The AFL is threatening to cut ties with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority over documents relating to the Essendon supplements saga.
According to the Herald Sun, the AFL is trying to block a Freedom of Info application made by a member of the public for doping control forms signed by Essendon players in 2011/12.
The paper reports that the AFL’s Tony Keane told an appeals tribunal last Friday:
“If the application is successful… I anticipate that the AFL would give serious consideration to engaging an alternative supplier for the conduct of the testing required in connection with the AFL’s anti-doping program.
“The AFL is not obliged to retain ASADA for the purpose of conducting doping control tests but elects to do so.
“The AFL values highly the relationship that it has with ASADA… that said, I am aware that there are private companies in Australia that offer the types of services that the AFL requires in connection with its conduct of the anti-doping (program).
“I anticipate that such private companies would not be an ‘agency’ for the purpose of the FOI Act and as such they would not be subject to a request of the nature of the underlying application.”
The AFL has threatened to cut ties with ASADA if key documents in the Essendon supplements saga are made public, @heraldsunmick reports: https://t.co/qIh7Nus5aK pic.twitter.com/g5JJ9LzreF
— SuperFooty (AFL) (@superfooty) March 12, 2018
