Collingwood president Eddie McGuire says Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas will face the sack if found guilty of deliberately taking performance-enhancing drugs.
SEE ALSO:
Fremantle Dockers star midfielder Ryan Crowley tests positive for banned substance
Former West Coast Eagles star Ben Cousins arrested following car chase
AFL: Greater Western Sydney Giants star forward rejects mega offer from Adelaide Crows
The duo tested positive to the banned substance clenbuterol in February, with the AFL yesterday announcing both players have been handed provisional suspensions.
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) notified the league that the two players had tested positive in an ‘A’ sample for the fat-stripping drug on Friday.
McGuire told Triple M radio on Tuesday morning that both players would be shown the door if they were found to have taken the drugs purposely.
However with both players reportedly maintaining their innocence, the Magpies boss says the club would be willing to work with them.
“I’m pretty straight forward on these things; if people have taken performance-enhancing drugs you get your whack – it’s as simple as that,” McGuire is quoted as saying by the AFL.
“If you haven’t, if there’s mitigating circumstances, then let’s work through that situation.
“I want to underline this 15 times; when the players were told the news they were absolutely flabbergasted and it wasn’t acting or anything else like that – they had no idea whatsoever in the first instance.
“I’ll hopefully speak to them in the next 48 hours, but their position is they have no idea how this could have happened.”
It’s been a horror week for the Magpies, with boom recruit Jack Crisp yesterday fined $5,000 after bets were placed from his account on the AFL market last year while playing for the Brisbane Lions.
He escaped a ban after cooperating with the investigation.
COMMENTS