WARILLA-Lake South Gorillas' Andrew Diomei was last month banned by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) for four years after a prohibited performance-enhancing substance was found in his system.
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On April 22, ASADA confirmed Diomei, who last played for the Cec Glenholmes-based club in 2018, had returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) from a Group Seven Rugby League doping control test on August 11 of the same year.
The test, which followed his side's match with the Nowra-Bomaderry Jets at the Bomaderry Sporting Complex, was conducted on the same day that led to teammate Ian Catania being banned for two years by ASADA.
After being analysed at the Australian sports drug testing laboratory, part of the national measurement institute, the presence of 19-Norandrosterone and 19-Noretiocholanolone (endogenous anabolic androgenic steroid), Boldenone (developed for use in veterinary medicine, particularly horses) and its metabolite were found in Diomei's system.
As a result, the New South Wales Rugby League imposed a four-year ban on Diomei, for the use and presence of banned substances, commencing from August 27, 2018 and running until August 26, 2022.
"When ASADA visited our competition in 2018, very little information was provided to the board, due to the nature of the tests being administered," said Group Seven president Scott McLaurin, who was a board member in 2018.
"We were later informed a number of individuals had tested positive but were not told which players or for what substance.
"Group Seven Rugby League does not condone the use of performance-enhancing drugs."
Diomei is also ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping code compliant anti-doping policy until August 27, 2022.
He is also not permitted to compete in a non-signatory professional league, or event organised by a non-signatory international or national level event organisation.
Side effects of the growth hormone Nandrolone include swelling of ankles or feet, increased blood pressure, rash, increased or decreased sexual desire, enlargement of the breast, difficulty to urinate due to growth of the prostate, reduction in sperm count, testicular atrophy and impotence.
The NSWRL run a number of education programs, particularly through teenage representative teams, around issues like drug use, social media and understanding of concussion protocols
Warilla-Lake South declined to comment on the matter.
