PLAYERS have discussed the prospect of keeping hair-testing results out of the hands of clubs if confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
Under the reviewed Illicit Drugs Policy that came into effect in October, players voluntarily agreed to be hair tested and for results to be made available to the AFL and key club officials on the basis they would remain confidential.
However, the players' confidence in the policy was shaken when a news report on the eve of the season claimed it knew the number of Collingwood players who had recorded positive tests for off-season activity.
The club and the AFLPA claimed the number was incorrect but the fallout from the report was huge with the issue of illicit drugs dominating discussion in the opening week and Magpies president Eddie McGuire claiming the club was "thrown right under the bus".
As a result of the controversy the AFLPA put the issue on the agenda at last Wednesday's board meeting and players discussed the possibility of blocking clubs from gaining access to testing results of their players.
AFL.com.au understands many player representatives view hair tests as medical records and therefore have no place in the public domain.
They are understood to have floated the idea of the AFLPA retaining the de-identified results exclusively if confidentiality wasn't assured.
The AFLPA declined to comment on the issue when contacted by AFL.com.au.
The IDP, introduced in 2005, was reviewed during last season with the new policy announced at the end of the season.
In the new policy, players agreed that results from hair testing would only be used for research purposes to inform counselling and education programs.
The AFL also tightened the policy so an individual who returned positive urine tests for illicit drugs would be named and suspended on their second strike.
Magpies CEO Gary Pert put the issue of illicit drugs on the agenda before the season began when he expressed his ongoing concern that players were continuing to use illicit drugs despite the tightening of the illicit drugs policy.
Both AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh and AFL football operations manager Mark Evans have indicated the IDP needs to be given time to have an impact.
Marsh told SEN in March that the policy was designed to protect player welfare
"We've had players come out the other side no longer taking illicit drugs, [so] there are success stories here and that's the first and foremost reason the players have adopted this.
"But it has to be done under the condition of confidentiality … why this needs to play out publicly is just beyond us."
