MELBOURNE coach Neil Craig says "pushing the boundaries" within the field of sports science is healthy if done within the rules.
Renowned during his time at Adelaide for his innovative training methods, Craig said on Tuesday that the development of sport relied on people looking for ways to improve athletes.
"The term pushing the boundaries, that's why elite sport or high performance sport in the world gets better and better and better and better," Craig said on Wednesday.
"If people didn't push the boundaries, well people wouldn't break the four minute mile.
"The key thing is to push the boundaries within the rules of the game. That's the issue."
Craig holds a sports science degree and has worked with the Australian cycling team team at the Olympic Games and with the South Australian Institute of Sport, as a senior sports scientist.
Craig's processes with the Crows revolved around having his players at peak fitness at the business end of the season.
Under Craig, the club reached the finals in five consecutive seasons.
His comments come as an investigation is underway into a St Kilda player who is believed to have returned an irregular sample.
The player could face a lengthy suspension if found to have taken a banned substance.
Ben Guthrie is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_BenGuthrie
