Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) has sanctioned former Canberra Raiders player Sandor Earl (pictured) with a four-year ban for a number of violations of its anti-doping policy. An Anti-Doping Tribunal convened by the NRL found that he had committed the following violations:

• use of CJC-1295 (eight violations);
• possession of CJC-1295;
• trafficking in somatropin;
• trafficking in clenbuterol;
• attempted trafficking in SARMS;
• attempted trafficking in Testosterone.

CJC-1295 is a peptide hormone that is used to increase production of human growth hormone. Somatropin is a form of human growth hormone. Clenbuterol can be used as a decongestant, but is also used in agriculture to keep meat lean – for similar reasons, it can also be used by athletes.

The Tribunal imposed a suspension of four years to run from the date of Earl’s provisional suspension from 29 August 2013, after he admitted using and trafficking CJC-1295 during a TV broadcast, and through Twitter posts. The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA), which in June 2014 dropped charges of trafficking CJC-1295, welcomed the NRL’s ruling. It is understood that Earl had offered to assist ASADA and the NRL in order to reduce his ban, however the Tribunal did not believe that Earl had only used and trafficked the drugs he had confessed to – hence the other charges. Earl was charged under the 2009 World Anti-Doping Code, which allows bans to be scaled up from the standard two years in cases of serious infringements.

“If you are going to seek a reduction in an anti-doping sanction by providing ‘Substantial Assistance’, you must be willing to be entirely truthful, full and frank in relation to your own and other people’s violations”, said ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt in a statement. Earl will have 21 days to appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It is understood that Earl currently lives in Thailand, where he has worked as a strength and conditioning coach.