On Side

In Episode 1 of our Commonwealth Games series From Clean to Gold: Glasgow 2026, we go behind the scenes with Australian Chef de Mission and Spot Integrity Australia team member, Petria Thomas OLY. A nine-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist turned team leader, Petria, shares what it takes to prepare athletes for one of the world’s biggest sporting stages – balancing performance, pres...

In the final episode of our Online Safety in Sport series, we look ahead to what it will take to create safer sporting environments for everyone. Joined by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant PSM and Sport Integrity Australia CEO Dr Sarah Benson PSM, we explore how leadership accountability, cross-sector collaboration and system-wide action can drive lasting change. From embedding online safety...

In this episode of  On Side , we centre the human experience of online abuse. Olympic sport climber, Campbell Harrison OLY, reflects on the overwhelming wave of global homophobic abuse he received after a single social media post, while Rowing Australia CEO, Sarah Cook OLY, shares the realities of navigating sustained harassment and scrutiny in sport leadership. In a world where athletes and...

In this second episode of our  Online Safety in Sport  podcast series, we explore why education is one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent online harm in sport. From social media abuse to harmful online behaviours that spill into real-world environments, the impacts are growing – but so are the opportunities to respond. Online harm isn’t inevitable. With the right e...

In this first episode of  On Side’s Online Safety in Sport series , we unpack what’s changing in the digital environment and what it means for sport at every level. Online spaces are now an integral part of sport connecting athletes, clubs and fans like never before. But alongside these opportunities comes a rapidly evolving set of risks. Our host Tim Gavel is joined by two leadin...

In this episode of On Side, we learn more about Dr Sarah Benson PSM, the new CEO of Sport Integrity Australia (SIA). Taking the reins in March this year, and in the fifth year of SIA operations, Dr Benson discusses how far the agency has come and priorities for the years ahead to protect sport against current and emerging threats. Support the show: https://www.sportintegrity.gov.au/ See omnystudio...

While the sport supplement market might be thriving, the use of supplements can destroy an athlete’s career.  Supplement manufacturers often use omissions or alternative names to lure buyers in and create the illusion of a clean substance. When in fact many contain substances that are prohibited in sport.  A recent research collaboration between Sport Integrity Australia and Human...

In this episode of On Side we’re joined by one of Australia's greatest sporting legends, Lauren Jackson – a five-time Olympian, WNBL and WNBA champion, and global icon in basketball. Lauren has not only dominated on the court but continues to make a lasting impact off the court. We talk with Lauren about her journey from the grassroots through elite sport, the barriers and inequities w...

Our Athlete Advisory Group (AAG) plays a vital role informing the strategic direction and shaping education strategies of the agency. Through their collective lived experience, they provide insights into the pressures and influences that can threaten the integrity of sport, and how we can better assist athletes to be clean, safe and fair in sport.  Marathon runner Cassie Fien was a member of...

How do we stop or curb the use of Performance and Image Enhancing drugs in sport? In the fight to keep sport clean, safe and fair, shutting down illicit drug production and distribution has become a task that requires a multidisciplinary approach. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pushing national anti-doping agencies and law enforcement to collaborate to prevent and respond to integrity thre...

Guest: Dr Gemma Payne (Assistant Director, Science & Medicine) Today (11 February) is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It’s a time for the team at Sport Integrity Australia to reflect on the important work of women in this field. This year’s theme is: Unpacking STEM Careers: Her Voice in Science and is the 10th anniversary of the event – 2025 International Day...

Investing in integrity is crucial for the long-term sustainability of sport, but sadly it’s not the subject everyone in sport ‘wants’ to discuss. With more than 90 National Sporting Organisations, National Sporting Organisations for people with Disability and Sport Administration Bodies adopting the National Integrity Framework or working towards the Integrity Policy Standards, s...

This month the team at Sport Integrity Australia bid farewell to our Deputy CEO of Strategy and International Engagement Darren Mullaly as he packs up a rich history in Australian sport taking on the role of Government Relations Director at the World Anti-Doping Agency. Darren has much to celebrate after an 18-year career protecting the integrity of sport in Australia. With a background in law and...

