Buckley denies drug problem at Magpies

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has insisted that he would know if his club was battling an illicit drug problem in the wake of defender Sam Murray's positive test.

Murray is facing up to a four-year ban for testing positive to an illicit drug, believed to be cocaine, on game day as it is considered to be performance-enhancing in that context.

Nathan Buckley denies a cultural issue at his club.

Nathan Buckley denies a cultural issue at his club.

The 20-year-old is the third Collingwood player in four years to produce a positive test. Josh Thomas and Lachie Keeffe, who now plays at GWS, accepted backdated two-year suspensions in 2015.

In 2012, then Collingwood CEO Gary Pert warned the league about player behaviour during the off-season that he described as “volcanic”, with regards to illicit drug taking.

The Magpies are preparing for their first finals series in five years, but Murray will be unavailable for selection as he is believed to be under a provisional suspension as the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority awaits confirmation of the B sample in what is a lengthy process.

In an at-times testy interview with Gerard Whateley on SEN on Thursday morning, Buckley expressed his disappointment at the situation.

“Not that I know of,” Buckley said when asked if Collingwood has an issue with illicit drugs.

“I’m really disappointed that I need to answer these questions … this is not something that is big on our agenda right now because it’s isolated so that’s where it stays and we move on with what we can control.

“As our football has done our talking this year, our record in retrospect will do the talking so I’ll be happy to stand on that.

“Did you feel the environment in this studio change about a minute ago? I’m not going to answer right now. I’m really happy with how the club is going.

“I think that we are in a great space and heading in a really positive direction.

“We are full of people who are fallible, who are human and who make mistakes – some of those mistakes are more public than others, but we embrace our humanity, we embrace our fallibility and we support our people to the hilt.”

Buckley confirmed he has already sent Murray a few text messages of support and envisaged his teammates would also be there to support the former Swan as well.

“He’s a young man that’s in a situation that may or may not have been of his choosing and he’s got a fight on his hands,” Buckley said.

“He’s got a journey that he needs to travel so we’ll support him as much as we possibly can.”

Travis Varcoe is another Magpie doing it tough as his sister continues to fight for her life in hospital after receiving a head knock in a game of football on the weekend.

Buckley said there were no expectations on Varcoe as to whether he wanted to play in Collingwood’s first final against West Coast on Saturday week.

Replay

“It really is on Trav and what he wants to do,” Buckley said.

“Football takes a back seat in this in my estimations. There’s no expectation on Trav whatsoever other than to go and be with his family and do what he feels he needs to do and then everything else we will work out when we need to work it out.

“You can only imagine the emotions and the challenges that he and his family are facing.

“It pains me to see him go through what he’s going through. Life’s not fair and it invariably comes around into your sphere at different moments and this is one of those so we will support him as best as we possibly can.

“The fact is there’s probably a lot that’s not in our control or his control at this point and you’ve got to be praying to a higher power to help his sister through.”

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