Should we be surprised that this is occurring???? I for one am not after everything that has gone on in the cycling world. Its hard to believe that cycling was the only sport doing it....and it would be far fetched to think that sporting codes down this way would not be doing everything in their power to win comps - especially with all the big money around - think Melb Storm and the Bulldogs a few yrs back.
A year-long government investigation has found widespread use of banned drugs in Australian professional sport and links with organised crime.
The key findings of the investigation identified widespread use of prohibited substances including peptides, hormones and illicit drugs in professional sport. It said that in some cases players were being administered with substances that have not yet been approved for human use. The ACC also identified organised crime identities and groups that were involved in the distribution of PIEDS (Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs), to athletes and professional sports stars.
The ACC report noted increasing evidence of personal relationships of concern between professional athletes and organised criminal identities and groups.
''The ACC has found that professional sport in Australia is highly vulnerable to infiltration by organised crime. Multiple athletes from a number of clubs in major Australian sporting codes are suspected of currently using or having used peptides,'' Justice Minister Jason Clare said in a statement.
"The findings are shocking and will disgust Australian sports fans," he said.
"It's cheating...but it's worse than that. It's cheating with the help of criminals.''
Mr Clare said one possible case of match-fixing was already under investigation, though he did not identify the sport.
He said that the evidence to date indicates that it is not the majority of athletes who are taking banned substances. The investigation had also found organised criminals had been involved in the distribution of drugs. "This is particularly serious," he said. Former Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority boss Richard Ings said Australians had been in denial about sports doping here for to too long. ''This is not a black day in Australian sport, this is the blackest day in Australian sport," he said. The report concluded that some coaches, sports scientists and support staff of elite athletes have orchestrated and/or condoned the use of prohibited substances. Some sports scientists have indicated a willingness to administer substances to elite athletes which are untested or not yet approved for human use.
Read more: www.smh.com.au/sport/probe-finds-widespread-use-of-drugs-in-sport-crime-links-20130207-2dzw1.html
So let me guess this right, some people are wiling to take performance enhancing substances so that they can be highly payed professional athletes. Some of whom have also been shown to be unable to handle alchohol, recreational drugs and also sent to classes to teach them how to respect women.
Ha! They needed an investigation to work it out........ WTF! 
I guess that is why I go sailing and screw the media hyped sports world. 
Finally the band aid has been removed and the infected puss producing sore that is professional sport has been shown, not even a shock anymore just Another day and another heap of sports found to have professional cheats on the payroll and whores in the front office, money or glory are all pro sports organisations want.. And will do anything to get them, seems selling your soul comes cheap these days
Whatever happend to the true values of sport, fairness, sportsmanship and a bit of honour in having a fair go.
**** pro sport, hand your season tickets back and don't buy tickets to anything.
I read in the paper today that an Oz. lady sent her lance Armstrong biography back to the publisher and asked for a refund, she got it... Does this set a precendent??
In bodybuilding they have a separate "natural championship" for those who don't use drugs.
Is vitaminB illegal? Why not? Injectable VitB will increase performance for those who have trouble absorbing it naturally but it is legal.
Caffeine is OK at a certain level.
Where do you draw the line? If blokes want shrunken nads and chicks grow doodles just so they can win a stupid sport then let them.
Have a druggie race and a natural race in all sports, just like bodybuilding does.
How long have the AFl spin doctors been working on this drama ?
As soon as gambling gets involved ........ It's only a mater of time before the dirtbag criminals get in charge .
Dimitrio .... Resign !
Cancel the 2013 season !!!!
Give every family there gate entry back for the 2012 season at least !!!
And " eat em alive tigers " 
Football has been crap for years ..... The point of no return was when sth melb went to NSW !
Then the nail in the coffin was The Roys going to QLD
No interest ..... Victorian rules has died !!!
And here in Adelaide they are building a $40.000.000 foot bridge from the oval to the casino to funnel the punters to gamble.
We the public is paying for it. Close to the casino are the tattoo parlors......... That's the big picture.
What a mob of clowns 
Aussie rules has been no good since the droped the drop kick and the stab pass.
I too say diemetrie go, go, go, soon 
Me thinks some crap is going to hit the fans.
As soon as one player is openly investigated, you can be pretty sure he will not allow himself to be the scapegoat for the rest of the team(s).
And so the dominoes have started to fall.
They should be checking the All Blacks.............................
Too good to be true?
*Flame suit*
Most of the high profile sports are now so integrated with gambling it makes me sick.
Every telecast football game or cricket game has a cross to the particular sports betting agency that sponsors the code and they give us the odds on all sorts of markets.
With gambling being such a social problem within the community, it may be time someone, whether it be the pollies or the codes management, that a stand be taken and stop all gambling and gambling advertising within sport.
They did it with tobacco advertising so a precedent has been set.
You didn't have to be a brainiac to realise that there was some juice getting passed around the sheds. But should we really be painting all sports and there athletes with the same brush? No! Would be extremely surprised to find more than 2% of athletes are in the wrong!
Footy starts tonight! Richmond v indigenous all stars! Get on the webcast and support Australia's game!
It will be interesting where this all goes...
I'm only half across the AFL side of things... I would be a little bit surprised if they can prove Essendon did anything wrong... I would expect that denial will go a fair way here. "If" there was anything "below-board" taken, the testing hasn't picked it up...
Plus the AFL will be desperate for a "clean" result, so they can get along with the 2013 season...
Stripping results, Brownlow Medals, premiership points, draft picks, or even season Premierships is not a good result for anyone.
Didnt the bombers win their first 10 or 12 games straight last season , must have gone off the juice in the second half
Teatrea, I understand that was roughly the case...!
But it's just "allegations" at this stage...
I don't want to stop the debate here, however, what happened to Craig Thompson???? surely, as some have suggested, this whole thing wasn't orchestrated to deflect the heat from him and the Labor Party???
