Melbourne forward Joel Smith facing potential two-year ban as case takes ugly turn
Melbourne forward Joel Smith is expected to fight a likely two-year ban from Sports Integrity Australia after he tested positive to cocaine after the Demons' round 23 match against Hawthorn in 2023.
The Age has reported that the 27-year-old will remain on his provisional suspension after Sports Integrity Australia found him guilty in a pre-Christmas hearing.
He has been provisionally suspended since October 10 and there were previous hopes that he would be able to rejoin Demons training on Wednesday after serving three months.
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However, Smith's appeal case is struggling due to the lack of any AFL-approved drug treatment programs that he can undertake to reduce his likely ban.
"The AFL advises that the matter involving Joel Smith of the Melbourne Football Club being investigated by Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) under the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code is ongoing," AFL spokesperson Jay Allen www.theage.com.au.
Joel Smith could face a two-year ban. AFL Photos via Getty Images
"Joel remains provisionally suspended and as such he is not permitted to participate in Melbourne's pre-season training when it recommences in the coming days.
"Due to the ongoing nature of the anti-doping process the AFL will not comment further at this time."
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Smith tested positive to cocaine and its metabolite, benzoylecgonine, on the day of Melbourne's round 23 match against Hawthorn, which the Demons won by 27 points.
His results were made public on October 10, with Smith notified on the same day.
Smith is the first player in the league to test positive to a drug listed as a "substance of abuse" in the 2021 World Anti-Doping agency code.
It comes after Demons coach Simon Goodwin admitted in late 2023 that he hasn't spoken to Smith since the incident, as the club faced questions surrounding their culture.
"I haven't spoken to Joel. I am going to let that process play out because I have a level of anger, of frustration towards it," Goodwin said on SEN radio in November 2023.
(From left) Michael Hibberd, Joel Smith and Christian Petracca of the Demons sings after winning the round 13 AFL match between Melbourne Demons and Collingwood Magpies. Quinn Rooney via Getty Images
"I can only go by how I feel and when I first heard, I was incredibly angry, frustrated, to think that potentially we have a player in round 23 on the eve of a finals series not doing everything possible to help the success of our footy team.
"I can only imagine that same feeling would be permeating through our supporter base."
The Demons have endured a tumultuous off-season so far, headlined by star midfielder Clayton Oliver's early exit from the club's training camp early last month, following intense trade speculation as well as a brief hospital visit.
