Australian Olympic Committee boss John Coates says greater scrutiny will also now be placed on support staff in the wake of the recent supplements scandal that has engulfed the Cronulla and Essendon football clubs in the past 18 months, amid claims some Sharks players were given substances suitable only for equine use.

"I understand them trusting those people, and doing what they’re told by a coach employed by a club," Coates said. "But I’m afraid that’s no excuse. We have to make sure we get these people.

"The AOC prides itself in leading the way with a lot of anti-doping initiatives. ASADA [ Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority] would acknowledge that. I want to get the message to our sports – and hopefully others outside of the Olympic movement – so they will look at their obligations. They have to do this to protect the health of their athletes. We don’t want athletes being given equine treatments."

A new World Anti-Doping Agency code needs to be adopted by the world’s leading sports on January 1, with and one of the key changes to be an increase in penalties from two years to four years for "serious or intentional" infractions.

The AOC executive agreed at a meeting on Thursday to implement WADA’s new policy, informing all national federations a final decision will be made at another meeting on November 21.

But Coates says the AOC has gone further when it comes to broadening coercive powers to ensure doping is stamped out.

Under Section 3.1 of the AOC’s proposed anti-doping by-law, athletes will be required to "co-operate and assist ASADA by attending an interview to fully and truthfully answer questions, give information, and produce documents in an investigation being conducted by ASADA – even if to do so might tend to incriminate them or expose them to a penalty, sanction or other disciplinary measure".

One of the reasons for ASADA's drawn-out investigation into peptide use has been lawyers, for players from both the Sharks and the Bombers, claiming they did not want to unwittingly give information that might incriminate themselves.

Under the proposed AOC by-laws, that is not an option for Olympic athletes.

"What the AOC has done is gone further than the ASADA legislation goes, and what the WADA code requires, and that is to answer whatever questions that anti-doping authority might have," Coates said. "That is only going to apply when someone is in our team. We have no ability to impose that on athletes before they enjoy our team … But if you make our team, and ASADA wants to investigate you, you do have to co-operate and assist. You do have to answer questions. And if you do not, we will deal with you under our code."

Coates clashed with then shadow attorney-general George Brandis and the Greens at a Senate committee hearing in March last year into mooted changes to ASADA’s powers.

"The Greens and Senator Brandis argued this was an infringement of people's human rights," he said. "I reminded the committee and him this same power is given to ASIC [Australian Securities and Investments Commission] in order for them to protect the integrity of our financial markets. I didn’t win that. But I see nothing different in protecting the integrity of sport – and our athletes."

Coates says the widening of powers to also sanction support staff and "athlete personnel" will act as a strong deterrent to athletes using dubious sports scientists.

"In the past, athlete support personnel have often been outside the jurisdiction of the anti-doping authorities, because they weren’t members of clubs or national federations," he said. "If they are found to have breached the professional rules of their own associations, they can be declared prohibited persons.

"I've had a discussion with ASADA. They understand it's a very important obligation on them to properly tag any such people and publicise any such people so the athlete knows who they’re not to deal with.

"But the onus is on the athlete. They have to know the person they are dealing with is not a prohibited person. They also have to understand even if the person is not prohibited, they have the responsibility of having to comply with all the anti-doping rules."