AFL to grill Dees over Dank link

Melbourne is the second AFL club embroiled in the performance-enhancing drugs controversy after text messages between sports scientist Stephen Dank and club doctor Dan Bates emerged

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou says Melbourne would have broken league rules if it is found to have had an association with Stephen Dank.

The AFL and anti-doping agency ASADA will today grill Melbourne club doctor Dan Bates over text messages he is alleged to have exchanged with Dank. They were due to meet at 10.30am this morning.

"They will be in breach of a rule," Demetriou said on 3AW this morning. "But can I just wait until after we've had a briefing this morning.

"We (AFL) asked the specific question that the media had asked: 'Was Stephan Dank approached or did Stephan Dank approach Melbourne, or was there a discussion around employment at the Melbourne Football Club'.

"And we got the same answer the public got. The people in authority didn't give us the answers."

Demetriou refused to reveal whether the club officials that responded to the AFL's original inquiries remain at the club and also said that "there may be more" to story.

Demetriou also said claims on the ABC's 7.30 Report that it had text messages between Bates and former Essendon sports scientist Dank were inconsistent with what Melbourne had told the AFL.

"They had maintained a position ... that they've never employed Stephen Dank,'' Demetriou told ABC radio.

"If there is an association with Mr Dank, that is inconsistent with what we have been told.''

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Sports scientist Stephen Dank.

The ABC's revelations are certain to lead to the ASADA and the AFL widening the probe into supplement use to include the Demons.

Demetriou said Melbourne had some questions to answer if the ABC report was true.

"As of this morning we will be calling in the doctor, the Melbourne Football Club doctor, together with any other relevant officials based on things we'd been told previously,'' Mr Demetriou said.

"There appears to be some inconsistencies.

"If there was an association, regardless of whether there has been an employment agreement, I think that would have been relevant to our briefings.''

Demetriou did not want to speculate on the ramifications for the club, but did say that Melbourne would have broken league rules if it was shown to have mislead the AFL about a relationship with Dank.

"This issue of ethics and trust in our code ... is something that you can't play ping-pong with,'' Mr Demetriou said.

"If anybody hasn't got the message that they must be absolutely truthful ... then there will be consequences.''

Texts trip up Demons

In a lengthy statement on Friday morning, Melbourne said there was no evidence any of its supplements breached the WADA drug code, and that Dank never directly treated players nor worked directly for the club.

But it admitted Bates and Dank had been in communication prior to the launch of ASADA's investigation into Essendon, though Bates always had the final say in any treatment for Demons players.

"At no time was Dank able to directly treat players,'' Melbourne said in its statement.

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"Dank and Dr Bates communicated via email, phone and text, regarding supplements (prior to the ASADA investigation).

"Our processes require Dr Bates to consider the appropriateness of any treatment and make a determination as to its suitability at all times, to ensure that the welfare of our players is always maintained.''

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The AFL, which last week said Essendon was the only club involved in the wider Australian sport anti-doping investigation, issued the Demons with a ``please explain'' over their involvement with Dank on Thursday night.

"The AFL was not previously aware of the claims broadcast ... by the ABC and these will form part of ongoing investigations by ASADA and the AFL,'' the AFL said in a statement.

"The AFL is urgently seeking a further explanation from Melbourne Football Club about the veracity of the claims and how they can be reconciled with previous statements from the club.''

The ABC alleges the text messages between Dank and Bates continued until the day Essendon fronted a media conference to reveal they had concerns over their supplements program and Dank's work at that club.

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SOME OF THE ALLEGED TEXT MESSAGES

Dank to Bates: "Meeting with Neil Craig next Tuesday or Wednesday. Spoke to Dave today."

Bates to Dank: "Great."

Dank to Bates: "When we will start Jack Trengove on the AOD?"

Bates to Dank: "Tomorrow"

Bates to Dank: "Where can I get him to pick it up from?"

Dank to Bates: "The pharmacy. Tell him to ring me and he can meet me there."

Bates to Dank: "...Lynden Dunn would like an injection on Thursday if possible (good about Dunny asking, as he is doing it because the other guys have said they feel good). Dan."

Dank to Bates: "Great. I will book him in."

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