Fremantle tagger Ryan Crowley will miss at least the first four rounds of the season after it was confirmed he will face the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal on May 1.
Crowley has been provisionally suspended since last September after he failed a match-day doping test.
The 31-year-old, who claims he ingested a banned substance through a pain-killer, is facing a suspension of up to two years.
Even if he is cleared, he will miss games against Port Adelaide, Geelong, West Coast, and Sydney at the very least.
Meanwhile, the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal will hand down its findings in the Essendon doping saga next Tuesday.
A total of 34 past and present Bombers players have been caught up in the scandal.
TIMELINE FOR RYAN CROWLEY’S DOPING CASE
*ASADA written submissions due by 2 April, 2015
*Player written submissions due by 17 April, 2015
*AFL written submissions due by 21 April,l 2015
*ASADA written submissions in reply due by 24 April, 2015
*Hearing on 1 May, 2015