THE AFL says any future premiership side found to be systematically cheating the League’s strict new drug code could face the prospect of losing its September riches.

In addition, any players - such as a Brownlow Medallists - found guilty of drug taking would also be stripped of individual accolades should they take short cuts in their bids to gain an advantage of their colleagues.

On Tuesday the AFL, in conjunction with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), announced new measures to combat its fight against performance-enhancing drugs.

They include expanding its anti-doping code to include testing for EPO (glycoprotein hormone erythropoietin), CERA (continuous erythropoietin receptor activators) and HGH (human growth hormone).

Under the deal the AFL and ASADA have entered into a unique information-sharing agreement that will allow the League to target and track players.

Blood from players will be able to be frozen and stored for a period of up to eight years, enabling the drug agency to test samples that may contain drugs that had previously been undetectable.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the League was trying to stay ahead of the game but said should frozen samples provide evidence of retrospective drug use - for example among a premiership side - then officials would look at punishing those involved severely.

“It potentially could,” Anderson said when asked whether those samples could effect a premiership.

“God forbid and may it never happen because of what we’re doing here, but if you had a case of any systematic cheating, you would think about taking a premiership away - absolutely.”

Anderson said the rules would be easier to apply for individuals.

“We’d strip the Brownlow of somebody who tested positive to performance-enhancing drugs,” he said.

“Club best-and-fairests are a matter for the club but I’m sure a club wouldn’t have any hesitation in adopting the same approach.”

This year the League will endeavour to conduct almost 1000 tests for performance-enhancing drugs.

While the AFL is confident it has a drug-free culture - only one player has tested positive to performance-enhancing drugs since testing began in 1990 - that could mean some players’ samples might not record a positive return for several years.

“We wouldn’t hesitate in making that public - the fact that that player had been taking drugs and I don’t think that’s the sort of thing that any retired player wants sitting beside their name,” Anderson said.

The League agreed to the new code to beef up its anti-doping drugs laws.

Anderson said there was no evidence of performance-enhancing drug use in Australian football but the League wanted to get on the front foot.

“It’s a proactive [step],” he said.

“The integrity of our game is fundamental to us and performance-enhancing drugs are a massive threat worldwide to different sports and their integrity and we are determined to stay ahead of the game.

“That’s why we are entering into this agreement. We don’t want the integrity of our sport threatened by performance-enhancing drugs and we’re determined to take every step we can to prevent that happening.”

ASADA acting CEO Richard Ings praised to League for agreeing to the new measures.

“This program is a gold-standard program for Australia sport,” Ings said.

“It is funded by a significant financial commitment to the AFL and will ensure that the sport of AFL is doing everything that it possibly can do to protect the integrity of this sport and the integrity of this competition for its players and for its fans.”