Another Kerry player fails a doping test

[GetOverTheBar]

I would be in agreement with yourself, not in any way promoting doping in sport but for these lads to be doing what they do at the level they do, to then be subjected to professional testing whilst not being remunerated accordingly doesn't sit right with me. But then again, the deal was signed with grants as you say so I suppose who am I to argue.

Depending on what figures you look at you could argue there is limited testing to IC GAA players anyway, the numbers are very small. Think the Irish Times said it was something like 20% there awhile ago (open to correction). Which is a drop in the ocean really considering and gets even lower the younger the player.

With regards to doping in the GAA on the whole, I would say with certainty that it is there at club level and county level....rife? Not so much. People link doping with bodybuilder type physiques which would be a hindrance in our games and they tend to think there is no problem as our players are leaning again (unlike the bulky mid 00s say).

Then again, every county team has a doctor....it's not that hard to get a TUE these days. Without knowing the ins and outs of that field I would imagine Sport Ireland have GAA players very far down their list with regards to questioning these.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Intercounty players want to be treated like professionals so they have to act like them. Therefore doping regulations apply.

[GetOverTheBar]

Intercounty players want to be treated like professionals so they have to act like them. Therefore doping regulations apply.

But....they are not.

In drug testing I don't think anyone has a problem with a Urine test. It's fairly non invasive, although someone standing behind you is a bit offputting when you can't go I suppose. There are drawbacks to a urine test admittedly, but again - there is no prize money at stake here in the GAA. So?

Blood Testing is completely invasive. Not appropriate.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Intercounty players want to be treated like professionals so they have to act like them. Therefore doping regulations apply.

But....they are not.

In drug testing I don't think anyone has a problem with a Urine test. It's fairly non invasive, although someone standing behind you is a bit offputting when you can't go I suppose. There are drawbacks to a urine test admittedly, but again - there is no prize money at stake here in the GAA. So?

Blood Testing is completely invasive. Not appropriate.

They are. They recieve money. Its grant money, but its money. It was made very clear that drug testing was a condition of the money, so whats the problem?

The GPA can't have it both ways.

[GetOverTheBar]

Turns out it was a Carlow lad. He's been named online there.

Surprised at the substance.

[Angelo]

That's all I know. I didn't actually hear which player it was but was informed it was an Ulster based player that came from a sports journalist.

The sports journalist who informs you clearly thinks you are an awful mug.

[oliverkelly]

That's all I know. I didn't actually hear which player it was but was informed it was an Ulster based player that came from a sports journalist.

The sports journalist who informs you clearly thinks you are an awful mug.

Wasnt me chatting to him so what he thinks of me remains to be seen. Glad it wasn't a player for one of the better counties

[screenexile]

[Angelo]

Does it take long for steroids to exit your system with regards to traceability?

I remember reading an article with Paul Kimmage a few years back where he was doing some expose on drugs in French rugby and some expert he interviewed reckoned that you'd still keep something like 30% of the benefits of steroids even after you stop using them. I'd say a lot of club players are probably at them in their off seasons with the hope of breaking into county setups. That Connolly lad from Monaghan definitely strikes me as one of those and wasn't expecting testing in the early-pre season.

Of course drugs in rugby are really just about swelling up their players and making them huge, I'd imagine gaelic football would be more about increasing endurance so I don't know if the retained gains apply the same.

[themac_23]

this is what grinds my gears, lad at 35 not many years left and he cant even play club football because hes held to a higher set of rules than the other lads who are still able to play. With the Anti doping surely the ban should only apply to Inter County football/ Hurling? Gutted for the fella

[GetOverTheBar]

Angelo, don't want to keep quoting the text with pic...

With regards to doping, you can be on a course of whatever...say for sake of this something like nandrolone which mimics a natural substance already in the body testosterone.

You can take it for, say two cycles of 8 weeks....your gains during these phases will be tremendous provided your doing the training / eating also as it will allow your body to recover in unparrelled time compared to nature.....the older you are, the longer this will take on top....