This episode of our podcast On Side talks to champion cyclist Anna Meares, Australia’s new Chef de Mission for the Paris Olympic Games, and Sport Integrity Australia’s Advisory Council Chair Sarah Kenny.  They discuss the importance of embedding integrity in sport, how to create a safe environment for athletes to perform in and their roles in influencing the sporting landscape. Support the show: h...

This episode of our podcast On Side talks to Play the Aussie Way campaign ambassadors, NBL legend Cal Bruton, Ellie Cole, Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian, and young soccer player Harry about the culture shift they hope to lead. While Playing the Aussie Way means something slightly different to each of them, there are common themes – respect, inclusion, fun and trying your best. Sixte...

Hosted by Tim Gavel, in this week’s program we explore life after sport and how hard it is for athletes to find their niche. We talk to AFL forward Josh Bruce, who retired near the end of the AFL season, 3-time Olympic gold medallist, swimmer, Petria Thomas, and Ben Hardy, an Olympian and former captain of the Australian national volleyball team. Find out more information at https://www.sportinteg...

Mental Health Awareness Month (October) encourages all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing. In this episode of On Side, we talk about mental health, the impact and how we can make mental health and wellbeing a priority in sport. We are joined by former ABC sports broadcaster and mental health advocate, Craig Hamilton, and Georgia Ridler, Sport Integrity Australia's consulting Ment...

Former Matilda Michelle Heyman is featured in the latest episode of our podcast On Side. Michelle played for Australia 61 times between 2010-2018, booting 20 goals before a series of injuries forced her to retire from international duties in 2019. When Cortnee Vine’s penalty kick hit the back of the net against France, the whole of Australia roared as one. The recognition and support was a long ti...

The latest episode of our podcast On Side explores the evolution of Paralympic sport in Australia. It also discusses the need to include Paralympic voices in the decision making, along with the role Paralympic sport can play as a vehicle for greater social inclusion and to understanding disability. It features Paralympians: Ella Sabljak , an Australian wheelchair basketball and rugby player, and a...

The latest episode of our podcast On Side looks at the issue of safeguarding participants of sport. It discusses the findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study and what it means for sport, and the work done as a result of Sport Integrity Australia’s review of the Western Australian Institute of Sport’s Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Program. The interview features: Professor Daryl Higgins Di...

Former Olympic sprinter Patrick Johnson has joined Sport Integrity Australia as a Culture and Safety Advisor to ensure our responses are appropriate and informed. In this edition of On Side, Patrick talks about his role in helping to develop an agency and a sporting landscape that is culturally capable, respectful and engaging. “I think there's a shift to understanding sport as a vehicle for healt...

In the latest episode of our podcast On Side, esteemed lawyers Richard Young and Adair Donaldson provide incredible insights into their roles, including on anti-doping and abuse cases. Young, a leader in anti-doping litigation, has worked on the cases against Tour de France winners Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis, Marion Jones, and the BALCO doping scandal. He also worked on the Essendon suppleme...

Guests: Dr Sian Clancy, Alexis Cooper, Kelsa Ferguson, Cassie Fien and Nick Paterson In this episode of On Side we discuss the dangers of supplements and the importance of education in anti-doping to prevent inadvertent doping due to supplements. This podcast discussion features: Dr Sian Clancy, Drug Free Sport New Zealand’s (DFSNZ) General Manager Athlete Services, Alexis Cooper, Sport Integrity...

President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Witold Bańka says the agency is monitoring the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Speaking on Sport Integrity Australia’s On Side podcast at the WADA Global Education Conference, Bańka said the situation remained very complex.    “The fact that Russian and Belarussian athletes are not competing in internationally,...

Today we meet the science and medicine team behind our anti-doping efforts. In this episode of On Side, our host Tim Gavel talks to some of Sport Integrity Australia’s science and medicine experts - Chief Science Officer Dr Naomi Speers, Science Officer Rima Chakrabarty and Medical Advisor Dr Laura Lallenec. The trio discusses all things anti-doping - prohibited substances and methods in sports, t...