One photo shows two bags of something, but Crisp is not in that image. What’s in the bags? The AFL obviously will ask the Collingwood gun whether those bags were in his possession and, if so, about their contents.

For Collingwood, the stakes are reasonably high given that the Magpies have started the season well. Until Crisp’s video and their 33-point loss at the Gabba, the only fly in the ointment for Craig McRae had been the loss of the club’s recognised ruckmen, an issue that forced them to recast their side against the Lions and really hurt.

In examining Shane Mumford, Bailey Smith last year, and Ginnivan, the AFL standard penalty for a viral video that shows a player in the act of participating in drug use is two matches. But if the player isn’t in the same frame as the bag, it becomes harder to hang him on that count. Then there is also the matter of whether the comments about women warrant punishment, but that can only be considered if Crisp is the author of the captions.

Another question for the AFL to ponder is whether the player put this video up into the social media sewers, or if it was a private message that was leaked out by another party. Snapchat – considered a platform for the young – is an outlet that is meant to be for only fleeting, disposable messages.

But as Jake Carlisle discovered in 2015 when he took a Snapchat selfie of himself inhaling a line of power – and which ended up on national television just as the Saints had completed the paperwork for a trade with Essendon – these brief moments can easily be captured and then circulated widely.

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A footballer who posts offensive material on platforms that aren’t private is begging for trouble, yet such missteps are not uncommon. It is more forgivable if the communication was private and then leaked, albeit something really shocking and distasteful will still cause trouble for the player. In Crisp’s case, the most difficult part of this video is the impact on his family.

The Pies would miss Crisp sorely if he was rubbed out, although it would be a brief spell. He’s much more important than Ginnivan.

For the AFL and the 18 clubs, the issue of handling these videos that go viral is becoming more and more worrisome – social media videos/photos account for a high percentage of all player-related scandals, especially in the realm of illicit drugs, and the competition’s brand protection imperatives mean the player will often pay the price if he is found holding the bag, to so speak.

A problem for the clubs and competition is that members of the public and fans of rival clubs can potentially weaponise a video of a star player, releasing the toxic images into the social media swirl before a big game or final. One club boss said he felt that this was appeared to be where the game was heading.

Club officials know that there would be dozens and dozens of unpleasant or damaging videos – of players displaying genitals and so forth – out there somewhere on the internet, or saved on someone’s phone, ready to detonate.

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The answer for the modern player, obviously, is to avoid doing anything that could bring shame. And for those who can’t exercise sufficient self-control, then avoiding posting the offensive stuff, or having it recorded.