Some Essendon players reportedly were injected every week, receiving up to 40 jabs a season, as part of the club’s supplements program.

“That’s not astronomical, that’s extremely astronomical,” one club doctor told the Herald Sun.

Players at most clubs average about one injection a year – for the flu or painkillers.

The paper said the supplements given to the players and documented by Essendon have been found not to be illegal by Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) investigators.

Essendon is confident the substances injected were not in breach of anti-doping laws.

ASADA is investigating the practices of the Bombers’ former sports scientist, Stephen Dank, who also worked with three NRL clubs.