Collingwood have been rocked by reports that up to 11 of the club’s players tested positive to illicit drugs over the off-season.

The explosive claims were revealed by News Corp on Thursday evening just before the AFL season got underway at the MCG.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire responded to the report on Fox Footy and said that the club’s hands were tied when it came to the AFL’s illicit drugs policy that guarantees player confidentiality.

• The New Daily‘s 2016 AFL crystal ball: Eagles will soar
• Denis Pagan: Worsfold and Bolton should be wary of Chinese whispers
• This is the key ingredient West Coast need to win the premiership
• Why you shouldn’t be fooled by the Geelong hype

“It’s a question without any basis in fact but as far as I know it could well be the truth because we don’t find out,” McGuire said.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire: our hands are tied. Photo: Getty

“We get piecemeal information. We’re speaking to the AFL in the next couple of weeks about the hair-testing results but until the clubs have actually got some control over it there’s no point talking to the clubs.

“It’s an AFL and AFL Players’ Association matter.”

The Magpies have pushed for changes to the policy in the past, urging the AFL to allow clubs access to testing information so they may better safeguard the health and well being of their players.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it so there’s no further comment from the club,” McGuire said.

“If we had any further comment we probably couldn’t anyway because these things are supposed to remain confidential.”

Collingwood duo Josh Thomas and Lachie Keeffe are currently serving bans for taking illicit drugs mixed with a banned substance.

Magpie Lachie Keeffe (pictured), along with Josh Thomas, tested positive to banned substance last year.

-AAP