WHILE the AFL plans to drug test Ben Cousins up to three times a week on his return to the league, the Brownlow medallist would almost certainly be tested up to four times a week when the match-day target testing of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is included.

The Federal Government authority tests for performance-enhancing drugs for the AFL and other elite sports.

But it is also required by the World Anti-Doping Agency to target test certain athletes.

The requirement would likely see a regular game-day drug test for Cousins.

Anti-doping authority chief executive and chairman Richard Ings would not comment on whether Cousins would be subjected to target-testing.

Ings said yesterday the authority does not discuss "when, where and how" it tests athletes.

"Like every other anti-doping agency around world we implement the requirements of the (World Anti-Doping Agency) code, and yes, we do do target testing, but we don't flag when, where and how we do it."

Under the AFL's illicit drugs code, a mid-week positive test to drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines result in a "strike". But on match days those drugs and ecstasy are deemed stimulants and therefore performance enhancing.

A match-day positive test for Cousins would probably end his career. But it would have far more serious implications for the image of the AFL.

An athlete who tests positive for cocaine, amphetamines or ecstasy on a match day faces a two-year ban, the penalty that rugby's Wendell Sailor received.

The AFL, clearly, would prefer to avoid that scenario, and its rigorous mid-week testing of Cousins should reduce the chances of a scandalous match-day test.

On game day, a player is deemed a cheat because the stimulants are considered to have potential to enhance performance.

"Illicit drugs are very easily detectable with the simplest of drug tests," Ings said.

"If the AFL has a 650-test-a-year program, and if an athlete has it in their body on match day, then that program is absolutely going to pick it up, a la Wendell Sailor.