AFL PLAYERS can't expect to lead ordinary social lives and they have to learn to curb their drinking, Adelaide coach Phil Walsh says.

His comments came after the club-imposed suspension of Gold Coast players Harley Bennell, Brandon Matera and Trent McKenzie for drinking alcohol last weekend.

Walsh, who has given up drinking, said it was crucial for any alcohol policy to be successful there had to be a buy-in from the entire playing group.

Impressed with the policy in place at Port Adelaide – where players drink during the season only if they have an eight-day break –he negotiated a similar rule with Adelaide's players ahead of the 2015 season.

The Crows coach insisted that in his time as a player and coach alcohol had played a role in most problems that had arisen.

"If you're a professional athlete – and it's something I think AFL football's been slow to buy into as a culture – one of the things you've got to understand is you actually can't have the normal social life that other people have," Walsh said.

"One of those things is what you do with your alcohol consumption, you have to make some changes to it.

"We have an alcohol policy at this club, I won't tell you exactly what it is, but I will tell you the leadership group took it away and thought 'No Phil, that probably won't work here, you need to maybe adjust a couple of things'.

"I was happy to do that and at this point we've have no incident where the group's had to give each other feedback.

"Most footy clubs I've been at, if there's been a problem, guess what? Alcohol's involved."

The Suns' three omissions will help Adelaide's cause at Metricon Stadium on Saturday, although the loss of Richard Douglas and Ricky Henderson will not.

Douglas will miss up to six weeks with a foot injury, while Henderson will undergo scans on Thursday for a possible pectoral injury.

Henderson's injury makes likely the debut of Jake Lever, the club's first pick (No. 14 overall) at last year's NAB AFL Draft.

He gathered 26 possessions in the SANFL last weekend and while Walsh was keen to protect the 19-year-old from the game's "monsters", the fact is Adelaide's defence needs bolstering.

"We've been really happy with his development, some people have asked why didn't you play him last week? I just wanted to see another game," he said.

"He's a skinny kid in some ways, but he's a really competitive kid as well, so I'm always a little bit scared about putting those guys in against the real big monsters.

"But now the situation with our tall backs [means] it's probably time to see whether he can do it or not."

Meanwhile, rookie Reilly O’Brien has been promoted to Adelaide’s senior list. The ruckman, 19, has replaced draftee Harry Dear, who has been moved onto the long-term injury list as he recovers from a shoulder reconstruction.

Reilly, 201cm, 98kg, was selected with Adelaide’s first pick (No.9) in last year’s NAB AFL Rookie Draft. He also played as a defender in the TAC Cup.

A rookie must be promoted to the senior list in order to be considered for senior selection, including as an emergency.