St Kilda player Ahmed Saad is likely to wait weeks to find out whether he faces a two-year ban after fronting an AFL anti-doping hearing on Wednesday night.
The 24-year-old 29-gamer tested positive in July to a banned substance, which Saad claimed he took inadvertently.
He continued playing while his B-sample was being analysed.
But after that also came back positive, he started serving a provisional suspension and sat out the Saints’ final two matches of this year.
That means any ban would be expected to be backdated from when he began serving that suspension, on August 20.
The Saints said at the time the decision to start the suspension before the case was heard did not amount to an admission of guilt.
“The commencement of the provisional suspension is not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing and the matter will be determined before the AFL tribunal at a date to be fixed,” the club said in a statement in August.
The banned substance was reportedly contained in the supplement Before Battle, made by Viking Protein, who sponsored Saad.
Before Battle contains an ingredient MethylSynephrine, which is prohibited in-competition.
Saad could face up to a two-year ban, but an outcome from Wednesday night’s hearing is not expected for several weeks.
Coach Scott Watters’ decision to play Saad, against Brisbane at the Gabba in round 19, after his initial positive test, was reportedly among the acts which fractured Watters’ relationship with the club’s board and executive.
Watters was sacked last week.
Saad’s hearing, which was closed to media, was being chaired by AFL tribunal chairman David Jones.
The panel also included Dr Susan White, a sports physician from the Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee and Wayne Henwood, a member of the AFL tribunal panel and former player.