Two year sporting bans for AFL players Lachlan Keeffe and Josh Thomas

Press Release

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) today acknowledged the decision of the Australian Football League (AFL) to impose two-year bans on players, Lachlan Keeffe and Josh Thomas for the presence and use of a prohibited substance.

Mr Keeffe and Mr Thomas tested positive for Clenbuterol in samples collected out-of-competition on 10 February 2015.

ASADA notes the AFL has today written to the players formally advising that they would each receive two-year bans after pleading guilty to a breach of the AFL Anti-Doping Code. Both bans were backdated to commence from 10 February 2015 on the basis of timely admissions made by the players.

The two-year bans mean Mr Keeffe and Mr Thomas are ineligible to participate, as an athlete or support person, in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Agency compliant anti-doping policy until 9 February 2017.

Clenbuterol is classed as an S1.2 ‘other anabolic agent’ on WADA’s Prohibited List and is prohibited in- and out-of-competition.

Unsupervised use of Clenbuterol can worsen pre-existing heart conditions or hypertension, and there is a risk of overdose and stroke when used at high doses. It is a potentially dangerous drug that, as well as being banned under the Prohibited List, is not approved for human use in Australia.

Wednesday, 04 November 2015