THE CASE between the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and 34 past and present Essendon players has been adjourned until next Tuesday. 

The AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal sat again on Thursday morning, albeit briefly, to discuss a number of procedural issues.

The hearing, which is being held behind closed doors at the Victorian County Court, will now resume on Tuesday, January 20. 

On Wednesday, ASADA finished its opening submissions against the past and present players in questions, with the anti-doping body's lawyer Malcolm Holmes QC continuing to present evidence on what was the hearing's sixth day. 

Another medical expert was called to help build ASADA's case. 

ASADA is alleging the 34 players and one support person, no longer employed by Essendon, breached the AFL Anti-Doping Code through the use of the banned peptide thymosin beta-4.

In December, ASADA lost a legal battle to have two of its key witnesses, biochemist Shane Charter and compound pharmacist Nima Alavi, testify at the hearing.
 
Charter and Alavi have given evidence to ASADA but refused to sign sworn affidavits backing the authority's allegations that the players were administered the banned drug Thymosin Beta-4 as part of Essendon's 2012 supplements program.
 
When Holmes concludes his submission, lawyers for the players will argue the players were given a legal version of thymosin, thymosin alpha-1 or thymodulin.

The hearing is being held in private after a ruling by Tribunal chairman David Jones on December 8 last year.