AFL players union set for emergency meeting with Suns

The AFL Players Association is preparing for an emergency meeting with the Gold Coast Suns players on Thursday as it seeks a way of dealing with the cocaine scandal.

Player agents quizzed AFLPA chiefs at their annual conference at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, with PA general manager of player services Ian Prendergast and lawyer Brett Murphy set to head north to deal with the escalating drama at a lunch-time meeting.

While former Sun Karmichael Hunt has made a bold statement implicating at least seven former teammates in a cocaine binge during end-of-season celebrations, there is a view among some agents that there is no collaborating evidence - such as photographs - that other players were involved and Hunt has "ratted on" his teammates in a bid to strike a better deal with authorities.

In a statement, the PA said: "The AFLPA has been in discussions with players, representatives from the Gold Coast Suns and the AFL regarding this issue.

"The AFL industry has adopted the illicit-drugs policy to deal with illicit-drug usage and we expect this matter to be dealt with in accordance with this policy.

"We will continue to support the players involved in these allegations, as well as the broader Gold Coast playing group."

This came as Fairfax Media was contacted on Tuesday by a member of the public offering to sell four photographs of one high-profile Suns player using drugs in a hotel room in Melbourne. The man asked for $15,000 for the photographs - which Fairfax Media declined.

He said the photographs were not of Hunt or captain Gary Ablett.

Suns chiefs have turned to one-on-one interviews with players in a bid to extract a truthful explanation of the drug-fuelled events that have brought the AFL's $100 million expansion club to its knees.

Former Hawthorn player Mitch Hallahan, now with the Suns, said that Gold Coast chief executive Andrew Travis had taken charge of interviews seeking answers over Hunt's claims that several players had joined him in using drugs at a Sunday night party in a Gold Coast apartment and during the club's Mad Monday celebrations at the Bearded Dragon Hotel last year, and later on a four-day golf trip.

It was on this trip Hunt alleges there were bags of cocaine "packaged in ... smaller packets".

"He [Travis] outlined the severity of what's going on, but also to be honest and upfront about the whole thing," Hallahan said.

"He outlined it was better to come one-on-one to see him, because in a public [team] forum it was probably uncomfortable for some guys to speak up, and he's going to follow up with each player one-on-one."

It's unclear whether the players will have legal representation when they meet with Travis, whether that be through the players' association or independent counsel.

Travis had said on Monday that he wanted to break the bonds of mateship when the interview process began. The AFL integrity unit will also be involved in the investigation.

The illicit drugs policy, already under review and now even more questionable in its application, means that any Suns player who admits to drug use will have one strike recorded against his name. However, this remains confidential.

The Suns were asked in February to come forward and admit any drug use in wake of Hunt's court case. None came forward, prompting the club to declare  it did not have a drug problem.

Fairfax Media reported at the time that only one Gold Coast player registered a positive hair test at the start of that club's pre-season as part of off-season testing. This is despite the fact court documents indicated a time-line linking Hunt's cocaine purchase to the Suns' 2014 Mad Monday celebration.

Hallahan said he had been surprised by the Suns' lack of professionalism when he joined the club, but this had improved under coach Rodney Eade. He rejected suggestions the Suns had a "party culture".

"We all know Hawthorn, the way they conduct themselves off-field is second to none," Hallahan said.

"I wouldn't say we're a long way off, but when I did arrive there was some preparation in terms of training, that wasn't great.

"Nick Malceski said the same thing when he came here, 'Rocket' [coach Rodney Eade] said the same thing. There were things we identified early in the piece that we needed to get right and the last three or four months we've really stepped up."