Collingwood players Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas accept two-year bans for

Collingwood players Lachlan Keeffe and Josh Thomas have been banned for two years for using the performance-enhancing drug Clenbuterol.

“We accept that this was a case of two young men who made poor decisions to consume illicit drugs, decisions they will regret for the rest of their lives”, he said.

It is likely today’s news conference will confirm the outcome of an AFL Anti-Doping tribunal hearing into the matter.

“We apologise for the pain we have caused to those closest to us”, Thomas said in a statement read to the press conference.

“We take full responsibility for our mistakes and we accept the consequences”, he said.

“It would not have been possible to establish the facts without first agreeing to confidentiality, which allowed all parties to speak freely and for us to gather a complete and we believe accurate picture of this ordeal”, he said. We acknowledge we made an error in judgement.

The Collingwood players tested positive back in February of this year and were last month officially issued with infraction notices for alleged breaches of the AFL’s anti-doping code.

Pert said the case would serve as a red flag to any athlete considering taking recreational drugs.

Thomas and Keeffe both tested positive to banned substance clenbuterol earlier this year and have opted not to contest the charges levelled against them.

Their ban has been backdated to start from March, 2015.

Collingwood has delisted the pair and also fined them around $50,000 each.

Pert said that the figure had been agreed to by the players and their representatives.

Collingwood CEO Gary Pert confirmed the pair had been delisted but that the Magpies had committed to redrafting them as rookies at the end of the season, if they were available.

“We can only assume it occurred in a night out prior to testing, when we took illicit drugs”, he said.

“Their decisions will cost them two years of playing AFL football, a game they love and have dreamed of playing since they were boys”.

“It will ultimately cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars and dented their reputations”.

“We’re keen to give them the light at the end of the tunnel… if they want it”, he said.

Banned player Lachlan Keeffe of the Magpies (left) and Neile Balme the club’s Director of Football.

Thomas, 23, has played 32 games for Collingwood after debuting in 2013.