Recently retired St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt has joined the growing number of voices calling for reform of the AFL's illicit drug policy.
Riewoldt said players are allowed to game the system and that drug use in the competition is "out of control."
Speaking on SEN on Monday morning, the former Saint said that players were "taking the piss."
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"It’s out of control now because the players can, that’s the way that the policy is set up," Riewoldt said.
"The AFL, by their own admission on their own website, 'what the policy is designed to do is to identify players with substance abuse issues and place support around them to protect their health and wellbeing.'
"Now, the vast majority of players don’t have substance abuse issues, they’re taking the piss because the system allows it.
"Hair testing in the off-season and during the season, that’s only to identify the numbers.
"There’s no recourse, there’s no ramifications, it’s a free-for-all."
Riewoldt said the current system allowed players to shirk any consequences too easily.
The six-time best and fairest winner said positive hair tests didn't result in any sanctions, while a second strike wouldn't matter if a player entered a "mental wellness program."
Riewoldt said suspensions for a first positive test would send the strongest message to the players.
"If they’re serious about getting the number closer to zero, remove the safety net," he said.
"If players do have a legitimate substance abuse issue, then getting a suspension on their first detection is probably the least of their worries.
"Missing four games of footy or whatever it might be, that's the least of their worries because they need to go and sort their lives out.
"The blokes that are just doing it because they can, because the system allows them to get away with, you’re telling me if they’re getting a four-week ban for first detection, they’re going to do it?
"I don’t think they’re that stupid. They’re not going to do it because they know that if they get caught they're going to miss four weeks of footy and everyone's going to know about it."
