appears that the standards and courage needed to challenge any teammate’s behaviour have waned since the early days of full-time professionalism.

The incident involving Collingwood premiership player and Hawthorn forward Jack Ginnivan, who faced a two-match ban after admitting to using illicit drugs in 2023, serves as a stark reminder. The lack of condemnation from his teammates speaks volumes.

If drug use is indeed common, and those of us who choose not to partake are considered out of touch, then why do we consistently witness expressions of remorse and contrition from players who are caught?

Dangerfield and co. staunchly defend the illicit drugs policy. It seems they want to be congratulated for consenting to being tested for illicit drugs when athletes from other sporting codes do not.

Rather than threaten to retreat, they should take a harder stance against any drug use. They should become leaders and role models for society.

The illicit drugs policy has not been the only off-field issue capturing headlines recently.

The reports of a rift among the Brisbane Lions players – which the club denies – follows allegations of private group WhatsApp messages from an overseas trip taken by some of the team being inadvertently shared with the partner of one of the players.

Brisbane have vehemently denied any suggestion that this has contributed to the team’s winless start to the season. Regardless, it is a poor reflection on some Lions players.

Footy trips were once a cherished tradition of the off-season. The players who opted out of these excursions were sometimes met with ridicule and often felt alienated from their teammates.

The trips were common across all codes nationwide, serving as a time for teams to bond, unwind, and revel in either commiseration or celebration through binge-drinking and life’s pleasures that are usually denied while training to win.

However, despite the presence of club officials as guardians, a series of unsavoury incidents and controversies across various codes tarnished the image of footy trips. By the early 2010s, the risks associated with such episodes became too great, prompting the AFL to move towards banning them altogether.

The tragic death in 2012 of my teammate John McCarthy, who fell from a hotel balcony during a Port Adelaide footy trip to Las Vegas, ripped the heart out of our club and serves as a stark reminder of the worst-case scenario and the inherent risks of these trips.

His death should have signalled the end of them.

The new AFL leadership under Dillon must now lead rather than compromise. The old guard gave players some rope and they have used it to tie the game’s image in ugly knots. A significant shift in mindset is needed to safeguard the reputation of the game – and the players themselves.

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