Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has called for the AFL to scrap its illicit drugs policy, after images emerged showing star midfielder Bailey Smith holding an "illicit substance".
The photo of Smith holding a plastic bag containing a white substance emerged over the weekend. A video was also circulated showing Smith sniffing a substance at a party before wiping his nose.
The club said the image and video were taken in late 2021, following the Bulldogs' grand final loss to the Melbourne Demons.
In an apology statement released on Saturday, Smith said he was "deeply ashamed".
Under the AFL's illicit drugs policy — which differs from the anti-doping code focusing on performance-enhancing drugs — players are randomly tested and receive a strike if they test positive.
If a player receives one strike under the policy, they are fined $5,000 and must undertake counselling and further testing. Club management is not told about the positive result at this stage.
The second strike results in a four-match suspension and the player's test result being made public.
After the third strike, the player serves a 12-match suspension.
On Monday, Beveridge told the Seven network the policy was ineffective.
"I'm a big believer that it should disappear, and there's not many sporting codes in the world that have an illicit drug policy — it's obviously all based around performance enhancing," he said.
"None of us really feel it works."
The coach said drug use was a health issue, expressing his support for last week's decision by the ACT to decriminalise small amounts of drugs.
"No-one's immune to it, and many young people are exposed to it," he said.
Beveridge said Smith was being supported by the Bulldogs, after the club earlier said it did not condone his behaviour.
On the weekend Smith said his mental health had "dramatically deteriorated" in the period leading up to the incident, leading to poor decision making.
Beveridge said the AFL did not apply strikes to players with a mental health condition.
"Essentially any player with a clinically diagnosed mental health challenge will never be exposed to the policy anyway," Beveridge said.
"Regardless of when you're tested or how often you're tested you're always going to get a pass."
Smith took a break from the AFL in December due to struggles with his mental health.
The AFL will interview Smith in the coming days to decide if he should receive a fine or game suspension.
The Bulldogs player is currently serving a two-match suspension for headbutting Geelong player Zach Tuohy.
