Summit to scrutinise Mad Monday

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert sparked the drugs issue in a speech late last year. Picture: Jay Town Source: Herald Sun

"MAD Monday" and post-season football trips will be heavily scrutinised at Wednesday's AFL's drug summit.

With the AFL Players Association confirming it is prepared to discuss changes to the code's three-strikes illicit drugs policy, the long-held traditions of end-of-season celebrations and large scale trips away by players could be scaled back and more closely monitored by the clubs.

Already AFL clubs have cut back on large scale end-of-season trips, restricting them to smaller numbers because of concerns about the behaviour of some players.

Some clubs have already had security accompany players on their overseas trips and this could be expanded in the future.

Those points will form part of a wide-ranging agenda for the AFL player welfare summit next week, with the tightening of a loophole in self-reporting by players to avoid a drugs strike also being strongly considered.

The league will host a range of high-powered administrators, players, medical officers, drugs experts and police at Etihad Stadium to discuss and debate the best way to tackle the drugs issue in AFL football and the wider community.

The Herald Sun has obtained a copy of the forum's agenda, which will be chaired by AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, who this week admitted he expected to see a "spike" in positive drugs tests conducted last season.

The forum was called after Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert raised the drugs issue at the AFL CEO's meeting on the Gold Coast last year.

Pert later said he feared some players had "volcanic behaviour" during their off-season break.

Three current AFL chief executives - Geelong's Brian Cook, Western Bulldogs' Simon Garlick and West Coast's Trevor Nisbett - will lead a panel discussion centred on the AFL's illicit drugs policy.

Some of the issues to be addressed will be:

THE involvement of the AFL and the reporting procedure to the AFL

CLUB board and executive involvement and meetings

THE sanctions and expectations of the player going forward after a positive drug strike and what to do if he re-offends.

All three CEOs have had experience in dealing with player drug issues at their club.

Cook had to deal with Mathew Stokes' possession charge in 2010; Garlick was involved in dealing with the fallout of Tom Liberatore being found in possession of an ecstasy tablet last year; while Nisbett was at the Eagles during Ben Cousins' drug controversies.

Three AFL players and AFLPA board members Luke Ball (president), Daniel Jackson and Robert Murphy - as well as AFLPA chief executive Matt Finnis - will lead a debate on how footballers can balance their life with the increasing demands of the game across 10 months of the year.

Other issues to be discussed include: the pressure on players, training expectations on annual leave, closer monitoring of players on leave and downtime, a potential role of club integrity/security, and greater development for players outside of the game.

Australian Drug Foundation chief executive John Rogerson and leading psychologist Dr Michael Carr Gregg are among the speakers who will discuss the treatment of drug users and the link between drugs and excessive use of alcohol.

Victoria and Federal Police will also be well represented.

Among the law enforcement speakers will be former Tiger and Bulldogs big man Emmett Dunne, who is now Assistant Commissioner, Professional Standards Command of Victoria Police.

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