THE SUSPENSIONS slapped on Essendon's 34 past and present players are another wake-up call for all AFL players to check every substance entering their bodies, Hawthorn onballer Isaac Smith says.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport gave the Bombers no leniency for trusting medical staff assurances that the supplements they were taking during 2012 were legal, and Smith said the harsh penalites had put the competition on notice.
"It was a bit of a shock to everyone, but personally I'm just glad that it's finally come to a conclusion of some sort," he said.
"It's been around for three-and-a-half years now, so hopefully that's the end of it and the AFL can just worry about playing AFL footy."
Smith said players and clubs alike had tightened up the checks and balances on everything footballers put into their bodies in the wake of the scandal, with the speedy wingman only drinking protein shakes ticked off under the WADA code.
"I don't think it's just players now, I think clubs are all over it as well. You've got team doctors, medical staff and everyone in the sports science side of things that are really careful now, and we tick everything off," Smith said.
"We just make sure that everything's ticked off by the AFL or ASADA or WADA so you can't get into any of these little mishaps.
"We're all very careful now, especially in this day and age, and it's a good thing – it means we have a clean sport and everyone's going to be performing at the same level."
The fallout from the Bombers suspensions could see Jobe Watson stripped of his Brownlow Medal triumph in 2012, with runners-up Hawks veteran Sam Mitchell and Tigers captain Trent Cotchin in line to possibly share a retrospective award.
Smith said any player "would be pretty stoked" to accept the award, but doubted it would be at the forefront of his teammate's mind.
"I think that's probably the least of Mitch's worries and I think Trent Cotchin as well," he said.
"I don't think those two blokes would be thinking of it too much, and I know Mitch is keen just to play good footy this year."
