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Inter County Player Failed Drugs Test

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Carlow Player has made a statement saying it was unintentional. Not quite the scoop the red tops were looking for! Still I would like to hear more on the issue, what levels of banned substance were found before I hang him out to dry! TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 6893 - 28/04/2020 18:58:20 2276938 Link
I've found it very disappointing that the player's name needed to be published to the country. At the end of the day this was an amatuer player who was only called up into a county panel this year, this is going to follow him for life, any time his name is googled it's now there. It's a few days worth of content for Off the Ball and Ger Gilroy compared to a lifelong reprecussions for the player. I'm sure lots of people will disagree with me on this but it's really annoyed me. Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 444 - 28/04/2020 19:27:34 2276943 Link
Replying To TheFlaker: "Carlow Player has made a statement saying it was unintentional. Not quite the scoop the red tops were looking for! Still I would like to hear more on the issue, what levels of banned substance were found before I hang him out to dry!" Dont think there will be any need to hang him out to dry. A 35 year old player who had only rejoined the county panel in November and who was given no education or instruction on drug testing,foods and products to avoid etc. A whole heap of words being written about nothing. PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1448 - 28/04/2020 19:44:33 2276947 Link
Replying To TheFlaker: "Carlow Player has made a statement saying it was unintentional. Not quite the scoop the red tops were looking for! Still I would like to hear more on the issue, what levels of banned substance were found before I hang him out to dry!" You can read all about here: link Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 1115 - 28/04/2020 19:44:57 2276948 Link
Sad to see this story but unfortunately sometimes sportsmen make bad ill informed decisions. In the past week we have seen two sportsmen in the news involving illegal substances. One a professional rugby player and the other an amateur GAA player. One gets a 4 year ban and the other a 4 week ban. One has a very common name and surname the other doesn't and this results in the one getting just a 4 week ban. Hopefully justice will be served. hashtag2017 (Galway) - Posts: 58 - 28/04/2020 21:43:26 2276957 Link
Replying To Victorious87: "I've found it very disappointing that the player's name needed to be published to the country. At the end of the day this was an amatuer player who was only called up into a county panel this year, this is going to follow him for life, any time his name is googled it's now there. It's a few days worth of content for Off the Ball and Ger Gilroy compared to a lifelong reprecussions for the player. I'm sure lots of people will disagree with me on this but it's really annoyed me." The player wanted to tell his side of things and released his name through the GPA. Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 1115 - 28/04/2020 21:51:43 2276959 Link
Replying To hashtag2017: "Sad to see this story but unfortunately sometimes sportsmen make bad ill informed decisions. In the past week we have seen two sportsmen in the news involving illegal substances. One a professional rugby player and the other an amateur GAA player. One gets a 4 year ban and the other a 4 week ban. One has a very common name and surname the other doesn't and this results in the one getting just a 4 week ban. Hopefully justice will be served." That's far from truth. You deliberately dont mention that the professional player was getting something in a chemist and was given wrong order and made a blunder. The gaa player although saying they unintentionally took something they get a ban. Cronins only defence is that he was in a chemist and given wrong prescription. The error from pharmacist in giving him a wrong prescription gives him a shorter ban KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 1636 - 29/04/2020 08:41:48 2276968 Link
4 years versus 4 weeks seems an extraordinary difference in ban length but I don't enough about the rugby case to comment any further. It's an unfortunate end one way or the other to the Carlow man's GAA career. His was a career of unfilled promise. Comes from a family with long line of fine footballers. He was brought into the county senior panel at just 19 by Mickser Condon and played also under Luke Dempsey as a teenager. Was in and out for years after that and never seemed to enjoy the role he was asked to play (sweeper) by successive mangers so tended to stay away. I don't think he'd played county football for close to 10 years before returning this season. Not sure why he returned, possibly towards the end he regretted the years he didn't play and missed out on big matches like the Dubs and the win against Kildare which are games if he had committed he would surely have played in. All the while he was playing well for his club but his peak years were marked unfortunately for him by a sharp decline in the performances of his club who went from Leinster senior Champions to also rans in Carlow very quickly and languished in intermediate for many of his best playing years. Won the intermediate championship in Carlow last year so back senior again now but unfortunately he won't play any part in that which will be a huge blow to his club. One final point in this is that there is seemingly a major question mark about whether he should have been tested at all as, because he only joined the county panel in November, he wouldn't be eligible for the government grants until next year and as such it seems he shouldn't have been a part of the testing regime which is only supposed to apply to players currently in receipt of grants. Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1242 - 29/04/2020 10:33:29 2276980 Link
Four years is about 3 too long? I think the rest of 2020 would have done well. theborderfox (Monaghan) - Posts: 127 - 29/04/2020 10:51:27 2276985 Link
Replying To theborderfox: "Four years is about 3 too long? I think the rest of 2020 would have done well." For failed drugs test. No. 4 years is standard. KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 1636 - 29/04/2020 11:40:43 2276988 Link
Replying To KillingFields: "For failed drugs test. No. 4 years is standard." Think it is the standard ban then you can appeal. witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1583 - 29/04/2020 13:08:33 2277000 Link
