The AFL has cracked down on sports science practices Andrew Demetriou leaves the Essendon press conference. THE AFL has cracked down on sports science practices at clubs after the supplements scandal that has rocked this season. The league will make good a promise from AFL boss Andew Demetriou to go "over and above the WADA code" in ensuring players' health and safety are never put at risk. In a beefed-up Anti-Doping Code, the league will enforce its own list of prohibited treatments separate to the WADA list of banned substances and introduce a list of controlled treatments that must be approved by club doctors and recorded on a register. AFL sympathises with Doc Reid There will be strict new protocols on injections only the club doctor may keep needles or injectables. And injections will be permitted only for the treatment of legitimate medical conditions. The changes made in consultation with clubs, the AFL Medical Officers Association, the AFL Sports Scientists Association, the AFLPA and others have been presented to club chief executives and presidents and are expected to come into force soon. Rocket says no to Dees Club bosses were told the AFL does not want clubs to pursue a pharmacological advantage over one another or test the limits of the WADA-prohibited list. Consequently there would be a greater level of accountability at clubs. Consultation with the AFLMOA, the Sports Scientists Association and the AFLPA will continue to develop both lists, which will be updated regularly. Under the reviewed policy: PROHIBITED treatments may not be used at any time. ANY substance not approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration will be on the prohibited treatments list and other treatments not dealt with by the WADA code may also be included on that list. THE AFL may also prohibit certain providers such as anti-ageing clinics. PROHIBITED treatments or substances must not be on club premises, while all controlled substances on site must be registered and stored in a locked location. ANY person in possession of, using or administering a prohibited treatment will be subject to sanction under the code. CONTROLLED treatments such as hyperbaric therapy may be used, but must be approved by the club doctor and recorded on a register available to the AFL. The AFL's general counsel will be able to mete out punishment at his discretion under the code, or refer any matter relating to the code to the AFL Commission or tribunal. The new code will allow the league to collect its own samples for analysis but those samples could not be used to establish a breach of the code. People involved with clubs must report approaches or invitations to breach the code. In addition to the introduction of a whistleblower service, there will also be new rules about employees and associates of clubs as part of a wider tightening of integrity matters. The AFL's general counsel will be responsible for approving all club officials and clubs will be asked to keep a register of associates. In his recent public statements, Demetriou forecast the ramping up of integrity protocols. "The key learning (from the Essendon saga) is that we have acted very swiftly to enhance our rules and regulations under the WADA and ASADA codes to make sure we mitigate the risks and protect the welfare of our players," Demetriou said. If you set up an integrity unit as we have done in 2008 ... and you invest millions of dollars in it to protect the integrity of your code whether it is issues of salary cap, whether there is issues of performance enhancing drugs, whether its issues of things like gambling - you are going to find out these things. We make no apologies for protecting the integrity of the code. If anyone is out there who tries to run the gauntlet, that attacks the integrity of our code, then they will be caught. Sometimes it is unpleasant, this is unpleasant. But we will defend the code to protect the integrity of sport.