THE AFL believes suspended Hawthorn midfielder Travis Tuck's mental and physical condition could have deteriorated further had it not been for its player-driven illicit drugs policy.

While Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett says clubs should be informed of any positive tests, the AFL will persevere with the current process where the player decides who should be told.

Football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the policy enabled Tuck's clinical depression to be diagnosed.

"After his first detection, he received medical treatment from his club doctor and other medical professionals, and on his second, he received additional medical support to which he's responded very well prior to this recent lapse," he said on Wednesday.

"That second opportunity is really an important one.

"If a club was required to know under the policy, this would never have been detected.

"The treatment Travis has been receiving over the last year has been fundamental to him being in the position he's in today.

"It could easily have been much worse if we had said to the players, 'The only way we can have this policy is to tell the presidents and coaches and CEOs'. There would be no policy and no detection."

Tuck was suspended by the AFL tribunal on Wednesday night for 12 matches after he returned a third positive drug test from an incident last Friday.

It was determined his use of illicit drug GBH was not recreational, social or performance-enhancing, and instead a "severe by-product of clinical depression".

The Hawks have vowed to stand by their player should he be delisted and will offer him the chance to continue training with them in the hope of securing a rookie list spot for 2011.

The AFLPA is also supportive of the policy and how it uncovered Tuck's problem.

"We shouldn't overlook the fact that the first time we've had a player have three positives under the policy, it's a player who has a very serious medical condition," AFLPA chief executive Matt Finnis said.

"The person who's known at the club throughout that period was the club doctor, a qualified physician, and that club doctor has played a very important role in the referral and the management and treatment, in conjunction with drug and alcohol experts.

"From a players' association perspective, all we can ask is that players are afforded the opportunity to receive tailored support from those best placed to provide it.

"There was always an acknowledgement that at some point in time a player may have a third strike and be subject to the penalties and sanctions and the orders the AFL tribunal has handed down.

"What we're encouraged by is the AFL tribunal in its orders has appropriately balanced the need to maintain the integrity of the policy, which is built around confidential counselling and interventions, with sanctions at the end of that period."