AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has virtually shut the door on former Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins ever returning to the game, urging the sacked Eagle to concentrate on beating his drug addiction and regaining his health.

Deregistered by the AFL after his dramatic axing from the Eagles on Wednesday night, Cousins will need the permission of the AFL Commission to nominate for any future draft.

Demetriou suggested any such approval was highly unlikely next year, saying a return to football should be the "furthest thing from our mind".

"There is absolutely no doubt that he is just not ready to play football, he has got serious issues, serious health issues that should be the only priority and focus for him and, I am sure, for his family," Demetriou said yesterday on a phone hook-up from Paris.

The league boss also seemed to rule out any return to elite competition in the future, saying it would be "really hard for him — really, really difficult for him to play in our competition".

"From our perspective, the AFL has now got an obligation to manage this great competition on behalf our stakeholders, which there are many. We are responsible to our players, to our clubs, to our sponsors, to our broadcasters and, more importantly, to our supporters.

"And our obligation going forward is to manage this competition and Ben Cousins' obligation is now to go and manage his life and to get his life in order."

But still Demetriou offered the fallen Eagle the AFL's support if he sought to continue his rehabilitation. "Both the West Coast Eagles and ourselves will continue to support Ben Cousins and make available our medical commissioners and provide whatever medical support he needs. But the reality is that the focus in Ben's life cannot be football," he said.

Yesterday, Cousins appeared in court on charges of possessing an illegal drug and failing to take a blood test after being arrested on Tuesday. It was the latest in a long list of indiscretions for Cousins, who missed the first 15 rounds of the season while attending drug rehabilitation in California.

Demetriou said there would be no about-face on Cousins' sacking and deregistration, even if he were to beat the charges, because of the growing number of incidents surrounding Cousins, as well as his breaches of the contract and his refusal to cooperate with the police.

Cousins was put on notice this year that breaches of the strict behavioural conditions placed into his contract would result in him being sacked from the club.

Cousins' arrest has further harmed the reputation of the Eagles. When their former captain was suspended indefinitely this year, the AFL Commission warned the club any further indiscretions by its playing group could lead to a loss of draft picks or premiership points.

The commission meets on November 19 and Demetriou is sure Cousins and West Coast will dominate proceedings.

"I can't pre-empt what the AFL Commission will determine other than to say that I have got no doubt that it will be discussed."

However, with the AFL happy with West Coast's handling of the current situations, the Eagles could escape punishment despite the earlier threats.

Demetriou also moved to appease the parents of boys who could be drafted by the club next month.

"They have made great progress and they are still a very good football club, but unfortunately they have had a player who has fallen through the cracks and, in many ways, I would encourage any parent to understand that football clubs are very, very good environments for young people to be involved in.

"I would encourage any parent who has got a young son who may be going to the West Coast, to speak to the West Coast Eagles board, speak to the coaches, speak to the players, so they can make their own decision."

Demetriou again defended the AFL drug policy that has come under pressure in the wake of Cousins' arrest and continues to be attacked by the Federal Government.

"There isn't a policy in the world that guarantees a 100 per cent success rate, otherwise we wouldn't have people who would have substance abuse problems.

"All we have is a policy that endeavours to change and rehabilitate people's behaviour and in the main it has been successful, but we have never deluded ourselves that we are going to have some people who will fall through the cracks," he said.

"I am not sure why the policy is being targeted when, whether Ben Cousins was on a one-strike, two-strike, three-strike policy or the policy was different, I am not sure there would have been a different outcome."