Another Kerry player fails a doping test

Started by Il Bomber Destro, May 28, 2017, 11:16:17 AM

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Wildweasel74

 I cant understand how the county players are drug tested , club players not, how much funding does the sport council / govt provide that they have to carry out tests. I had asthma for years and used salbutamol inhaler,  no issues, now my chest is worse and if i was playing anymore, i be using an even stronger inhaler, 1 in 5 of the country has asthma, how many club players have asthma, how many of those would fail a drug test. Peter Canavan had asthma and used an inhaler, would he be banned from doing so now?

AZOffaly

That was the deal when the sports grants were given to IC players. As part of that, they had to sign up to Sports Ireland's protocols.

Wildweasel74

but how much do players get from these sports grants, are they equaled distributed? do big counties get more than others?, do more high profile players get more money than others?,

AZOffaly

Quote from: Wildweasel74 on May 29, 2017, 04:01:44 PM
but how much do players get from these sports grants, are they equaled distributed? do big counties get more than others?, do more high profile players get more money than others?,

I think the grants are weighted depending on how far you go in the championship. Used to be anyway. Only adds up to a couple of grand anyway.

smelmoth

Quote from: bennydorano on May 29, 2017, 02:09:09 PM
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/hurling/osullivan-says-contaminated-supplement-caused-positive-test-451156.html

"Last weekend, the42.ie revealed that five teams missed drugs tests since 2015 – Dublin hurlers, Mayo and Armagh footballers in '15 and Kilkenny's hurlers and Carlow's footballers (twice) in '16. Kilkenny, Carlow and Armagh explained change in training venues as reasons. Inter-county players are required to be available for drugs tests as part of their Government funding".

First I've heard of this. Raises a number of important questions.

What is the GAA view of drug taking? If grant funding was not at stake would they bother with testing?

Does the testing meet the minimum requirement for grant funding eligibility but go no further?

How far in advance do county sides have to say where they are going to be?

Do counties have to advise of their alternative training facilities?

When a tester turns up and there is nobody there to test do they contact a designated person to find out where the training panel are?

What are consequences of missing a test and what are the additional consequences for missing 2 in a year? Thinking of the Rio Ferdinand and Christine Ohuruogu incidents

manfromdelmonte

Mayo should have missed a few more testing dates and loaded up!

seriously though, I'd like to see a few clubs tested as a random sample
there are a few gym obsessed clubs down our way

Il Bomber Destro

Quote from: Wildweasel74 on May 29, 2017, 03:51:30 PM
Peter Canavan had asthma and used an inhaler, would he be banned from doing so now?

No there are exemptions for people with asthma but there are still limits on what amounts they can have in their system. I'd say there are a good few dubious asthma exemptions out there right now.

What is interesting is that the only two players to fail drugs tests in competition have been Kerry players, both after playing in national finals, doesn't fit with their self-proclaimed virtuous reputation.

I think there should be some facts and figures released regarding players per county squads who have TEUs. Would give some interesting reading on which counties maybe pushing the rules to the limit.

I'd say a lot of county players would be doing a good bit of this before being called into squads in order to bulk up etc but its the ones that aid the cardio and endurance side of things I'd be really interested in getting a bit deeper into it. O'Mahony's feigned ignorance didn't wash with me one bit back in 2008, as he had the exemption he would have known full well what the limits he was allowed use and not allowed use.

Kuwabatake Sanjuro

The GAA have disappointed once again in this case. In my view he should have faced a longer ban, ignorance should not be an excuse. 2 years would have been a fair deterrent. Blood and Anabolic doping should carry a minimum 4 year ban.   

LCohen

How many Kerry footballers were tested and passed in 2015 or 2016? To be honest the same stats from the other counties would be interesting.

bennydorano

Circling the wagons seems to be the default position in Ireland. Irish Rugby is the prime example. Kimmage gets a lot of stick from the Rugby crowd.

Hard to know what the GAA's attitude is, I doubt it's an endemic problem but with the hush hush nature of the dealings in this case how would you even know where to start to look? Primarily seems to be a 'sure we're amateurs why should it apply to us' attitude - which ignores the obvious elephant in the room as well.

yellowcard

Marc O'Se's defence of this earlier on The Last Word was embarrassing. Basically said he was a lovely fellow and he wasn't into fast cars or money so he wouldn't be doing anything untowar!! There was a bit of the Michael Healy Rae about the coversation. What astounded me was his absolute belief that he was innocent given that he seemed to know nothing about the incident himself until the last few days.

He could well be innocent but let's find out the facts first. Nobody wants to persecute O'Sullivan personally but there is a wider issue that nobody in the GAA and other team sports (rugby in particular) seem to want to address. 

Kerry county board and management would have been aware of this issue yet appear not to have told any of their players anything about it.

Kuwabatake Sanjuro

It was very poor form from Marc Ó'Sé, he also stated that O'Sullivan didn't benefit from having the banned stimulant in his system for an important game of football. He isn't that stupid to believe what he was saying.

Il Bomber Destro

Kerry players would never wittingly do anything wrong.


DJGaliv

#29
The Gaa - in fact our attitude to this positive finding makes Jerry Kiernan's words seem apposite on Gaa players talking about the sacrifices they make, or how they train like professionals. How they are elite sportsmen and how seriously they take their preparations.
I would have argued heavily against JK till watching the current reaction.

When it comes to a positive test all of a sudden god we are only amateurs don't be holding us accountable for what we put into our bodies.

If you have a smart phone I would advise look at App Store and download the free app Irish spots council medication checker. Keep to that and you won't go wrong. It's very simple isn't it. Ignorance is not an excuse.

Our club team has access to a dietician. Every team in top divisions definitely has access to a dietician.

I know runners working full time with no grants who are afraid of their life of taking anything as they are fully aware that regardless of a contaminated batch or an honest mistake the rule everyone knows is your body your responsibility. We laugh when we hear team GB excuses of a contaminated batch but when it's one of our own it's a credible excuse. 

I have to laugh that one player gets crucified by all over doing some media work and another lad gets backed up and excused after failing a doping test.

I don't think gaa has a doping problem but this circling of the wagons is terrible to see. I'd say it probably is an honest mistake but what does this tell an impressionable lad of 19 who's been told he's not good enough for county. Sure go for it, worst case scenario say sure I'm only an amateur - you weren't to know.


I think that the players at risk of abuse are lads trying to break into the county set up, or lads at no 24 in county panels trying to make a push for starting place. I do think these lads are lone wolves really, and it's taking a chance on supplements bought online. This isn't just protein or creatine they are looking for.

One last question-  to people using this amateur excuse realise that a lot of our Irish track and field athletes work too? Do they think that Ciara Everard is sitting back on her 12k a year grant and not working?