Canberra AFLW star Alexia Hamilton has expressed her embarrassment after being hit with a two-game suspension for possessing cocaine.
The 23-year-old and her Sydney Swans teammate Paige Sheppard were charged after being found in possession of an illicit substance while outside a hotel in Sydney's eastern suburbs in December.
The duo were handed a conditional release order and no conviction was recorded after facing Waverley Local Court in Sydney in January.
The news came to light on Monday night, with the AFL swiftly coming down hard on the pair on Tuesday.
Both Hamilton and Sheppard will miss two AFLW matches after being found guilty of conduct unbecoming.
"I am extremely embarrassed and apologetic for my actions, and the position I have put my family, friends and teammates in," Hamilton said in a statement.
"I understand I have significantly broken trust, and I apologise to our members, fans and club partners for that. I accept full responsibility for my actions."
Hamilton climbed the ranks in AFLW after becoming the first female All-Australian in Queanbeyan Tigers history in 2018. She joined the Sydney Swans in 2022.
The incident is the latest in a spate of illicit drug controversies to plague the AFL, with a number of men's players also sanctioned in the past few years.
Former Collingwood forward Jack Ginnivan copped a strike under the illicit drugs policy early last year and was suspended for two matches after admitting to drug use.
Ginnivan, who has since moved to Hawthorn, was also handed a $5000 suspended fine after vision emerged of him with a substance.
Western Bulldogs midfielder Bailey Smith also copped a strike and two-match ban in similar circumstances in 2022, after being filmed with a bag of white powder.
The players were dealt with under the AFL's illicit substances policy, which involves a three-strike process for players who test positive for certain drugs.
A first strike is kept confidential and involves a fine and counselling, while a player is publicly named and suspended for four games after a second strike.
Melbourne's Joel Smith tested positive for cocaine following the Demons' win over Hawthorn in round 20 last season. As the test took place on game day, he must follow a separate process and has been provisionally suspended since October.
The AFL confirmed on Tuesday the women's players are not currently subject to the illicit substances policy, meaning Hamilton and Sheppard will not receive a first strike.
Despite this, AFL general counsel Stephen Meade expressed his disappointment with the pair's behaviour.
"AFLW players, in fact all players are well-educated when it comes to the harms associated with the use of illicit substances," Meade said.
"While Alexia and Paige have been extremely remorseful and apologetic for their actions, they have a responsibility to themselves, their clubs, and their professional careers to uphold community expectations.
"Our review, in collaboration with the AFLPA, of the AFL's Illicit Drug Policy continues. The AFL's expectation is that that AFLW players will be part of any future policy. In these circumstances, both players have been dealt with under the AFL rules and the accountability both publicly and privately is appropriate."
