Former Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has been questioned by the NRL over his attendance at the Sharks' trial match on the weekend, with Dave Smith confirming he could be punished for his actions.
Stephen Damk. Source: News Limited
ASADA's investigation into possible doping offences in the NRL and AFL has officially concluded – minus an interview with the probe's central figure: sports scientist Stephen Dank.
The major development was revealed at Wednesday's Senate Estimates Hearing in Canberra, where ASADA boss Aurora Andruska uttered her first words about the investigation for almost nine months.
Andruska confirmed the information gathering phase of the probe was now over, with ASADA's attention now fixed upon whether there's enough evidence to justify infraction notices against any of the dozens of players who have been interviewed since May 2013.
Picture: Jon Hargest. Stephen Dank leaves his house in Ascott Vale Source: News Limited
ASADA recently announced the probe has consisted of more than 280 interviews with players, coaches, supplement providers, doctors, chemists and others with links to overall investigation.
But Dank – the common denominator of supplement programs that have put Essendon and Cronulla under scrutiny for systemic doping – has not been interrogated, with his barrister this week confirming the sports scientist had never been issued with a Disclosure Notice compelling him to front ASADA.
Dank has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Disclosure Notices were handed to 13 individuals, including Dank's associate and supplement salesman, Darren 'The Gazelle' Hibbert, has admitted to maintaining private relationships with several NRL stars but maintains he never supplied athletes with banned performance-enhancing substances.
Andruska recently announced that she would depart in May, which is expected to co-incide with a determination on which individuals – if any – will receive infraction notices.
A light at the end of the long and frustrating tunnel first appeared earlier this month, when Federal Sports minister Peter Dutton engaged ex-Federal Court judge Garry Downes to review the investigation.
Dutton also declared Downes would be expected to provide an assessment by April.
Fronting the Committee for less than ten minutes on Wednesday afternoon, Andruska shed further light on Downe's role and the time frame for conclusion.
She told the Committee that briefs were now being prepared on each individual – including more than 30 players from across eight NRL clubs – who had been investigated.
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Downes will review the briefs and have the final say over whether each one contains another evidence to be escalated to the Anti-Doping Violation Panel for preparation of an infraction notice.
"Mr Downes will look at the information and the evidence and say how the cases will be taken forward," Andruska told the Committee.
"He's providing an independent view. This has been an investigation that's been under extreme scrutiny from the beginning. At some point someone was going to come into ASADA and undertake a complete review."
Andruska also revealed forensic auditors Deloitte had been invited to investigate whether ASADA was guilty of leaks, along with the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
She told the Committee that review had returned no evidence of leaks on ASADA's behalf.
Former Raiders winger Sandor Earl remains the lone person to receive an infraction notice – and he's now been waiting almost six months for confirmation of his suspension period.
Earl has applied to have a maximum four year ban for use and trafficking of banned peptide CJC-1295 reduced to 12 months, in exchange for "significant assistance" about Dank's alleged role in supplying the substances.
