AFLPA Association Boss, Brendan Gale, conducted a vicious press conference yesterday, in which he suggested that players would boycott Channel Seven as retribution for it revealing that two Melbourne-based players had twice tested positive for illicit drugs.

Senior players also indicated that they may be unwilling to give their time to random drug testing. The attitude of Gale and Players Association resembles a spoiled child that is very used to getting their own way.

Gale asked “Why would they [AFL players] co-operate and support an organization that has been involved in such a blatant betrayal and breach of trust?”

Here’s one answer Brendan – possibly because that organization is paying nearly $100 million dollars annually to broadcast a few matches of AFL football, and a significant percentage of that money goes straight back to the players.

It seems more than slightly hypocritical for a player to earn 15 times the average adult wage for playing football, and then refuse to provide a post-match interview to the organization paying their exorbitant salary.

An even more bizarre claim was made by Adelaide’s Brett Burton, who is Vice-President of the Players Association. The Age reported that Burton “had lost faith in the system and at the next meeting of the AFLPA executive would recommend that the players withdraw unless the protection of players’ privacy could be guaranteed. He said it was a growing feeling among the AFL playing collective.”

The cavalier attitude of Burton, a senior footballer and representative of all players to the drug problem in AFL circles is staggering. The AFL’s drug testing regime is not world leading. It is far from it. Rival code, Rugby League, has a two strike policy. Upon a first offence, Rugby League players are sanctioned. A second offence results in an automatic 12-month penalty. It is expected that cricket will adopt a similar regime.

Remember – the current furor surrounds players that have twice tested positive for illicit drugs. For the Players Association to claim that players withdraw from the testing regime is laughable.

Had the Melbourne-based players played Rugby not AFL, they would be sitting out for 12 months, not moaning about how their privacy has been invaded and refusing to give interviews.