Emotional Lyon remembers ‘special young man’ as former AFL player’s death probed

An emotional Ross Lyon has spoken of his personal relationship with Harley Balic, declaring the former Fremantle Docker was a “special young man”.

Sport Integrity Australia is reported to be probing the death of Balic, as part of its investigation into the AFL’s illicit drug policy. Balic died in January 2022, days after his 25th birthday.

Former Docker and Demon Harley Balic.

Two people close to Balic, who would not speak publicly because of the sensitivities of his case, have confirmed to this masthead that he battled drug addiction, anxiety and mental health issues.

Lyon said on Wednesday that in his time as Dockers coach he had spent a lot of “one-on-one” time with Balic, the latter playing his only four AFL games of his under Lyon’s watch. Balic was with the Dockers in 2016-17, and then had a season with Melbourne, where he did not play any senior games.

Lyon said he understood Balic’s issues “deeply”, in that he needed “support and medical attention”.

“I was Fremantle coach at the time. I was, and I think the Balic family well tell you, particularly his mum, I was very close to Harley, I had a personal relationship,” Lyon said.

“I spent a lot of time one-on-one with Harley. I understand it deeply. It’s not for me to dive into it. What I will say, I’m not even sure what I will say, if the AFL illicit policy is really about that medical model. My experience and what Harley shared with me, he clearly sat in where he needed support and medical attention.

“I have no visibility on what occurs behind the scenes, but you make that judgment that that occurred. Who wants to lose a son, a daughter? It’s very emotional talking about him. I think I’ll leave it there. He was a pretty special young man.”

Lyon, however, said it was not the responsibility of the AFL and clubs to shoulder the full burden of player welfare.

“With my parenting, I’m not looking for any organisation to take care of my kids,” he said.

Zeeshan Arain during his time as club doctor at Melbourne.

The Herald Sun reported on Wednesday that Balic’s case was referenced in a statement made by former Melbourne doctor Zeeshan Arain, which was handed to Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) by federal MP Andrew Wilkie last month, and that Dr Arain had been interviewed by SIA investigators.

It was reported that Dr Arain said in his statement: “Often list management is used to solve a lot of problems.

“It gets to the point where they (AFL clubs) are like: ‘Well, if we can’t help this player, we will move them on.’

“And the problem is that the player doesn’t cease to exist to be a person once they are not in your club, the duty of care still goes on.

“Take Harley Balic, for example. A few years after Harley Balic left the Melbourne Football Club, he was dead related to drug use.”

At the time of Balic’s death, Victoria Police said it would prepare a report for the coroner.His death was not treated as suspicious.

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said he sympathised with Balic’s family.

“I can only imagine what they’re going through. I sympathise with Harley’s dad,” he said.

Balic’s father Eddie told the Herald Sun on Wednesday: “I believe that the AFL has a duty of care to formally intervene early into young vulnerable players who have been identified as having substance abuse issues.

Harley Balic is hugged by fellow Docker Michael Walters after kicking his first AFL goal in 2017.

“I also feel that had better support been put in place early for my son, it may have prevented this tragic outcome.

“The huge disappointment is that the AFL knew a lot and as a family we weren’t told. We may have saved him earlier. To this day, it disappoints me that no one from senior management of the AFL has ever made contact with me over the terrible loss of my son.”

This masthead has contacted the Balic family for comment.

Dr Arain, Sport Integrity Australia and the Demons declined to comment on Wednesday. The AFL and Dockers have also been contacted for comment.

Sport Integrity Australia announced in March it would investigate allegations around illicit drug tests in the AFL, following accusations made in parliament by Wilkie.

Wilkie claimed in the House of Representatives that club doctors were conducting tests in the week leading up to a match on players who had previously failed an illicit drug test for banned substances to avoid running foul of anti-doping rules and risking long bans from the sport.

Wilkie said others alleged that players who had failed these tests were then rested, “ostensibly on account of injury”.

Dr Arain has since told this masthead he did not intend to blow up the AFL’s illicit drugs policy or the use of “off-the-books” tests to protect players from testing positive to performance-enhancing drugs on match day.

“I wasn’t attacking the illicit drugs policy,” Arain said. “I wanted to expose cultural problems, not off-the-books testing.

“My comments about the testing were just factual. I wasn’t revealing a scandal. The illicit drugs policy is probably one of the better things the AFL does. If this becomes a strict name and shame policy and I have contributed to that, I will feel really remorseful for the players.”

Balic was drafted at pick 38 in the 2015 AFL national draft. He also played in Peel Thunder’s 2016 premiership team. He spoke openly about his battles with mental health and anxiety during his career.

A talented junior basketballer, Balic began his football career with Mordialloc Braeside in Melbourne’s south-east before becoming an All-Australian at under-18 level, having played for Vic Metro.

With Peter Ryan

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