What's happening with the AFL's new Illicit Drugs Policy?

The Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Players Association (AFLPA) have been grappling with the implementation of a new Illicit Drugs Policy (IDP) for seven months, despite an in-principle agreement being reached in March. The new policy, touted as the toughest in Australian sport, was set to be operational in 2026. However, the AFL and AFLPA have been unable to resolve several issues, including designing the education and behavioral change programs, and appointing members to a joint committee to oversee the program.

The IDP is based on medical advice to promote players' health and wellbeing, with players undergoing annual education programs and hair sample testing twice a year for evidence of drug use. The punishment for drug use is a three-strike system, with penalties ranging from a suspended fine to a 12-match suspension. The policy, first established in 2005, has faced significant criticism in recent years, with independent senator Andrew Wilkie denouncing it in a speech to federal parliament in 2024.

Despite the AFL and AFLPA announcing the new policy, it remains unimplemented, leaving the old system in place until the new program is in place.