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Melbourne Demons player Joel Smith has been accused of trafficking cocaine.

Smith was provisionally suspended in October last year after a routine doping test returned a positive result for cocaine following Melbourne’s round 23 clash with Hawthorn.

In a bombshell statement on Tuesday night, the AFL confirmed further Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADVRs) had been lodged against Smith under the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code.

The national sporting watchdog, Sport Integrity Australia, notified Smith that three ADVRs for “Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking” of cocaine were “asserted against him”.

“Further, SIA has notified Smith that an ADRV for Possession of a Prohibited Substance (Cocaine) on 9 September 2022 is asserted against him,” the statement said.

These alleged rule violations come on top of the original one in October 2023 when he allegedly tested positive to cocaine.

Under the Anti-Doping Code, the trafficking violation is defined as “Selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering or distributing a Prohibited Substance, by an Athlete … to any third party”.

“(But) shall not include actions involving Prohibited Substances which are not prohibited in Out-of-Competition Testing unless the circumstances as a whole demonstrate such Prohibited Substances are not intended for genuine and legal therapeutic purposes or are intended to enhance sport performance,” Article 1 of the code reads.

The AFL said Smith will “continue to be provisionally suspended” until all of the ADVRs are finalised.

This means Smith will be banned from partaking in Melbourne’s football program including its pre-season training.

“Under the Code, the new asserted ADRVs will be further investigated by SIA and these matters may ultimately be heard by an AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal in the coming months,” the AFL statement said.

“Due to the ongoing nature of the anti-doping process, the AFL and SIA are unable to make any further comment at this time.”

The Melbourne Football Club accepted the AFL’s provisional suspension back in October and said it would leave the matter to be resolved by the league and Sport Integrity Australia.

“As this matter is being investigated by Sport Integrity Australia, the Melbourne Football Club is unable to make any further comment at this time,” a statement read.

“The Club will continue to support Joel throughout the process and ensure our supporters are informed further when we are authorised to do so.”

Smith was potentially facing a two-year ban, but the additional ADVRs could see him face up to four years away from the game, according to the Herald Sun. 

Courtesy: Sky News