A series of emails between Melbourne's former president Glen Bartlett and current CEO Gary Pert suggest that the Demons had previously been open to drug-testing members of their off-field staff.
However, as reported by Michael Warner ofย The Herald Sun,ย the plan pitched by Bartlett was reportedly scuppered due to fears it would prove too successful.
In the wake of his Tuesday morning report which stated that Melbourne officials had considered sacking premiership coach Simon Goodwin ahead of the 2021 season, Warner claimed correspondence between Bartlett and Pert was opened regarding testing for illicit substances.
RELATED: Explosive claims of worrying behaviour against Demons coach emerge
Within this secondary article, it was suggested that the former head of the board was seeking to test staff members in line with policies seen in mining, aviation, law enforcement and health care industries.
However, while initially agreeing to Bartlett's approach to governance, Pert was reportedly reticent to employ any form of testing due to what it could potentially uncover.
โI think the executive, head coach and assistant coaches should be able to be target-tested if there is a specific concern by the board or CEO that their behaviour at work is in any way being affected by illicit drugs, including alcohol,โ Pert was said to have typed.
โI donโt think we should have a specific policy around managers and staff, that relates to private time outside of work commitments.
โThe reason for this, broad community statistics indicate that if you have a young workforce like us, if you were [to] hair test them, 50 per cent or more would test positive and if this is the case, what will we do regarding penalties and terminations?"
According to Warner, Pert then raised a series of other logistical and legal concerns.
โWho would do the testing, how much would it cost and what is the minimum acceptable level of the drugs you would be testing for, who would run the appeal program for those who felt unjustly treated?," the ex-Lion and Magpie added.
Pert also stressed that such stringent measures would see Melbourne come out of step with any blanket requirements.
The former defender continued on to claim that such a policy could also raise suspicions from the club's rank and file.
โWe would be the only club with a policy like this in Australian sport, which means we will come under scrutiny as to why we are going to such extreme lengths," Pert stated.
โI have no doubt some supporters and members of the media will directly tie this back to the fact the club must have a problem and the club is trying to stamp out illicit drug behaviour.
SEE ALSO: Expletive-lade documents allege Goodwin's pressure to play concussed star
Pert signed off by delineating that when it came to filling the voids left by outed staff, the Demons would "struggle to recruit new people into a culture that carries this policy even by non-drug users who find the policy intrusive and offensive."
Still, Bartlett was of the view that taking the league's first leap in this direction would have been "consistent with our [Melbourne Football Club's] values of trust, respect, unity and excellence."
With Pert's contention and tenure having trumped both of Bartlett's, none of Melbourne's off-field staff are currently being subjected to routine drug-testing.
The club's playing staff are still prone to being asked for samples as per the league's anti-doping and illicit substance codes.
