Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire flags significant changes to AFL’s illicit drug code

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has declared ‘enough is enough’ and revealed greater penalties and the naming of individuals could be part of an AFL overhaul.

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has forecast significant changes to the AFL’s illicit drug code ahead of the 2025 season, saying a more punitive approach could be a key plank of a new model.

McGuire said on Footy Classified on Wednesday night the AFL and the AFL Players Association were adamant changes had to be made to a drugs code that was 20 years old and outdated.

He said greater penalties and the possibility of naming individuals who test positive in the first instances as well as extending the testing regime throughout the season – even during the course of a week – were among a raft of suggestions under consideration.

It comes in the wake of the bombshell allegations that a former Melbourne club doctor sensationally admitted to conducting “off the books” illicit drugs tests – allegedly authorised by the AFL – to help players evade detection on match day.

Eddie McGuire says the AFL will bring in a punitive code as part of redoing its illicit drugs policy. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos.

McGuire said: “Enough is enough … they are going to bring in a punitive code.”

“They are going to say the AFL is not only match day for testing, but match day is for the entire season. That is the biggest jump that is coming.

“I believe this will be done (ratified) by June this year, it will come in next year, they will kick it around and it will have to be signed off by everyone.

“They will still have what was WADA, the Sports Integrity Australia doing the match day testing for everything, including performance-enhancing (drugs).”

McGuire said there were many people within the industry who felt it was time for the code to name those who test positive.

“I think everyone now understands sunlight is the best disinfectant, you are better off having it out into the open and not have these things where every time there is a drug ‘gotcha moment’,” he said.

"They are going to bring in a punitive code."

The panel reacts to the bombshell drug allegations engulfing the AFL, as Eddie McGuire details the big changes coming to the league's illicit drug code. #9FootyClassified | Nine & 9Now 🖥️ pic.twitter.com/kgf8EQkBKa

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) March 27, 2024

“We know it is part of society, but there is a simple line on this. It is not compulsory to play football, but it is compulsory to play football drug free.”

“This is where it is dangerous. You get rubbed out for four weeks if someone takes a photo of you (with an illicit substance), you get nothing if you self-report, you get four years if you report on match day … it is all over the place.

“The opportunity to blackmail a player … you are dealing with organised crime if you take drugs. You leave yourself wide open …

“Far better for a player to get (a penalty of) six weeks and face mum and dad for taking drugs than to have to face someone else …”

McGuire also said he would look to include drug testing from under 17s levels to the senior grades.

Originally published as Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire flags significant changes to AFL’s illicit drug code