The comments come as the AFL has fought successfully to stop Fairfax Newspapers and other media outlets from publishing the names of three players who have twice tested positive to illicit drugs.
Under the AFL's Illicit Drug policy for out of competition testing, a player is not publicly named until his third offence when he is then forced to front the AFL tribunal and risks copping a suspension of between six and 12 matches.
However first and second positive tests only result in a player being counselled by the AFL's Medical Officer although the player can also ask for his club doctor to be informed.
This is a separate policy from drug testing for performance enhancing drugs and on match days, which are subject to much harsher penalties under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, which results in first offenders being immediately named and suspended with third offenders facing a life ban.
Under the AFL's Illicit Drug Policy, a first or second positive test is not grounds for sanctions - a fact which the experts are firmly in favour of.
"That is consistent with the overall approach to our national drug strategy," Professor Margaret Hamilton, the Co-Deputy chair of the Australian National Council on Drugs, told Sportal.
"Why should AFL players be treated any differently to any other members of the community?
Professor Hamilton said counselling players in private was the best way to get them to change their lifestyle.
"You can sit down and show them the risks they are taking not only to their health but their career and reputation," she said.
"This is far better than blaming, naming and punishing them (by sacking them) where they then receive no support (in helping the player to change his lifestyle)."
Rob Moodie, chair of the Premier’s Drug Prevention Council and CEO of Vichealth, agreed saying the "AFL is taking a much more proactive and sensible approach than any other sporting body I have seen."
“People need to understand that what the AFL is doing is detecting drug use far earlier than might otherwise be done under WADA testing," Moodie said.
“The AFL is taking a much broader and better approach in terms of counselling and treatment instead of just looking to chuck people out and move the problem."
“The AFL is getting to the root of the problem rather than dealing with it after the fact (and) as far as I am concerned the Illicit Drug Policy is the fence at the top of the cliff rather than the approach taken by some of putting an ambulance at the bottom.
“It is working to prevent illicit drug use rather than waiting for it to happen."
Bill Stronach, the CEO of the Australian Drug Foundation, described the AFL's approach to illicit drug use as "sensible."
"It places player welfare as a top priority but backs that up with sanctions if this approach fails," he said.
"It is not a soft approach. It is a sensible, humane and constructive way of addressing a very complex issue''
"AFL players are young people. Like other young people, some will experiment with drugs and the AFL's policy is trying to ensure that this experimentation does not become a long term problem but also clearly signals it is unacceptable behaviour that has heavy sanctions"
