The long-standing AFL career and reputation of Graeme Allan hangs in the balance amid allegations that the former Giants football boss deleted text messages concerning an attempt to protect the club's former No.1 draft pick Lachie Whitfield from drug-testers.
Allan, Whitfield and the club's then welfare manager Craig Lambert face bans of between two and four years should the evidence against them be proven.
The AFL, which has known about the allegations for almost 15 months, will now hand details of its lengthy investigation to the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.
The text messages allegedly deleted by Allan would have been part of evidence in the case that Whitfield's former girlfriend contacted the club and later submitted evidence that the player was helped by club officials following drug concerns. Lambert is also alleged to have deleted text messages.
Whitfield's then girlfriend was initially motivated by concerns for his health and welfare. Whitfield, who is expected to line up for Greater Western Sydney in their historic first final at ANZ Stadium on September 10, is alleged to have turned to the two club officials amid concerns that he risked being found guilty of testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance after taking illicit drugs.
Allan, as revealed on Monday by Fairfax Media, organised for the player to spend a short period of time at the home of Lambert and away from the club in May 2015. The player did not alert the relevant anti-doping authorities and was reportedly not advised to do so.
The AFL's integrity unit has significantly widened its investigation beyond the telephone evidence submitted by Whitfield's former girlfriend.
The league has seized telephone records, mobile phones and laptops from all three parties and has conducted lengthy interviews.
Allan was interrogated early on Tuesday by Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert and reportedly denied expunging text messages from his mobile phone.
Allan admitted a business partnership with Craig Brittain, who Allan signed to a contract worth an estimated $70,000 annually to work with the AFL-funded Giants as a part-time pro scout.
The Giants have reshaped and expanded Brittain's role since Allan departed for Collingwood, who were due to announce this week it had appointed Allan as its new director of football. The club has postponed that announcement.
The Magpies say the delay is to allow former football chief Neil Balme to decide on his future.
Lambert, who now works at the Brisbane Lions, was questioned on Tuesday by his CEO Greg Swann and denied any wrongdoing. This is despite the understanding of Fairfax Media that the evidence against both club officials and Whitfield is compelling.
Both Collingwood and Brisbane were informed by the AFL several months ago – when they were interviewing Allan and Lambert for positions at those clubs – that there was an ongoing integrity investigation involving the pair. Both reportedly told their new clubs they would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
An initial investigation conducted by a senior counsel for GWS cleared all three individuals, but the club now claims that its investigative powers were limited.
Whitfield, recently recontracted by the club, remains free to line up for GWS in the finals campaign and continue at the club up to and until ASADA reaches a decision as to whether to lay charges. If charged, he would be expected to be provisionally suspended.
There is a mandatory minimum four-year penalty for players found guilty of evading or attempting to evade drug testers. It is also an offence to assist or entice a player to evade or attempt to evade a drug test. This also draws a minimum four-year penalty.
ASADA, to date, has been comfortable for the AFL to run the investigation.
On his Triple M radio program on Tuesday, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire did not refer to the Whitfield investigation.
With Emma Quayle
