And Brisbane Lions welfare manager Craig Lambert will also miss a year of football for his role in helping Whitfield avoid drug testers in 2015. Allan and Lambert were with Greater Western Sydney at the time.

Whitfield's punishment has yet to be confirmed, but he was close to agreeing to a six-month suspension but remains hopeful he can return to training in mid March.

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Association chief Ben McDevitt intervened last Thursday, declaring that Whitfield's ban have similar restrictions to those imposed on the Essendon players and Whitfield be blocked from training or attending the club.

The various parties were negotiating a compromise to allow Whitfield to resume training two months before he was eligible to recommence playing after round eight next season.

The Magpies have said they have contingency plans for Allan's absence. He controversially replaced Neil Balme as head of football after the Pies failed to make the finals this year.

Allan's absence will be a major blow for coach Nathan Buckley, who will be fighting to save his career next season after the Pies' poor recent seasons.

It is understood the AFL is also looking to strip the club of two early draft picks, possibly a first- and second-round selection in national draft on November 25. If the AFL Commission was to ratify this at Tuesday's meeting, it's understood Giants chief executive Dave Matthews could launch a legal fight.

Lambert's wife is likely to be able to continue in a welfare role with the Lions while her husband is suspended.

The charges relate to an incident in May last year when Whitfield stayed at Lambert's house for three days, on the advice of Allan, allegedly to avoid drug testers.

Whitfield had said he had taken illicit drugs and the former club officials were concerned the drugs could have been laced with performance-enhancing drugs, as had been the case with suspended Collingwood pair Lachlan Keeffe and Josh Thomas, and they wanted to avoid having him tested.

Because they allegedly acted to avoid a performance-enhancing drugs test that meant they also potentially breached the AFL anti-doping code, or WADA code, which would draw a mandatory minimum four-year suspension.