For those who have never done so, have a read of the banned substances that are listed for GAA players, and also some of the products that contain some of these substances... my point is there are a lot of everyday products like common cold and flu tablets that GAA players are advised not to take because they contain banned substances, and as the player said himself without any training how was he to know of what was ok to take and not ok. Rossie14 (Roscommon) - Posts: 11 - 29/04/2020 13:37:38 2277004 Link
Replying To KillingFields: "For failed drugs test. No. 4 years is standard." No, that is not correct. The rugby player failed a drugs test and he got 4 weeks. As a professional he has an onus to ensure that anything he takes, be it an over the counter cough bottle or something prescribed by his team doctor, is permitted. Just because he picked something up from the chemist, didn't check that what was in the bag was illegal and took them makes him liable and should have received a longer ban. I think we will hear, when the other governing bodies in Ireland surely investigate, that there was no label on the bottle either!! I do think there is a story here and the authorities will investigate further and wouldn't be surprised if the ban extended. hashtag2017 (Galway) - Posts: 58 - 29/04/2020 13:40:53 2277005 Link
Replying To hashtag2017: "No, that is not correct. The rugby player failed a drugs test and he got 4 weeks. As a professional he has an onus to ensure that anything he takes, be it an over the counter cough bottle or something prescribed by his team doctor, is permitted. Just because he picked something up from the chemist, didn't check that what was in the bag was illegal and took them makes him liable and should have received a longer ban. I think we will hear, when the other governing bodies in Ireland surely investigate, that there was no label on the bottle either!! I do think there is a story here and the authorities will investigate further and wouldn't be surprised if the ban extended." The rugby player in question was able to prove with extensive proof that he was given incorrect prescription and multiple other reasons so only got the very short ban that he did Amateurs have to abide by drugs policies as set out by their sporting organisation as well. That they are amateurs shouldnt stop that. The medic in question and pharmacy in question have already said mistakes in the process were made and that player isnt at fault but that wont stop people from having a pop at the sport and sporting team in question. The issue with the rugby player is very different to the gaa player KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 1636 - 29/04/2020 14:17:36 2277008 Link
Replying To Rossie14: "For those who have never done so, have a read of the banned substances that are listed for GAA players, and also some of the products that contain some of these substances... my point is there are a lot of everyday products like common cold and flu tablets that GAA players are advised not to take because they contain banned substances, and as the player said himself without any training how was he to know of what was ok to take and not ok." I can see a list of substances but not products that contain them that are readily available. Have you got a list or example? Just curious.. tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 2911 - 29/04/2020 15:00:00 2277011 Link
I think a 4 year ban is right in terms of PED violations. There must be a harsh punishment to deter would be dopers imo. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13145 - 29/04/2020 15:19:21 2277013 Link
Paul Flynn's silence on this is deafening. No doubt but had a Dublin player tested positive he'd be his usual media savvy self today. Carlow, Division 4? No thanks says Paul. Too busy organising nonsensical FIFA gaming tournament. Beyond laughable. Bellewest (Westmeath) - Posts: 150 - 29/04/2020 17:10:50 2277027 Link
Replying To Bellewest: "Paul Flynn's silence on this is deafening. No doubt but had a Dublin player tested positive he'd be his usual media savvy self today. Carlow, Division 4? No thanks says Paul. Too busy organising nonsensical FIFA gaming tournament. Beyond laughable." The player involved has accepted the ban, said he does not wish to appeal, and furthermore asks that his privacy be respected and the matter be left as closed. Considering all of above what do you think it would be appropriate for Paul Flynn to say, should he counter the player's wishes, tell him he is wrong to accept the ban, ignore his wishes for privacy. I think I get the aroma of a small bitter anti-Dub personality lurking in Westmeath. sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 205 - 29/04/2020 20:02:34 2277041 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "I think a 4 year ban is right in terms of PED violations. There must be a harsh punishment to deter would be dopers imo. The rugby player they got 4 weeks coz there was a 'mix up' at the chemist. I can't believe the authorities fell for that sorry excuse to be honest. It would really make you question if they take doping seriously at all." In effect he has got a life-time ban!! . The only person he was damaging was himself and a sentence is deserved but I think it is over the top. Do you think he was going to go faster and get to a ball quicker than anyone else. Unfortunately the country is full of folk openly taking very dangerous drugs and passing them around with little or no con-sequence. And by the way the only drug I agree with is in a barrel -it is called the 'black stuff' and very very difficult to get these days! browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2189 - 29/04/2020 20:12:35 2277045 Link
I know from my time that taking Nurofen Cold & Flu tablets could be enough to fail a drugs test. But if I was going to bed at night with a bit of a cold and had to do a day's work the next day on a building site I would take them anyway if that was all that was in the house. There is no good excuse for professional sports people to be getting done for drugs, but I'd have real sympathy for an amateur whose first priority is to make a living at his job. I don't know what happened here, I'd be amazed if it was a lad deliberately cheating but I can well understand why he wouldn't bother contesting the ban at his age, I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap to start into that. The good news is that these tests are happening and must be a good deterrent for anyone who would consider doping just for improved performance. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2484 - 29/04/2020 21:23:53 2277054 Link