FEDERAL Sports Minister Senator George Brandis yesterday again failed to acknowledge the distinction between sacked West Coast star Ben Cousins' drug rehabilitation problems and anti-doping policies.

Prime Minister John Howard and Brandis this week have used Cousins' latest problems to beat the AFL on its "three-strikes" policy on illicit drugs.

On Thursday, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the policy was irrelevant in Cousins' case because the Eagle had never returned a positive test.

In response yesterday, Brandis reiterated the Government line. "… If you want to be an elite sportsman or woman in this country, you can't do drugs."