Reports about the upcoming end of the AFL’s doping scandal on March 31 are greatly exaggerated.

Whatever the league’s anti-doping tribunal decides, the Essendon supplements scandal appears certain to drag well into this season.

The AFL announced on Friday the tribunal will hand down its decision on March 31 after hearing charges against 34 current and past Essendon players.

The charges relate to the club’s controversial 2012 supplements program.

The tribunal hearing started on December 15 and ended on February 17.

Regardless of the verdicts, the stakes are so high that someone will probably appeal.

Also, the March 31 announcement is only for the verdicts – any guilty findings will mean the tribunal have to sit again to decide on penalties.

If the players are cleared, it would be a massive blow to ASADA’s credibility.

If the players are found guilty and receive heavily-discounted penalties, the World Anti-Doping Agency could step in and appeal to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport.

And the players are likely to appeal if the verdicts go against them – especially if they receive heavy suspensions.

The verdicts will be handed down two days before the AFL regular season starts.

Essendon’s season opens on April 4 when they play Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

The tribunal findings have had a massive impact on Essendon’s pre-season, with the club receiving AFL approval to use top-up players during the NAB Challenge.

That is because the 25 Essendon players from 2012 who are still at the club decided to sit out all games until the verdicts are known.

They are doing that to preserve the anonymity of roughly 18 players among them who are awaiting their verdicts.

The charged players are sitting out all games to protect potential back-dating of their suspensions if they are found guilty.

But five of the 2012 players have received permission from Essendon to play in the pre-season.

And last week, the AFL stepped in and stopped six players from taking part in a special training session for the 2012 players who are sitting out games.

Those six players have joined the club since 2012 and the AFL’s reasoning was it would unfair if they did not play the following day in the NAB Challenge match against St Kilda in Morwell.

Essendon coach James Hird last week was still upbeat about the tribunal verdicts.

“We’re not thinking they (top-up players) will be required in the regular season because we’re very confident with the way the tribunal will go with our players,” Hird said.

“We’re concentrating on the fact we’ll have our best team out there in round one against Sydney and that’s our plan.”