THE AFL have been handed the findings of a review into its contentious illicit drugs policy.
The review, announced as far back as 2019 before stalling multiple times, has finally been completed by an external party.
The AFL will now work through what changes it seeks to make to the model, which has been the subject of renewed and widespread criticism in recent weeks.
The AFL is due to present a proposal to the AFL Players’ Association, with the two parties set for rounds of negotiations on a new-look policy.
The league has come under attack from domestic and international bodies after federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie last month use of parliamentary privilege to accuse players of evading illicit drug tests with the AFL’s help.
The father of late Fremantle and Melbourne player Harley Balic, who died after a battle with substance abuse two years ago, this week told the Herald Sun he blamed the secrecy of the AFL’s illicit drugs policy for his son’s death.
Eddie Balic said the AFL should formally intervene when they know a player has a substance abuse issue.
While all parties are aware changes are needed, the AFL and AFLPA insist confidentiality must continue to be at the core of what they argue is a medical model.
With public pressure building on the league to be more transparent, how they strike a balance between a welfare and punitive approach remains to be seen.
But many club officials and coaches continue to demand more information on drug testing and results.
Under the policy, only club doctors are informed of players’ drug use, while club CEOs are provided de-identified data on an annual basis.
“The clubs do know. The club doctor knows, and in our view, that’s the most appropriate people to know,” AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh told SEN last month.
“I have had players come to me and thank me for this policy and the role it has played in getting them back to a much better place mentally and away from illicit drugs.
“It is working, There are plenty of players who have an issue, and this is how we deal with it.”