SYDNEY - Three Australian athletes have received two-year suspensions following the investigations of the national sports dispute centre into their positive drug tests, the Australian Olympic Committee said here Monday. Banned are Bobsledder Jon Morrison, weightlifter Harvey Goodman and baseballer and Australian rules footballer Justin Charles. All their offences took place last year. Morrison returned a positive finding last October to a prohibited substance, Methandienone, which he did not dispute.

Goodman was found to have taken a herbal preparation with a reckless indifference to its contents, last June which contravened the AOC's doping policy and was banned from weightlifting for two years. Charles, who was also a member of the Richmond Football Club at the time, breached the AOC's anti-doping policy by administering an anabolic steroid, Boldenone, last June. The Australian Football League (AFL) last November had suspended Charles for the first 16 games of its 1998 season, while the Australian Baseball Federation also recognised the AFL's decision.

The AOC said all three are ineligible for selection in any Australian Olympic team during the course of their suspensions, they were not to receive any AOC funding and they will not be able to hold any position on the AOC while suspended. The AOC appointed the centre to hear the doping matters in relation to the AOC's anti-doping policy. Their findings were released in a AOC statement Monday. (AFP)