Policy details

1. Purpose

This policy explains the Club’s expectations and the practical steps participants should take to protect themselves, their teammates and the integrity of football.

It does not reproduce or replace the detailed anti-doping rules administered by Football Australia, Sport Integrity Australia, the World Anti-Doping Agency or another competition organiser. Those rules change over time and remain authoritative.

2. Our commitment

The Club will:

• promote clean sport and a culture in which doping is not accepted;
• support education about anti-doping responsibilities, medicines, supplements and testing;
• cooperate with Football Australia, Football Victoria, Sport Integrity Australia and other authorised anti-doping organisations;
• protect the privacy and dignity of people involved in testing, reporting or an anti-doping process, subject to legal and regulatory requirements; and
• not tolerate threats, intimidation or retaliation against a person who raises a concern or provides information in good faith.

3. Scope and governing rules

This policy applies across the whole Club, including senior, junior, women’s, girls’, boys’, social and development teams and programs.

Where a person participates in football under the jurisdiction of Football Australia or one of its member or sub-member organisations, including Football Victoria, the current Football Australia National Anti-Doping Policy applies. A participant may also be bound by the World Anti-Doping Code, the National Anti-Doping scheme, FIFA or AFC rules, and the rules of a league, tournament or event.

Where a Club team or program competes outside the Football Australia structure, participants must also comply with the anti-doping or integrity rules of that competition. The Club’s behavioural expectations in this policy apply regardless of the competition entered.

If this policy conflicts with legislation or a binding rule of an authorised governing body, the legislation or higher-level rule prevails to the extent of the conflict.

4. Personal responsibility and strict liability

Anti-doping operates on the principle of strict liability. A player is responsible for any prohibited substance, metabolite or marker found in their sample, whether or not they intended to cheat or knew the substance was prohibited.

Every player must:

• know the anti-doping rules that apply to their level of competition;
• check all prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines and other substances before use;
• tell doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals that they may be subject to anti-doping rules;
• understand that advice from a coach, teammate, parent, health professional, retailer or supplement supplier does not remove their personal responsibility;
• comply with legitimate testing, investigation and information requests; and
• keep appropriate records of medicine and supplement checks.

Parents and guardians should help junior players understand these responsibilities. Coaches and team officials must reinforce them and must never recommend, supply or administer a substance for performance enhancement or recovery without appropriate medical oversight and anti-doping checks.

5. Prohibited conduct

Anti-doping rule violations are defined by the current governing policy. They include:

1. the presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in a player’s sample;
2. using or attempting to use a prohibited substance or prohibited method;
3. evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection without compelling justification;
4. whereabouts failures by a player who is required to provide whereabouts information;
5. tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control;
6. possessing a prohibited substance or prohibited method without an applicable exemption or acceptable justification;
7. trafficking or attempted trafficking;
8. administering or attempting to administer a prohibited substance or prohibited method;
9. assisting, encouraging, covering up or otherwise being complicit in an anti-doping rule violation;
10. prohibited association with a disqualified athlete support person; and
11. discouraging a good-faith report or retaliating against a person who reports or assists an anti-doping authority.

This summary is provided for awareness only. The definitions, exceptions, proof requirements and consequences in the current governing anti-doping policy apply.

6. Prohibited substances and methods

The World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List identifies substances and methods prohibited at all times, in competition only, or in particular sports. The list is updated at least annually and generally takes effect on 1 January.

Participants must use the current Sport Integrity Australia Prohibited List information, not an old printed or saved list.

7. Medicines and Therapeutic Use Exemptions

A medicine may be prohibited even when it is legally prescribed or available without a prescription.

Before using a medicine, a player should:

1. check the exact medication, ingredients, dose and route of administration using Global DRO Australia or the Sport Integrity Australia app;
2. save the search reference or a screenshot with the date of the check;
3. ask their doctor or pharmacist about a permitted alternative if the medicine is prohibited; and
4. determine whether a Therapeutic Use Exemption is required.

A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) allows an eligible player to use an otherwise prohibited substance or method for a legitimate medical condition when the applicable criteria are met. Some players must obtain a TUE in advance, while others may be eligible to apply retroactively. Requirements depend on the player’s competition level and circumstances and must be checked each year.

