AFL PLAYERS' Association boss Paul Marsh has slammed News Corporations's decision to publish images on the front page of its newspapers of Gold Coast player Harley Bennell with allegedly illicit substances.

The photos were allegedly taken in a Launceston hotel room in early 2013.

Gold Coast has left Bennell out of its side to face North Melbourne this weekend in response, and Marsh was scathing of the decision to publish the images.

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"Extremely disappointed. We were aware this was coming yesterday, we spoke to the Herald Sun to try to get them to not run the photos," Marsh said.

"We don't see that it serves any purpose and it's putting one of our members in a very, very difficult position.

"Let's not forget that we're dealing with a human being's life here. We've got a player now – for an action that he took two-and-a-half years ago – who's going through hell.

"So we're disappointed, but I guess we move and we deal with it."

The AFLPA has two staff – including general manager Ian Prendegast - at Gold Coast supporting Bennell.

"He is doing it tough, as you'd expect. This is something he probably didn't wake up to yesterday morning expecting that it was going to be in the papers today," Marsh said.

"Put yourself in that position, or put your family member, it is a difficult situation.

"But he'll deal with it. He's got good people around him, not only from the AFLPA, but the club and hopefully we'll work through it with him."

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Marsh said there was a "precedent there" for Bennell to receive a 'strike' under the League's three-strike Illicit Drugs Policy, and also backed the Suns' call to rest him from the Roos' clash.

"He's actually injured as I understand it as well, so he may not have been playing, but I think with everything around, everyone believes – including him – that it's in his best interests to not play this weekend," Marsh said.