Richmond skipper Chris Newman says Ben Cousins is on track to play in next Thursday's AFL season opener against Carlton having recovered from the severe stomach cramps which saw him hospitalised last week.
The controversial former West Coast captain and self-confessed drug addict trained strongly on Thursday morning and with still a week to go before the opening round clash against the Blues looks set to cap off a remarkable recovery.
"Ben is going well," Newman confirmed at the AFL's captain's day on Thursday.
"He trained this morning and looks very well."
"It didn't look like much was fazing him so I think he will play (against Carlton)."
"All the indicators say he trained really well this morning and he looks fit and is up and about."
Mystery surrounded Cousins' hospitalisation after he was rushed to the Epworth Hospital in Richmond with severe stomach cramps a week ago only to be released and then hospitalised again when the condition returned.
It was then reported in Melbourne's Age newspaper that Cousins, who made a successful return from his much-publicised drug addiction with West Coast at his new club Richmond last year, had been spoken to by the Tigers in regards to his binge drinking.
That report was later denied by the club with Newman adamant on Thursday that the 2005 Brownlow Medalist was not battling off-field problems again.
"Obviously the club has come out and stated that was false," he said of the drinking allegations levelled at Cousins.
"No-one has spoken about that internally at the club and it definitely isn't an issue."
"I'm not too sure what the diagnosis was (for Cousins' stomach cramps) in the end but he looked good to me this morning."
Cousins, who turns 32 this year, made his debut for the Tigers and his comeback to the AFL - after being suspended for all of the 2008 season following his slide into drug addiction - in the corresponding game against Carlton last year.
But the champion midfielder ruptured his hamstring and missed the next five matches before returning to play in 13 of the last 15 matches of the season as he began to show signs of recapturing his best form.
Cousins - a four-time best and fairest winner at West Coast - eventually finished fifth in the Tigers' best and fairest despite missing seven matches for the season.