The West Coast Eagles have released a statement following former player Daniel Chick's claims a toxic culture of illicit drug use was rife within the club's 2006 AFL premiership-winning team.
The Eagles said they were were extremely disappointed by the content and timing of the allegations, less than 48-hours from the AFL's biggest occasion and have strongly refuted his claims.
Among Daniel Chick’s most disturbing claims was the allegation that club officials deliberately shielded some players from the AFL’s drug testers, that illicit drug use among players was wide-spread, and that the club paid for prescription drugs such as Valium and Xanax.
Chick alleged in a wide-ranging interview with News Limited that the Eagles' conduct was more akin to brand-management than concern for players.
“What went on at West Coast is due to a lack of leadership from the top down - it easily could have been avoided,” he said.
Former Collingwood player Gavin Crosisca developed an amphetamine addiction in the years after his career ended. He’s now in recovery and is active in helping others recover from addiction.
He says the link between over-use of prescription drugs and progression to illicit drugs is real – as alluded to by Chick.
“Once you turn that switch on we're needing to get that rush or that dopamine explosion in some way, prescription drugs certainly can lead to the use of illicit drugs as well,” Crosisca said.
John Worsfold, who coached the Eagles throughout the period in question, is understood to have been confirmed as the new coach at Essendon - a club with its own unresolved drug issues.
The AFL declined to speculate on Worsfold's possible appointment, and said many of Chick's allegations were still unsubstantiated.
“West Coast faced the AFL Commission - if there's stuff in and beyond that we'll take a look at the right time,” AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said.
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