The appearance of Brownlow medallist Jobe Watson on On the Couch on Monday was deliberate. The answers he gave to seriously confronting questions around a morbid subject matter were honest, believable and brave.

Some commentary on what this means for Watson has, however, bordered on the hysterical. Despite the severity of the AFL's anti-doping rules, it is myopic to presume Watson ''guilty'' or ''a cheat'' based only on his candidness.

Like any athlete faced with allegations of doping, Watson must be presumed innocent and given the unfettered opportunity to successfully defend himself. He has a fighting chance.

Watson's admissions included that, in 2012, he signed a consent form concerning the Essendon supplement program. That consent form included information about the proposed future administration of the substance AOD-9604. He was specifically told that AOD-9604 did not offend the WADA prohibited list. He was also told that the substance administered to him was AOD-9604. Watson understands that this was the substance administered to him.

Read the previous paragraph carefully: the nuances of Watson's language raise important issues. Watson does not say he used AOD-9604. Watson's disclosed beliefs are something different. Evidence of what Watson was told is not tantamount to proof of what happened.