NINE AFL players failed an illicit drug test during the past 12 months — down from the 19 positive tests in the previous year — but West Coast's Ben Cousins is not believed to be one of them.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson yesterday said the league would increase the number of tests, and target specific players, even though the number of positive tests had declined, with four failed tests in the past six months. Anderson confirmed Cousins had been target-tested on "multiple occasions".

But it is believed Cousins has pledged to the club that he is not one of the 25 players to have been caught with drugs in their system (of the 28 failed tests, three players have twice failed tests).

Anderson seemed to confirm this when he said yesterday: "What we've got is 25 players who have been caught and had their lives altered because we have a policy. This is a policy that has addressed a major point in the lives of 25 players who could have gone down the track of Ben Cousins. Because Ben has been a player in this system for a significant amount of time and the awards he's won, he's been tested on multiple occasions in past years."

It is understood that several West Coast players met Cousins in Perth yesterday and returned to the club with encouraging reports on his wellbeing. Cousins was seen yesterday darting from the apartment of former girlfriend Sam Druce to the western suburbs house of 34-year-old socialite Natasha Pozo, and back again, reportedly with several changes of clothes in his car.

The results of the 490 out-of-competition illicit drug tests done in the 12 months to the end of February found one player testing positive to marijuana (down from six in 2005) while the remaining failed tests were for unidentified drugs including cocaine, amphetamines or ecstasy.

Anderson said the league was prepared to significantly increase the number of tests and risk the possibility of a rise in the number of players caught. "The more we test the more we are likely to intervene in the life of a player who might have taken an illicit drug, to help educate and rehabilitate that player," Anderson said. "It doesn't concern me if the result of that extra testing means we find more players. That means we are intervening and assisting those players."

He said testing not only targeted award winners, but those whom AFL doctors and investigators had credible information might be using drugs. "When a player tests positive we generally have repeat target tests to ensure they have responded to the counselling and education."

It is further understood that players who fail a drug test are separately subject to regular drug testing by the doctor as part of their clinical treatment. Returning a positive result in these tests, which are part of the treatment protocol, do not put them at risk of second or third "strikes".

Sydney player Michael O'Loughlin said yesterday that he believed players should be named after a first failed drug test. "I'd like to see it so that … once you've done the damage, you've probably got to get named and then get the counselling," O'Loughlin said.

Out-of-competition testing for illicit drugs is carried out on any day other than match day, which is when the World Anti-Doping Agency code applies.

Players can not be tested for illicit drugs on their six to eight-week leave period or on their day off each week, but can be tested any day, anywhere, for performance-enhancing drugs. Under the WADA code, players found with traces of illicit drugs in their system on match day face a two-year suspension.

THE TESTS

A total of 990 tests over two years — about 500 each year

2005

■ 19 positive drug tests

■ 6 for marijuana

■ 13 for other drugs — cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine, heroin

■ 3 players failed a second test

2006

■ Nine positive drug tests

■ One for marijuana

■ Eight for other drugs

■ No player failed a second test