Banned Melbourne forward Joel Smith has been handed a four-year ban and a three-month period of ineligibility following an investigation into claims he used and trafficked cocaine.

Smith was placed on a mandatory provisional suspension in October last year after testing positive for an illicit substance, with his dirty urine sample coming after a game between Melbourne and Hawthorn in August that year.

Further investigation from Sports Integrity Australia led to a total of three Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADVRs) being asserted against Smith in February, including “Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking” of Cocaine to third parties.

Smith has not been permitted to be part of Melbourne’s football program since his provisional suspension.

He has now been hit with a four-year suspension, which will run until January 9, 2028. He is eligible to return to training from November 2027.

Five Anti-Doping Rule Violations that the suspension relates to are:

• Presence of Cocaine and its metabolite, Benzoylecgonine detected in a sample provided by Mr Smith during an In-Competition doping control test on 20 August 2023, following a match between Melbourne and Hawthorn at the MCG;
• Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of Cocaine on and/or between 28 July 2022 and 30 July 2022;
• Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of Cocaine on and/or between 5 September 2022 and 10 September 2022;
• Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of Cocaine on and/or between 12 April 2020 and 7 September 2020; and
• Possession of Cocaine on 9 September 2022.

Smith was due to come off-contract at the cessation of the 2024 season, with clubs required to make their first list lodgment prior to November.

“The outcome in this matter, in which Joel Smith has been suspended for more than four years, reflects the seriousness with which the AFL treats breaches of the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code and is a salutary lesson for any player using illicit substances that are prohibited under the WADA Code,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said in a statement.

“The use of performance enhancing substances is strictly prohibited in Australian Football and the AFL will continue to work with Sport Integrity Australia to identify and prosecute the use of such substances In-Competition and other conduct prohibited by the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code”.

“The AFL does not in any way condone the use of illicit drugs. If a player chooses to use illicit drugs, the potential consequences are substantial, including risks to health and safety and of losing the privilege of playing professional football, as has occurred here.”

The ban will likely end his AFL career, which started following a promising career in basketball almost a decade ago.

Joining Melbourne as a category B rookie in 2015, Smith would make his AFL debut two years later against St Kilda. He would play a total of 42 games before the end of the 2023 season, including a career-high 14 games that year.

Smith is the son of former Melbourne and North Melbourne player Shaun Smith.