EDDIE McGuire suggested on Friday that a Ben Cousins comeback would prove one of football's most triumphant tales, and so it would.

Even better, the film is already in production and would presumably become an even bigger hit should the 2005 Brownlow medallist once again become a successful AFL player.

The Cousins-funded documentary features a cast of characters ranging from the player himself, his former teammates, including Chris Judd and coach John Worsfold, senior journalists, Cousins' immediate family and Heath Ledger's father Keith, who is a close family friend.

The chronicle was devised, Cousins said, largely to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Like his now-determined attempt to have his ban from playing football lifted, the film has played a crucial role in his rehabilitation battle and the evidence of the damage he inflicted on his family is particularly confronting.

Significantly, Cousins has asked his mother to accompany him to tomorrow night's Brownlow Medal count and she has accepted. He was due to arrive today in Melbourne, where he will also begin his latest round of medical and psychological testing, which remain the subject of some confusion where timing is concerned.

Although the AFL has continued to point out that Cousins has not yet sought written permission to have his suspension lifted, the strong feeling from the Cousins camp yesterday was that permission will be officially sought as early as this week.

That's when the situation will get interesting.

The AFL, according to the Cousins camp, has proved frustrating to the process in that it took it until May this year to tell the banned player exactly what was required of him to negotiate clearance to play again.

True, the AFL is not exactly bending over backwards to help the fallen star and why should it?

Last year, Andrew Demetriou and Adrian Anderson flew to Perth to gain a better understanding of Cousins' situation and senior AFL staff and medical officers spoke to him relatively frequently.

Now, Demetriou has removed himself from the saga, which is probably because, as a commissioner, he will play a major part in the decision on Cousins' future next month.

But subtly, there is more to it than that in that Demetriou must have felt sorely let down by Cousins' public fall from grace at Northbridge late last year.

There must be some sentiment among the most senior people in the AFL — not necessarily overriding but prevailing nonetheless — that wishes Cousins would simply go away.

After all, he was a superstar who continually got away with bad behaviour and badly damaged the competition's reputation although Cousins himself would say he carried the can for several footballers.

In returning to playing, Cousins is seeking redemption, but the AFL fears an early injury followed by a relapse would rip open a still raw wound, damaging the competition's famous brand.

Which brings us to Collingwood, which has declared its interest in the player and apparently leads the charge, if there is one, ahead of St Kilda.

McGuire's great story faces any number of obstacles even if Cousins does satisfy Dr Peter Harcourt and company along with the controversial illicit drug hair-testing procedure that will inevitably precede any medical clearance.

McGuire said on Friday that Cousins had to prove he was no longer a drug addict, but of course he will always be one now.

With Scott Burns expected to announce his retirement, along with all the other senior departures from the Magpies over the past two seasons, the club remains confident it has a significantly strong enough unit to support a risk such as Cousins as well as Alan Didak, who the club continues to carefully stage manage and cautiously support.

But what a risk it is.

Not to mention the risk of a 30-year-old body that has not played regular football for two years and remains one hamstring snap away from sporting obscurity.

The upside is that Cousins comes a lot cheaper these days and appears at present fully fit and clean.

But on all the available evidence the ending points more strongly to disappointment than to a fulfilment.

Caroline Wilson is a 2008 Australian Football Media Association triple award-winner: Alf Brown Trophy winner, most outstanding news reporter and most outstanding columnist.