• WADA announces appeal of Essendon's 'not guilty' verdict
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• Ten things you need to know about WADA's appeal
GILLON McLachlan says the World Anti-Doping Authority's appeal against the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal's findings into Essendon's supplements program may create "a couple of days of noise" before people focus on football again.
The AFL chief says the football season is "going incredibly well", and the strong state of the game should ensure the case doesn't become a distraction.
WADA announced early on Tuesday morning it would appeal the Tribunal's March decision that cleared 34 past and present Essendon players of taking a banned substance.
"I knew the decision was going to be today, so I was a bit matter of fact about it," he said.
"I think I contemplated both scenarios, so surprise ... probably not."
We'll prove our innocence again: Hird
McLachlan said he wasn't aware of new evidence, or if WADA had the power to launch a new investigation as part of the appeal.
He said he believed the AFL's lawyers could be in the room when the appeal was being heard but the League would have "very little involvement" in the process.
"This is something between the Essendon playing group and WADA in a different jurisdiction," he said.
"We're not really a party to the case.
"I don't know very much. I don't think anyone really does.
"I've got the same level of visibility as you guys, there's an intention to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the rest of it is detailed in a process that will play out run by WADA.
"I don't know any details, I haven't heard of any new evidence, it will be a 'de novo' hearing, which just means the whole thing will be played again.
"There's going to be a couple of days of this noise and then in all likelihood it's a long way away, this appeal, and people will hopefully be focused on a very competitive and exciting and tight football season."
Essendon players now face another season plagued by uncertainty about their future in the game.
But McLachlan, who had only briefly spoken to Essendon chairman Paul Little on Tuesday morning, backed them to remain stoic as they had since the start of 2013 when the crisis arose.
"They've shown extraordinary resilience so far and they'll be required to have that again," he said.
"This is going to be a level of distraction but I think it will be in the background."
Earlier on Tuesday, leading Melbourne lawyer David Galbally QC, who acted for former Essendon fitness coach Dean Robinson in his lawsuit against the club last year, said if WADA won the appeal, the players faced two-year sanctions.
He called the anti-doping body's decision extraordinary, and didn't believe there was any new evidence to be produced.
Galbally said said the AFL was within its rights to reject WADA's findings.
"It could provoke a response from the AFL which is, 'We are not bound to follow the decisions of an outside body ruling us. We've already had this determined'," Galbally told Triple M.
"It's a total inconsistency by [ASADA CEO] Ben McDevitt in relation to the way he's going about it.
"It really doesn't say very much about the standards of ASADA, nor what's going to happen in the future if ASADA is going to be run like this."
Galbally described WADA's move as "a flawed prosecution".
