> Mick Malthouse and Nick Maxwell at the traditional captain and coach press conference held at Fox Sports Studios

COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse says more should be done to ensure players don't breach the League's drugs policy and therefore jeopardise their health and careers.

Malthouse, who appeared in Ben Cousins' documentary and was also in the Richmond rooms to farewell his former midfielder on Sunday, has backed the AFL's drugs policy but believes greater support can be offered to players who have a drug problem.

It was revealed on Tuesday that Hawthorn's Travis Tuck had been treated last week for a suspected drug overdose.

Malthouse said families and clubs were best equipped to support any player who was potentially using drugs, and should therefore be informed of a positive test.

"The football industry itself looks after football people fantastically," he said.

"Football clubs look after their players ... but you'd like to have additional information that might not be available to you.

"Someone's got to have that information so we can help people. We're not here to see them fall over. We want to nip things in the bud before they become too great."

Under the League's current drug code, only the player and the AFL medical officer are informed of a first positive test. Following a second strike, the club doctor is notified but must keep the player's identity confidential, while a third strike results in the player being sent to the AFL tribunal.

"All I say is review it," Malthouse said.

"I'm not saying it's right, wrong or indifferent. I'm here to say that the AFL policy itself, I don't see anything wrong with it, however if we're going to help young players I think key people at football clubs need to be informed so we can do something about it.

"And I don't mean to say 'we' as in 'me' as in a coach. Maybe I'm the last bloke that should know about it, but I would be very surprised if a bloke like [football manager] Geoff Walsh at Collingwood shouldn't know something about it, or the player's parents shouldn't know something about it, or the psychologist shouldn't know anything about it.

"Certainly the club doctor [should know]. We're not here to see someone fall or fail. We're here to help and get someone back on their feet."