The AFL Players' Association and the AFL wish to advise that the members of the working group to review the competition's Illicit Drug Policy met on Thursday in Melbourne.

The group, comprising AFLPA and AFL representatives, club officials, medical experts and current players, met for several hours to discuss the policy's framework, and the focus of education programs, counselling and testing under the policy. 

The group re-stated their view that the wider AFL Player Group deserved ongoing credit for voluntarily agreeing to be part of the illicit drug policy, when not required to do so. 

Clubs, medical experts and the players are equally committed to further improving the policy and explored a number of areas, as well as reviewing the approaches used by those other sports that have an illicit drug policy of their own in place.

The AFLPA has received the agreement of all players in the competition to being hair-tested over the next six months to better inform the knowledge base of the clubs, the AFL's medical officers and the working group, which demonstrates the players’ commitment to reviewing the policy. All clubs were notified on Friday of this step.

The working group will reconvene later in the season to discuss further steps and what potential changes may be enacted for the 2016 season.