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Rosich denies club drug culture

By Mr Dandalooa

Dockers chief executive Steve Rosich reckons drug use is not rampant throughout the Fremantle Football Club.

Rosich was forced to defend there wasn’t a wide-spread drug problem after suspending Michael Johnson for five AFL games for alleged cocaine possession.

Johnson was charged by WA police with possession of the drug.

He this week apologised for his alleged indiscretions and vowed to become a better person, player and father.

He was suspended and dropped from the club’s leadership group and fined $5000.

Meanwhile, Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade has weighed into the drugs scandal.

This week he said there were no excuses for players who get caught with illicit drugs given the number of warnings issued to them, and the very public history of Ben Cousins.

But Eade supports the AFL’s three-strike illicit drugs policy, which many people claim is too soft, considering the harsh punishment handed down to players and AFL officials who make even one small bet on the game.

Eade reckons it’s crazy for AFL players to become embroiled in such situations Johnson’s given what he says are the clear ramifications.

“You’d like to think the warnings and what’s happened to different players at times and the education that players get mean they would not go anywhere near them or have any link with them,” Eade said on Tuesday.

“It’s just ludicrous because your career can go down the toilet, one, and you can really hurt the club and your teammates.

“It’s just crazy for players to get involved in that.”

But contrary to what Rosich said this week, Eade conceded it would be naïve for any coach to believe he had a list of model citizens.

However he believed in the Bulldogs’ drug-related education.

“We think we’re quite diligent in that area, but we’d be silly to put our head in the sand and think every club has Mother Theresa playing for them,” he said.

Eade agrees with the league’s illicit drug policy and procedures but said it would be better if more than the club doctor was informed once a player had tested positive twice.