Former Collingwood star Dane Swan has admitted taking illegal drugs during his AFL career at the Magpies.

“You show me someone who doesn’t know someone who has experimented or tried social drugs, and I will show you a liar,” Swan told the Sunday Herald Sun.

“I have experimented with what some people call recreational drugs, but have never taken performance-enhancing drugs or what you might call ‘heavy’ drugs.”

Swan, who won the Brownlow Medal in 2011, revealed that he never failed a drug test during a career that started at Collingwood in 2003.

“Not one positive test under the AFL’s illicit drugs policy, which, given the amount of times I was tested, proves that drugs have never been an issue through my career, despite what some people have implied,” the 32-year-old said.

The midfielder suffered serious damage to his foot in Round 1. Photo: Getty

“I am not promoting it, or encouraging it, or glorifying it … of course I have tried drugs, but it doesn’t mean that I have a habit or a problem, it doesn’t mean that I do it every single weekend or to the extent that people have speculated about it.”

Swan retired after suffering a foot injury in the opening minutes of the 2016 season, bringing an end to his 258-game career which included winning a premiership in 2010.

The newspaper interview was given to coincide with the release of his new book Dane Swan: My Story.

In the book, Swan details how the drug culture has changed dramatically since he became a footballer.

“Back when I started playing AFL footy, if you walked into a house party and saw cocaine or an ecstasy tablet, you would be shocked. Now, if you go to a house party and see people using cocaine, it doesn’t raise an eyebrow.”