By ADEM SARICAOGLU
THE Essendon District Football League has put its sponsorship deal with Viking Protein on hold after it was revealed last week one of the supplement company’s products contains an ASADA-banned substance.
Viking Protein’s Before Battle formula contains Methyl Synepherine, a stimulant banned for use on match day but given the all-clear for use during the week.
A Viking Protein prize pack was given away to the best-on-ground player in the league’s radio broadcast games each Saturday, but it is understood at least only two EDFL footballers were given packs that included the Before Battle product.
EDFL general manager Marc Turri told Star on Friday the league immediately suspended its corporate partnership with Viking Protein and is now in the process of informing clubs to be aware of the product in question.
“The important step at this stage is to contact the clubs and let them know and through them let the players know that there is a product out there that is quite easily accessible within our region that they need to be mindful of,” Turri explained.
“At the start of the year, before any agreements were entered into, we were given assurances that all the products were fully compliant, so it is disappointing that it didn’t quite work out that way.“Obviously while we feel for the company it’s just disappointing that we’ve been caught in the middle of it, because its potential ramifications are there at our level.”
On Friday the league also informed AFL Victoria of the situation, however Turri is confident it remains highly unlikely any recipients of the prize pack have since taken the product on game day.
“Just being handed the product doesn’t mean it has been consumed at all by that player,” Turri said.
“And even then, if it has been consumed on say a Monday, or even a Tuesday or Wednesday, you will find it has been perfectly legal (to do so) as an athlete, because we’re talking about a product that has a substance that is banned on game day only.”
Turri said the EDFL will continue to push the educational message to its clubs regarding performance-enhancing drugs as part of the process going forward, but it currently remains unclear if any further action will be taken.
