DESPITE it being the biggest fine he could remember in his time in football, AFL Players' Association chief executive Brendon Gale has endorsed the penalty imposed on forward Rhan Hooper by the Brisbane Lions.

Hooper was fined $40,000 for what the Lions called 'persistent and serious breaches' of his playing contract and Gale said the AFLPA endorsed the figure because it was seen as four separate fines rather than a single one.

"The fine in isolation would be far in excess of what is prescribed under the [players’] code of conduct," Gale said.

"But it is a series of what the club regards as serious and persistent breaches; the accumulation of which is four lots of fines and the aggregate is $40,000."

The Lions issued the punishment after Hooper served a club-imposed 28 day suspension for failing to attend pre-season training.

They said in a statement on Monday night that Hooper had failed to meet benchmark standards upon his return to training.

Gale confirmed the AFLPA had liaised with Lions, Hooper and his representatives before the penalty was decided and believes that the 20-year-old can resurrect his career.

"It is a two-way street and it is really important that Rhan meets the expectations outlined in his contract in terms of training and preparing professionally," he said. "If he does that he’s got an exciting future.

"It probably is [the biggest I can recall] but there have been a series of situations. There has been a pattern of persistent misconduct and the club has been pretty clear on what the expectations are of Rhan.

"So far he has failed to meet those but he’s got an opportunity now to get on with it. They think very highly of him as a footballer and we hope he can get on to prepare professionally and play good footy."

Responsibility also rests with Hooper if he wishes to continue at the elite level, however, the AFLPA would help him if he felt he needed it.

"There are some things that might be affecting his situation at the moment," Gale said.

"We’re there to support players and Rhan is no different. We’ve got a range of measures and services there to support him if required."