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ESSENDON players have reportedly been issued with show-cause notices by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

News Corp is reporting ASADA served the notices on players on Thursday following a 16-month probe into the club's 2012 supplements program.

Any players or officials found guilty of doping offences face suspension from all sport.

But the process of deciding whether anyone is guilty could take years, with legal action a certainty.

Show-cause notices require players to explain why they should not be handed infraction notices for breaching the WADA drug code.

If ASADA doesn’t accept the explanation they then compile a report on each player that may have breached the code. This report is then given to an independent group of experts who assess the evidence and decide whether an infraction notice should be issued by ASADA and the AFL.

If an infraction notice is issued, the player would be suspended immediately until the issue is resolved.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-06-1...doping-notices