THE national sports anti-doping authority ASADA claims AFL Victoria requested it to target a suburban football league game for drug testing on the weekend.

In an emailed statement this afternoon, ASADA said: “Several media stories have appeared over the last couple of days in relation to testing ASADA conducted in the Essendon District Football League.

“We can confirm the Australian Football League (Victoria) Limited contracted ASADA to conduct tests at this level.

“While it is not our normal practice to discuss specifics of our operations, we thought it was important in this instance to clarify reports in the media.”

AFL Victoria has declined to comment.

It follows accusations by former Essendon premiership player and administrator Dean Wallis that ASADA had “hidden agendas” and were “bullies” after the testing took place.

In what Wallis described as “the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen in 30 years of football”, ASADA officials descended on a second-tier Essendon District Football League match between the side Wallis is coaching this year — Essendon Doutta Stars — and Craigieburn.

Two senior players from each side were drug tested after the match in what is believed to be a first for the EDFL and an unprecedented move for community football. One of the players was former AFL player Cameron Cloke.

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Players were taken to the changerooms to give urine samples.

Clubs and players were told if they did not comply they could face a two-year ban.

media_camera Stephen Dank spoke at an Essendon Doutta Stars club function on June 26, eight days before players from the local club were drug tested. Picture: Michael Klein.

The testing came eight days after Essendon Doutta Stars had controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank as a guest at a club function.

“Why the hell would they be testing a B-grade footy club that just happens to have Dean Wallis as their head coach, that just happened to have Stephen Dank do an event for them eight days before,” Wallis said.

“There’s 12,000 footy clubs in Australia. There was AFL games on yesterday. Was the AFL program compromised because they’re sending (officials) out to a B-grade footy club? It is quite bizarre.

“They’re basically bullies. That’s all it is.”

Wallis said he was told by ASADA officials at Buckley Park the message to test players from the match had come from Canberra and added the Stars would “no doubt” be making inquiries as to why.

Wallis said if local footballers were going to be tested going forward, better education programs would need to be put in place.

“If they’re going to randomly test players, haven’t the EDFL got an obligation to actually educate the players on what you can and can’t do,” he said.

“You’re talking to bush, suburban footballers that wouldn’t understand you can’t take a certain medication because you’ve got a chest infection or you’ve got the flu. They haven’t been educated.

Essendon Doutta Stars secretary Bradley Andrews said he was confident their players’ results would come back negative.

Andrews said the club supported ASADA random testing, but it had come as a surprise.

“We just happened to be the first club in what they (ASADA) have said is going to be a series of tests at local level,’’ he said.

“We were caught by surprise. It’s not something you expect to happen at local level.

“We’re confident our players involved (in the test) will be found not to have any illicit substances.’’

Andrews said the club supported the process but neither it nor the EDFL knew local players were to be tested for banned drugs.

EDFL general manager Marc Turri said the league planned to make inquiries with AFL Victoria and ASADA about the shock testing.

“Given the knowledge that it is very rare it has happened at community level, yes, we were surprised,” Turri said.

“But at the same time we respect the fact that the drug code is in place and all players at community level need to comply by the code.”

In an email this afternoon, ASADA said AFL Victoria had contracted it to conduct tests at this level.

“While it is not our normal practice to discuss specifics of our operations, we thought it was important in this instance to clarify reports in the media. It is important for athletes to understand that ASADA can conduct testing on any athlete who participates in a sport with an anti-doping policy.”