Tadhg Kennelly has admitted the Australian drugs scandal rocking the country could affect the AFL’s recruitment of Irish players.

Former Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank has denied supplying the Australian Rules club’s players with performance-enhancing drugs — and insisted he ran his supplement programme with the full knowledge of other high-ranking club officials.

Jack and Wes. The neighbour’s lad and our own. We clung to these slight men this week with a need that might have looked a touch desperate.

World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey believes today’s damning report into widespread drug-taking and match-fixing in Australian sport should act as a wake-up call to governing bodies around the world.