The Australian Football League (AFL) confirmed that the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal has today sanctioned Stephen Dank with a lifetime ban, after he was found guilty of ten breaches of its Anti-Doping Code back in April. ‘AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon said the Tribunal found the Essendon support person had breached the AFL Anti-Doping Code and the Tribunal had imposed a lifetime ban, commencing from June 25, 2015’, read an AFL statement. Dank intends to fight the AFL decision, which under Article 15.1 of the World Anti-Doping Code, would effectively mean a ban from sport for life.

“We will now accelerate our legal action against the AFL and individual members of its executive who are responsible for this decision being handed down”, Dank told News Corporation Australia. “They have contaminated the truth and impaired natural justice and now they will feel the full thrust of the law in relation to how they have handled this process”. If Dank appeals to the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal, this could also delay the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) appeal against the Tribunal’s decision to clear 34 past and former players of doping, and its appeal against the Tribunal’s decision to clear Dank of 21 other charges.

Both cases are being heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Under Article 13.1.3 of the Code, WADA can only appeal to CAS once domestic appeals have concluded. This is why the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA)  decided to provide its case file to WADA rather than appeal itself, arguing that any ASADA appeal would have to be launched through the AFL system, providing the AFL with an opportunity to delay the process. ASADA is providing financial (US$100,000) and legal assistance to WADA to support both cases.

Although the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal charged Dank with ‘trafficking, attempting to traffick and complicity in matters related to a range of prohibited substances’, it was unable to prove that 34 current and former Essendon players were administered the substances during the 2012 season. It also cleared him of 21 further charges. It listed the substances as ‘Hexarelin; Humanofort – namely Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), Insulin Growth Factor 2 (IGF – 2), Mechano Growth Factor (MGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), Follistatin and Thymosin Beta-4 [pictured]; CJC-1295· GHRP6; and SARMS.’

ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt said that the decision to ban Dank for life had confirmed his view that the sports scientist should not be allowed near any sporting venue or athlete anywhere in the world. “This ruling by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal has confirmed my view”, he said in a statement. “Other serious violations involving Mr. Dank and current and former Essendon players are currently being pursued before the Court of Arbitration for Sport via appeals initiated by the World Anti-Doping Agency.”

WADA welcomed the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal’s decision to ban Dank for life. “We are pleased that this part of the process is complete”, said a spokesperson.