Melbourne forward Joel Smith may likely become the first ever player in the AFL to gain access to an anti-doping provision, allowing him to serve a largely reduced ban, after he tested positive to cocaine on match day.
Smith is the first player in the league to test positive to a drug listed as a "substance of abuse" in the 2021 World Anti-Doping agency code.
Although Smith has some hurdles he'll need to overcome first to be able to work the new anti-doping provision from the international code in his favour.
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The new provision notes that athletes who test positive to cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, cannabis or their metabolites could receive a three-month ban instead of a four-year suspension.
However, the 27-year-old will need to persuade the anti-doping authority that he did not take cocaine to enhance his on field performance.
Further, the possible three month ban could be reduced to just one month if Smith undertakes and completes a drug treatment program that is approved by the AFL, who are responsible for managing the anti-doping infringement.
Despite the possible road to a reduced sanction, Smith's case is struggling with the lack of any AFL-approved drug treatment programs that he can undertake to reduce his likely ban.
Smith will also have to hope the league moves faster than they have with previous drug cases – the last one involving similar substances took over a year to resolve.
Smith tested positive to cocaine and its metabolite, benzoylecgonine, on the day of Melbourne's round 23 match against Hawthorn, which the Demons won by 27 points.
His results were made public on October 10, with Smith notified on the same day.
Since then, he has served three weeks of his provisional suspension, despite it being off-season for the AFL.
It comes after Demons coach Simon Goodwin admitted he hasn't spoken to Smith since the incident, as the club faces question surrounding their culture.
"I haven't spoken to Joel. I am going to let that process play out because I have a level of anger, of frustration towards it," Goodwin said on SEN radio on Tuesday morning.
"I can only go by how I feel and when I first heard, I was incredibly angry, frustrated, to think that potentially we have a player in round 23 on the eve of a finals series not doing everything possible to help the success of our footy team.
"I can only imagine that same feeling would be permeating through our supporter base."
The Demons have endured a tumultuous off-season so far, with Oliver spoken to by the club amid "complex personal challenges" before being briefly hospitalised, as well as rumours surrounding Goodwin and illicit drug use.
Melbourne CEO Gary Pert released a statement on Monday night, explaining the club's culture and expectations during this difficult period.
"The club is aware of the personal challenges that Clayton has outside of football and key club experts will remain part of his daily support team," his letter read, in part.
"I want to be clear that the current conversations we are having with Clayton are not related to these challenges, but rather his ability to make disciplined life decisions, reflective of what is expected of all our professional athletes.
Pert said he "personally investigated" the rumours around Goodwin and found there were "no basis to the claims".
"The only valid information was that Simon was seen having a drink with some of our player leaders at the Sorrento Hotel which was hardly surprising, given his strong relationship with the players who were holidaying in the area over the summer break," he said.
"The ongoing embellishment and spreading of untrue rumours have placed an enormous stress and mental toll on Simon and his family over the last three years.
"It is totally unacceptable, and it must stop."
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