{"id":926045,"date":"2026-10-13T01:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T01:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/926045\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T01:00:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T01:00:16","slug":"afl-2026-afl-issue-carlton-a-please-explain-as-potential-punishment-loophole-emerges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/926045\/","title":{"rendered":"AFL 2026: AFL issue Carlton a \u2018please explain\u2019 as potential punishment loophole emerges"},"content":{"rendered":"

The AFL has issued Carlton with a \u2018please explain\u2019 after two of its players were hospitalised over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward were taken to hospital in separate incidents following a party at the latter\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

It is alleged illicit drugs were used at the party, though Carlton is refusing to comment on whether the pair who were hospitalised used illicit drugs.<\/p>\n

The club will conduct an internal investigation into the incident including questioning the players involved, report Channel 7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Carlton will then pass on their findings to the AFL.<\/p>\n

The league will then decide whether to take action – and could sanction the players involved if illicit drug use is admitted or discovered.<\/p>\n

However, any potential punishment will not fall under the AFL\u2019s new illicit substances regime, which is yet to be implemented after being announced in March.<\/p>\n

The new system, which will be introduced just before the 2027 season, is set to crack down on the use of illicit substances.<\/p>\n

Improved hair testing will reveal if a player has taken drugs in the previous three months.<\/p>\n

But since testing will not start until the beginning of March, players could effectively have a free pass to take drugs until the end of November.<\/p>\n

\"Steffie<\/p>\n

The AFL\u2019s old policy relies on urine testing, which can only detect illicit substances that have been used up to three days before the time of the test.<\/p>\n

Once the new system is implemented players who pass positive tests could face suspension.<\/p>\n

They will also be required to participate in a behavioural change education program, while ongoing clinical assessments and a management plan will be put in place if a player produces a second consecutive positive test.<\/p>\n

Carlton confirmed its players were discharged from hospital with their wellbeing being prioritised.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Carlton Football Club can confirm that Lachie Cowan and Will Hayward were admitted to hospital under separate circumstances on Sunday morning,\u201d a statement read.<\/p>\n

\u201cCowan received medical treatment and underwent observation, before being discharged a short time later.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill Hayward experienced a minor cut to the head after a fall, and admitted himself to hospital where he received stitches before being discharged.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Club has been in regular contact with both players, with priority for their wellbeing and both players have now received the necessary care relating to their separate circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

News.com.au has contacted the AFL for comment.<\/p>\n

Originally published as AFL issue Carlton a \u2018please explain\u2019 as potential punishment loophole emerges<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The AFL has issued Carlton with a \u2018please explain\u2019 after two of its players were hospitalised over the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":926046,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[493457,493470,493471,491894,493461,403118,493468,493477,491905,436770,379284,493472,385144,376769,25908,638,436172,380545,493462,64,63,55,639,493458,456606,6856,493466,7781,491896,1730,461572,493475,378245,4082,461689,80501,493456,193916,493479,416841,491901,30132,493474,48713,13053,381654,493460,111386,493463,5948,7820,50084,493467,65937,436101,493469,493465,85,479925,299488,8825,493464,27460,3370,380488,379302,493478,377055,465462,382205,215379,167550,377724,380953,491902,407568,376757,378652,175806,493476,493473,376539,384773,22514,493480,491903,439854,185004,22719,493459,264227,112087],"class_list":["post-926045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-s-house-it","tag-s-new-illicit-substances-regime","tag-s-old-policy","tag-separate-circumstances","tag-a-behavioural-change-education-program","tag-a-fall","tag-a-free-pass","tag-a-management-plan","tag-a-minor-cut","tag-a-party","tag-a-player","tag-a-second-consecutive-positive-test-carlton","tag-a-short-time","tag-a-statement","tag-action","tag-afl","tag-an-internal-investigation","tag-an-investigation","tag-any-potential-punishment","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-billy-gowers-the-afl","tag-both-players","tag-carlton","tag-carlton-a","tag-comment","tag-cowan","tag-drugs","tag-former-afl-player","tag-gauntlet","tag-his-wife","tag-hospital","tag-illicit-drug-use","tag-illicit-drugs","tag-illicit-drugs-the-club","tag-illicit-substances","tag-illicit-substances-improved-hair-testing","tag-its-players","tag-lachie-cowan-and-will-hayward","tag-march","tag-march-the-new-system","tag-medical-treatment","tag-morning","tag-news-com-au","tag-november-isaac-heeney","tag-observation","tag-ongoing-clinical-assessments","tag-place","tag-players","tag-positive-tests","tag-potential-punishment-loophole","tag-priority","tag-regular-contact","tag-report-channel-7-carlton","tag-separate-incidents","tag-sports","tag-steffie-waters","tag-stitches","tag-sunday","tag-suspension-they","tag-testing","tag-texas","tag-the-2027-season","tag-the-afl","tag-the-afl-the-league","tag-the-beginning","tag-the-carlton-football-club","tag-the-club","tag-the-end","tag-the-head","tag-the-incident","tag-the-latter","tag-the-necessary-care","tag-the-new-system","tag-the-pair","tag-the-party","tag-the-players","tag-the-previous-three-months-but","tag-the-test-once","tag-the-time","tag-the-use","tag-the-weekend","tag-their-findings","tag-their-separate-circumstances","tag-their-wellbeing","tag-three-days","tag-tom-papley","tag-two-carlton-players","tag-urine-testing","tag-will-hayward"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/926045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=926045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/926045\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/926046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=926045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=926045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=926045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}