The bans for the use of some illicit drugs like cocaine and marijuana could be reduced as part of a WADA code reform.
The Daily Telegraph reports a number of leading international anti-doping bodies will meet in Poland this week to vote on the reform, which is part of a new World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code due for 2021.
The proposal suggests that if athletes who've used illicit drugs can prove they weren't meant for performance-enhancing purposes, the ban could be reduced from months to weeks.
Another inclusion in the new code could be further reductions to bans should the athlete commit to a rehabilitation program.
Whilst both codes fall under the WADA code, the proposed rule changes wouldn't affect how the AFL and NRL approach their own bans for illicit drug use.
A number of sports stars in both major codes have been caught up with illicit drug use in recent years, with bans varying across the board.
Former league star Ben Barba was handed a three-month suspension from the NRL after testing positive to cocaine after the Sharks' 2016 premiership-win, which led to him being released by the club.
Meanwhile, Kiwi stars Jesse Bromwich and Kevin Proctor, who were caught on camera consuming cocaine in , were spared a ban from ASADA. They were however axed from New Zealand's 2017 World Cup squad and received minor bans from their respective clubs.
In the AFL, young Collingwood defender Sam Murray returned a positive matchday test in 2018 which found metabolites of cocaine in his system.
He was subsequently handed an 18-month backdated ban by the AFL tribunal, meaning he will return to training this December ahead of the 2020 AFL season.
Under the current code, illicit drugs like cocaine are considered performance-enhancing if they are detected on matchday because they're stimulants.
