Expert panel to assess players’ fitness amid code overhaul

When a player with drug problems or positive tests is put on the table by doctors and deemed unfit to play, the club often describes that player as having “personal problems” or similar issues that have forced him to take a break from playing. Of course, there are other types of personal issues that can disable a player but do not involve drug use.

While club doctors remain the primary care for players who have tested positive, the panel has only been created for a small group of players with significant problems affecting their health.

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A source said the updated illegal drugs law is likely to include psychologists or psychiatrists with relevant expertise in dealing with players.

As this imprint reported on Tuesday, while the AFL will remove “cautions” for positive tests and replace urine testing with more revealing hair tests, the AFL’s plan is to ensure that the new policy makes players who use illegal drugs more accountable and subject to stricter standards.

The league’s view is that the expert panel has made the evaluation of players with serious drug problems more formal. While the AFL is still consulting with club doctors about how their role will change, it is likely to take pressure off club doctors who have closer links to players.

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The AFL’s director of mental health, Dr. Kate Hall has been involved in the management of high-profile players with off-field issues and has become an influential voice in the AFL’s approach to the mental health of players and others in the game.

However, Dr Hall, who treated players before joining the league, is not expected to be part of the expert panel, which will include experts from outside the AFL.

The AFL policy is a medical model for treating and assisting players with drug problems and has often been criticized for not being punitive enough, particularly towards players who have persistent problems with illicit drug use. However, this is a voluntary rule and continues only with the consent of the players and their unions.