Port Adelaide have admitted to fears they could lose two of their most crucial players — Paddy Ryder and Angus Monfries — to anti-doping suspensions for the opening games of the 2015 season.
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Club chief Keith Thomas has admitted that he does not share the confidence of Essendon coach James Hird and his president Paul Little that the players facing anti-doping penalties would be free to play in round-one.
"I'm not confident," said Thomas. "I'm on the fence. I think there's a real chance they'll get some penalty and we have discussed that with them.
"Our players are sharing legal representation with the Essendon players and I know the AFL Players Association, in particular, is very confident they will be cleared.
"But I've also spoken with the AFL and they are completely 50-50 on what the outcome will be. They cannot say for sure either way. That's my position."
Little addressed the Bombers' season launch on Monday night and declared he believed the 34 players who took part in the drugs program of 2011-12 would be cleared by anti-doping tribunal chairman David Jones on March 31.
Hird said before the launch: "We're very confident the players will be cleared of everything."
Thomas revealed his fears on the eve of Wednesday's AFL meeting at the game's head office of all 18 club integrity representatives.
Port Adelaide's integrity director Amanda Vanstone was due to attend the talks as the club sought an explanation over the lengthy time delays which followed Ryan Crowley's first positive drug test after a round-17 game last July.
Thomas said he had contacted the AFL on Monday after learning about Crowley's B sample tested by ASADA just two days before the qualifying final between Port and Fremantle.
"I was a bit surprised, I must admit," said Thomas, adding that he had consulted with coach Ken Hinkley and his football department before seeking clarity from the AFL. "I'm not really clear how these things work.
"I called (AFL executive) Andrew Dillon on how the timing went and he explained that the testing had quickly identified that Ryan had tested positive for a specified substance, which meant it was only in his system for that one particular game.
"The reality is we are trusting in the judgments of the experts who handle this."
