Johns drug use `worst-kept secret’: [1 All-round Country Edition]
Peter Lalor, John Stapleton, Additional reporting: Peter Kogoy, AAP. Weekend Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 01 Sep 2007: 1.
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“I’m not justifying it, but the reality is you can go out any night in the week and you will see people all over the place on amphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy,” Dr [Neil Halpin] said. “Recreational use is widespread amongst people in their 20s and 30s, we all know that. Go down to Darling Harbour at two in the morning and have a look around; walk down Oxford Street in Sydney. It is everywhere.”
AFL chief Andrew Demetriou claimed that under his competition’s testing regime Johns might have been identified. Brisbane Lions AFL coach Leigh Matthews said sport was in a “losing fight” with illicit drugs and said the campaign had “down the gurgler” after theJohns and [Ben Cousins] affairs.
John Howard said he was disappointed in Johns. “It’s very important we face reality and that drugs in sport is a problem,” Mr Howard said. “I hope the Knights community rallies around him and helps him. I was disappointed about [Joey Johns] — everybody is.”
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THE Newcastle Knights’ club doctor knew about Andrew Johns‘s drug and alcohol abuse for five years, while Brisbane Broncoscoach Wayne Bennett said yesterday the star player’s problem was “the worst kept secret in rugby league”.
As the fallout continued yesterday from Johns‘s admission that he had used drugs throughout his 12-year playing career, Knights club doctor Neil Halpin said he had treated the star player confidentially during the last four seasons of his career.
“Andrew Johns admitted on television last night to longstanding drug and alcohol use,” Dr Halpin said in a statement. “I have been aware of this since 2002. I have treated Andrew for many years, not only for his football injuries, but I have co-ordinated themanagement of his drug and alcohol abuse.”
Former Knights coach Michael Hagan also admitted he had heard the rumours but he “was always hopeful they were false”.
Johns was more forthcoming in his soul-searching Thursday night interview on the Nine Network’s Footy Show, saying his family and teammates knew about his problems, as did, “on occasions”, his club.
Johns, caught in London on Sunday with a tablet of the party drug ecstasy in his pocket, this week became the latest high-profile sports star to be connected to drug use.
Earlier this year, West Coast Eagles player Ben Cousins was admitted to a US detox centre after it was revealed he had developed an addiction to the methamphetamine ice. Rugby union star Wendell Sailor was suspended last year after testing positive to cocaine.
But Dr Halpin and psychiatrists said drug use by players such as Johns should not be surprising as it simply mirrored the use of illicit drugs in society.
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Johns, although perhaps the game’s greatest player, was like any other young person and his abuse related to “so-called recreational drugs”.
There was no evidence whatsoever, Dr Halpin said, that he had used any performance-enhancing substances.
“I’m not justifying it, but the reality is you can go out any night in the week and you will see people all over the place on amphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy,” Dr Halpin said. “Recreational use is widespread amongst people in their 20s and 30s, we all know that. Go down to Darling Harbour at two in the morning and have a look around; walk down Oxford Street in Sydney. It is everywhere.”
Leading sports psychiatrist Gavin Freeman said drug use among sportsmen, such as Johns, was simply reflecting drug use among his age group across the general community.
“Why are we getting all high and mighty about an athlete taking drugs?” he asked. “They are the same as everyone else. It’s absolutely unrealistic to expect them to be any different.”
But he said the incidence of depression, which Johns suffers, was higher among elite athletes and businessmen.
Counsellor and life coach Deidre Anderson, who advised swimmer Ian Thorpe about his retirement, said she had come across many footballers with drug problems.
“It is very much a reflection of society dealing with issues,” she said. “They are open to the same temptations and pressures and most of them do not chose to be role models but they have a high profile.”
NRL chief David Gallop said Johns had been tested 17 times in his 14-year career and said there would be no increase in theimmediate future. “The random testing that is now in place is not only on match day, but now we have the uniform policy across clubs, it can occur any time. We’re not going to increase the testing in the next few weeks,” he said.
But AFL chief Andrew Demetriou claimed that under his competition’s testing regime Johns might have been identified. BrisbaneLions AFL coach Leigh Matthews said sport was in a “losing fight” with illicit drugs and said the campaign had “down the gurgler” after the Johns and Cousins affairs.
“The whole illicit drug issue is a scourge of society and society can’t beat it,” Matthews said.
“It seems like as much as everyone wants to stop it, it can’t be stopped.”
Matthews said Johns was under “make-believe pressure” and dismissed his excuses.
Wayne Bennett, writing in his column for The Weekend Australian said rumours were rife in the football community about Johns‘ drug abuse.
“Andrew’s was the worst-kept secret in rugby league,” the Broncos coach said.
“I don’t think anybody close to the game didn’t have at least a hint of what was happening.”
However, Hagan, also writing exclusively for The Weekend Australian, said he was as “surprised as anyone” by the news and defended the club
“Any suggestions that anyone within the Newcastle organisation knew of his drug taking and depression but did not take due responsibility is false,” he said.
“In regard to his drug-taking, I assumed or feared this maybe a problem but was always hopeful that the rumours were false.”
But former league stars offered support to Johns.
League “immortal” Johnny Raper said he supported the modern-day star.
“I know the pain he’s going through. I made mistakes in my playing career and paid the penalty. I can imagine that he feels a sorry man man at the moment,” Raper said.
“But knowing the Joey Johns as well as I do, I’m convinced he’ll come out of this dark chapter in his life at the other end a much better and stronger person.
“You’ve got to remember that just being Joey Johns has meant a life lived under tremendous pressures both on and off the field.”
Former Test captain Laurie Daley said he was stunned by the revelations, but admitted his view on dealing with the use of illicit drugs and those who use them had softened in recent years as he became more aware of the enormity of problem and its links to depression.
John Howard said he was disappointed in Johns. “It’s very important we face reality and that drugs in sport is a problem,” Mr Howard said. “I hope the Knights community rallies around him and helps him. I was disappointed about Joey — everybody is.”
Drug expert Paul Dillon said the Johns‘ revelations were a blow to the Government’s anti-drug campaign. “If it was any other drug it would be different but it’s ecstasy and we have a great deal of difficulty selling a credible message about ecstasy to young people. They believe it is relatively harmless and we have tried to come up with accurate messages, but it’s a tough one to sell.”