Gillon McLachlan denies that the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) offered Essendon players a reduced six-month sanction for their substance scandal.

Recent reports via ABC reveal that ASADA has tabled a six-month sanction for Essendon players, on the condition that they admit that they took performance-enhancing substances in 2011 through 2012.

According to the report, ASADA will accept the doped Essendon players and will qualify for a WADA "no significant fault" discount, reducing the standard two-year ban to 12 months for use of prohibited substances. Ben McDevitt, ASADA chief executive is also allegedly willing to apply the 75 per cent discount, which applies for athletes who admit guilt.

Despite the reports claiming that ASADA had tabled the offer to McLachlan, the AFL executive told ABC that he was not cognisant of such offer.

"I know Ben has been out there talking about, that under the act, that his view is that substantial assistance and no fault negligence would broadly apply here and I think there has been discussions historically with him and the players' representatives," McLachlan said.

Furthermore, McLachlan added that ASADA has not tabled anything with him but he hasn't checked his emails just yet. He understood reduced bans for the Bomber players could be considered as it has been theoretically available but it comes with a guilty plea.

The report about the tabled deal came in the same week that 17 Cronulla Sharks players were offered deals by ASADA for reduced bans, which they have to accept until Friday.

Cronulla captain Paul Gallen believes that players who will accept anti-doping bans from ASADA by pleading guilty still carry a stigma.

Gallen who was one of the 17 players who were involved in the 2011 supplements program says that if he or other players accept the reduced bans, they will be automatically labelled as drug cheats.

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