You then go off the nandroline, you'll have to take a PCT then to get your body right (i.e. hit the reset button) but you'll still have the gains of that training you did when under the drug provided you did the maintenance. Sorta why the Jamaica sprinters only train on their island over the winter (which doesn't or at least did not for a long time allow testing) then come out and smash all kinds of records in the summer.

You won't be able to train at the same rate obviously, but you'll be able to 'maintain'. It stays in your system for a few months....that will vary on dosage, lifestyle, genetics etc...the most common method these days is micro dosing, tiny amounts on the regular - a choice of Mr Salazar, Mo Farrah coach but of course I'm not for one minute suggesting Mo was on something other than astma treatment for astma he did not have.

Surprised Meldonium was the substance though but I would imagine it's fairly easy to purchase online from Eastern Europe

[Angelo]

Angelo, don't want to keep quoting the text with pic...

With regards to doping, you can be on a course of whatever...say for sake of this something like nandrolone which mimics a natural substance already in the body testosterone.

You can take it for, say two cycles of 8 weeks....your gains during these phases will be tremendous provided your doing the training / eating also as it will allow your body to recover in unparrelled time compared to nature.....the older you are, the longer this will take on top....

You then go off the nandroline, you'll have to take a PCT then to get your body right (i.e. hit the reset button) but you'll still have the gains of that training you did when under the drug provided you did the maintenance. Sorta why the Jamaica sprinters only train on their island over the winter (which doesn't or at least did not for a long time allow testing) then come out and smash all kinds of records in the summer.

You won't be able to train at the same rate obviously, but you'll be able to 'maintain'. It stays in your system for a few months....that will vary on dosage, lifestyle, genetics etc...the most common method these days is micro dosing, tiny amounts on the regular - a choice of Mr Salazar, Mo Farrah coach but of course I'm not for one minute suggesting Mo was on something other than astma treatment for astma he did not have.

Surprised Meldonium was the substance though but I would imagine it's fairly easy to purchase online from Eastern Europe

That's interesting.

I'd say it's quite rampant in the GAA, nothing to stop a lad taking a year out from the county scene to try and get an edge in this regard.

[twohands!!!]

this is what grinds my gears, lad at 35 not many years left and he cant even play club football because hes held to a higher set of rules than the other lads who are still able to play. With the Anti doping surely the ban should only apply to Inter County football/ Hurling? Gutted for the fella

Zero sympathy from me - no-one put a gun to his head.

The fact that it's a four year bans indicates that the powers-that-be believe that this was wholly intentional.

If Anti-doping bans only applied to Inter-County, it would effectively give a carte blanche to doping at club level.

By rights there should be drug testing at club level - protect the overwhelming vast majority of honest players from the likely tiny number of cheats.

Then again, every county team has a doctor....it's not that hard to get a TUE these days. Without knowing the ins and outs of that field I would imagine Sport Ireland have GAA players very far down their list with regards to questioning these.

The number of TUE exemptions granted in GAA for 2019 were 2.

There was a total of 44 TUEs granted (8 requests were turned down)

Rugby had 9 and soccer had 6.

Page 21 of the 2019 report

Overall there were 135 GAA players drug tested in Ireland (4th highest) - Cycling 218, Rugby 196, Athletics 154
Soccer only had 55 players tested, which seems a bit low - rowing, swimming and paralympics all had more tests done.

Ladies football had 4 tests and Camogie 4 as well.

https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2020-04/antidoping-review-2019.pdf

[Baile Brigín 2]

I would assume the reason soccer is lower is because they only test loi players, so thats 20 clubs versus 64 county teams. Although rugby is only 4 clubs, its so rampant the testers must have an office at Munster.

[Baile Brigín 2]

this is what grinds my gears, lad at 35 not many years left and he cant even play club football because hes held to a higher set of rules than the other lads who are still able to play. With the Anti doping surely the ban should only apply to Inter County football/ Hurling? Gutted for the fella

A well known LoI player got 2 years for pissing off home without pissing. He failed to give a sample, 2 years, thats how seriously thay take it. He is banned from all soccer globally for 2 years. No dropping down to the pub leagues. Not insured to train .Thats how it works, they may only test at a certsin level, but if you are caught, thats you.

You can't have a situation where an open and shut steroid abuser can get caught and play away at club.