In a medical emergency, health and safety come first. The player or their representative should tell treating practitioners that the player is subject to anti-doping rules and obtain records of the treatment as soon as practicable. Any required TUE or notification process should then be addressed promptly using official guidance.

Club personnel must not tell a player that a medicine is permitted unless its status has been checked through an authoritative current source.

8. Supplements

No supplement is completely risk-free. Product labels may be incomplete, ingredients may change, and contamination can occur. Products marketed for muscle building, pre-workout, weight loss, hormonal effects or rapid recovery can present a particularly high anti-doping risk.

The Club recommends a food-first approach. A player considering a supplement should seek advice from an appropriately qualified health professional and review Sport Integrity Australia’s supplement guidance.

If a player chooses to use a supplement, they should:

• check the exact product and batch in the Sport Integrity Australia app;
• prefer independently batch-tested products while understanding that testing reduces, but does not eliminate, risk;
• retain the packaging, batch number, receipt and evidence of checks; and
• declare the supplement during any doping-control process.

The Club does not endorse or guarantee any supplement. No coach, official or volunteer may pressure a player—particularly a child or young person—to take a supplement.

9. Testing and investigations

Eligible players may be tested in or out of competition, with or without advance notice, by an authorised anti-doping organisation.

Players and other participants must:

• cooperate with authorised doping-control personnel;
• follow the official sample-collection process;
• provide complete and accurate information;
• not obstruct, interfere with or tamper with testing or an investigation; and
• promptly obtain independent advice if notified of a possible anti-doping rule violation.

The Club will provide reasonable practical support and access to Club facilities when required by an authorised body. Children and young people will be supported in accordance with the applicable testing procedures and the Club’s child-safety obligations.

10. Raising and reporting concerns

A person who suspects doping, trafficking, tampering or another anti-doping breach should not conduct their own investigation or confront the person involved. Preserve any relevant information and report the concern through an appropriate channel.

Concerns may be raised with:

• the Club President, Secretary or another nominated integrity contact;
• Football Victoria at integrity@footballvictoria.com.au;
• Football Australia through its Integrity Framework reporting channels; or
• Sport Integrity Australia through its doping-reporting service, the Sport Integrity Australia app or by calling 1800 161 361.

A report may be made directly to an external authority without first notifying the Club. If there is an immediate threat to health or safety, call emergency services on 000.

Reports must be made honestly and in good faith. Knowingly false or malicious reports may be dealt with under the Club’s disciplinary processes.

11. Club response

The Club will refer and cooperate with anti-doping matters within the jurisdiction of Football Australia, Football Victoria, Sport Integrity Australia or another authorised body. The Club will not make its own finding that an anti-doping rule violation has occurred where that determination belongs to an authorised body.

The Club may take lawful and proportionate interim steps to protect health, safety, evidence and the integrity of competition. It will implement any binding provisional suspension, sanction or direction issued by an authorised body.

Conduct outside an external authority’s jurisdiction may also breach the Club’s constitution, codes of conduct, member-protection policies, employment obligations or other rules and may be addressed through the applicable Club process.

12. Confidentiality, privacy and support

Anti-doping concerns, health information and testing information must be handled discreetly and shared only with people who need the information to perform an authorised role or as required by law or governing rules.

The Club will not publish an allegation, test result, suspension or sanction unless publication is authorised or required. Club personnel must not speculate about a person’s health, medication or involvement in an anti-doping matter.

A person involved in a report, test or proceeding may seek confidential legal, medical, wellbeing or player-association support. The Club will provide reasonable support without interfering with an independent process.

13. Education and communication

The Club will make this policy available to participants and will direct relevant players and support personnel to current education resources. Additional education may be required for teams or individuals competing at higher levels or identified by a governing body.

Useful official resources include:

• Football Australia statutes, regulations and policies;
• Sport Integrity Australia anti-doping information;
• Global DRO Australia medication checker;
• Sport Integrity Australia app; and
• Sport Integrity Australia eLearning.

14. Review

The Committee will review this policy at least annually and whenever there is a material change to legislation, the World Anti-Doping Code, the Prohibited List, the Football Australia National Anti-Doping Policy or relevant competition rules.

External links and contact details should be checked as part of each review. The current online version of this policy is the controlled version.