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 The Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne, the stronghold of the AFL,
reported late on Thursday that 11 players from the Collingwood club
had failed tests for illicit, but not performance-enhancing, drugs.
Under a new policy, agreed with the AFL Players Association last
year, first-time offenders receive a suspended fine and are made to
attend mandatory counseling sessions.
The players' identities remain confidential until a second offense,
which increases the financial penalty, imposes a four-match ban and
is publicly announced. A third-offence results in a 12-month ban and
A$10,000 ($7,500) fine.
"The AFL remains committed to an Illicit Drugs Policy (IDP)that
seeks to change behavior, and penalize players whose behavior
doesn't change," the AFL's Football Operations General Manager Mark
Evans said in a statement on Friday.
 "The AFL has informed the clubs regarding the hair testing over the
holidays, but we will not make these public.
"This is the first year of the policy's operation, and I ask that
the new policy be given a chance to be in operation and measured for
its impact before we demand new changes."
The AFLPA also added their support for the program, asking for it to
be given time to bed in before being judged.
"One of the fundamental pillars of the IDP is confidentiality and
whilst we appreciate there is public interest around this issue, we
strongly believe releasing results of any testing serves absolutely
no purpose in achieving the objectives of the policy," the union
said in a statement.
Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said the club would approach the
AFL about the report, though he felt the new policy needed "teeth".
"If we don't want it in the game then we have to have penalties," he
told the Fox Footy program on Thursday.
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"If you're prepared to put up with it ... then why worry about the
illicit tests at all and just focus on the performance enhancing
tests."
The report broke shortly before the AFL's season opener between
Richmond and Carlton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, placing
increased focus on the embattled code's fight on drug use in the
sport.
The AFL is already trying to shake off a scandal over the use of
banned supplements by Melbourne-based club Essendon, who have 12
players suspended for the season.
The 12 were among 34 players who participated in a systematic and
highly dubious regime in 2012 of supplement injections at the club,
which saw them booted out of the following year's playoffs and
slapped with a record fine.
Another five of the 34 who moved on to other franchises in the
18-team league have also been forced to sit out the season.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Patrick
Johnston)
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