Last March, the AFL Tribunal found the players not guilty of using a banned substance administered in 2012 by controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank.
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), which initiated the case, chose not to appeal but the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) exercised its right to do so last November.
Today (tues), the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld that appeal banned the players for two years, back dated to march 2015, meaning the 34 will miss the entire 2016 AFL season.
AFL Players boss Paul Marsh says the decision is a disgrace.
"I genuinely believe that they've done nothing wrong here, and to be ruled out of a season of AFL football, their careers are so short. The average career is six years and most players have a career less than that and to have a year taken off them through no fault of their own it's just a disgrace."
Former Essendon coach James Hird has also slammed the decision calling it a "miscarriage of justice".
