HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson says he supports the AFL's illicit drug policy but admits he would like to have known the extent of Travis Tuck's problems.
Clarkson was informed of Tuck's Friday night hospitalisation on Saturday night, but not about his three strikes or battle with depression until Sunday.
He said he might have treated Tuck differently this year had he known the depth of his issues.
"It helps everyone; it certainly would have helped me as a coach," Clarkson said on Thursday.
"You just think back to the times throughout the year and the cutthroat nature of AFL footy, and just the manner you've spoken to him and handled him and other players.
"If you'd known of his mental illness as well as his illicit drug-taking, you may have been more tolerant or treated him in a different manner in light of that.
"It's not to discredit the AFL. The drugs policy and the AFLPA are actually pioneering in world sport and it's fantastic.
"It's not to say the treatment Travis was getting over that period of time over the last 12 to 18 months was not first-class either, because it was.
"It's just whether or not his teammates and us as a footy club could provide him with that support as well and I think we could.
"But if the illicit drug policy has to go because of us needing to find out earlier, then it's probably not a good outcome either, so I don't know the answer. But I do know that if we were able to support Trav a bit earlier, maybe last Friday wouldn't have occurred."
Clarkson said Tuck's battle had put life in perspective on the eve of the Hawks' elimination final against Fremantle on Saturday at Subiaco.
He also said the revelation of his illness explained why Tuck's football had not developed as the club had expected.
Tuck trained at Waverley on Thursday, as did vice-captain Luke Hodge, who is expected to return from a knee injury.
"[Tuck] just needed to get back into a normal routine. He's had a pretty big week as we have as a footy club," Clarkson said.
"It's been able to direct a couple of fallacies out there that this game is life and death for our footy club in terms of being a cutthroat final but, more importantly, Travis' illness is a genuine life-and-death situation.
"It does give us an opportunity as a club to take stock of it and understand that while this game is critical in terms of our aspirations, compared to life itself it's not very important at all."
Forward Rhan Hooper was restricted to walking laps on Thursday while ruckman Brent Renouf moved well despite copping a corked leg against Collingwood last week.
