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AFL changes treatment rules

By Mr Dandalooa

The AFL has changed its rules to controversial blood injection therapy, complying with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s soon-to-be installed standards which ban the practice.

The changes to the WADA code prohibit doctors from draining an AFL player’s blood and then injecting directly back into a muscle.

But injecting blood back into tendons and ligaments is permitted.

Blood injection therapy arguably helped Paul Chapman win this year’s Norm Smith Medal after troubles with his hamstring was assisted by the technique where blood was drained from his body, then spun to get rid of growth factors produced by the body, then injected again into the injured muscle.

The technique allowed Chapman to play where he eventually kicked three goals in Geelong’s premiership victory against St Kilda.

But changes to the WADA code, which will apply from January 1 next year, mean doctors can no longer inject blood back directly into a player’s muscles.

AFL medical commissioner Dr Peter Harcourt said the method of injecting platelet rich plasma had been used in the league’s circles for several years, including on match days.

“You’re not permitted to inject it intramuscularly because the thinking of WADA is that you are injecting growth factors into the body,” Harcourt was reported as saying on the AFL’s website.

“But you can inject it into other lesions such as tendon conditions and ligaments or over the muscle-tendon junction. What we know is that WADA has prohibited intramuscular injection of platelet rich plasma.
“What we don’t know is if that includes full blood or pollachius blood and we are seeking clarification on that.”

Doubts remain whether the therapy is performance-enhancing but the AFL has nonetheless to still comply with the WADA code changes.

Harcourt said the method was used “moderately widely” in the AFL and that the move by WADA was “controversial”.

Policing the changes will be difficult.