Drug ban served, Wade Lees plots VFL return with Frankston Dolphins Wade Lees, pictured in action for Casey, looks set to return to the VFL after serving a drug ban. HAVING served an 18-month suspension for importing a performance-enhancing drug, Wade Lees is preparing to resume his career in the VFL. The determined midfielder is training with Frankston and is likely to join the stand-alone Dolphins for 2014. Lees, 25, played for the Casey Scorpions until being banned by AFL Victoria in May, 2012, over a fat-burning product he ordered from the US on the internet. Australian Customs picked up the package and informed the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, which found it contained traces of a banned steroid. Lees was charged with "attempted use of a prohibited substance violation." An AFL Victoria tribunal suspended him for 18 months. Adamant he never knew the fat-burner was illegal, Lees was initially bitter about the case, unable to understand how he could be booted out of the game over a product he never put in his hands. He says now he deserved some form of punishment. "I don't think I should have been given the penalty I was given," Lees said. Maybe I was a bit reckless, ordering something and not knowing exactly what it was. I should have checked. Looking back now, I should have got something, but not as harsh as that (18 months). Lees went overseas for four months this year and returned determined to make a strong comeback to the VFL. "The hunger's definitely there, to go out and prove a point, mainly to myself, that I can get back to where I was," he said. Early days, the whole thing wore me down. But now it's sort of driving me. You can't change what happened. No point worrying about the past because I can't take back time. I can only look forward to playing some good footy. Frankston coach Simon Goosey said the club rated Lees highly and would be pleased to sign him.