AS THE AFL approaches the official trade period it becomes harder than ever to separate fact from fiction. Especially when Ben Cousins is involved.

So it is inevitable that an alleged sighting of Swans coach Paul Roos drinking coffee in Sydney recently with Cousins's close friend, West Coast ruckman Dean Cox, has created significant speculation. And that speculation has only intensified after the meeting was initially confirmed by Cox's manager and uncle, George Michalczyk, and then denied by Roos. Later, Cox's manager contacted the Herald via text to say Cox had "definitely not" met with the Swans coach. Yet the rumours persist, with another club source admitting yesterday to having heard about the alleged meeting.

Cox was definitely in Sydney - he was at one point seen by this reporter enjoying an Italian meal in Bondi - when the alleged meeting took place. Could it be that Roos was inquiring about the health and wellbeing of the ruckman's good friend, Cousins?

After all, Cousins would link perfectly with another player to have caught the Swans' eye, former West Coast teammate Daniel Kerr, with the club having told his manager they would be interested in the talented midfielder if his contract negotiations with the Eagles fell through.

The intrigue surrounding the meeting with Cox grew when the Herald contacted Michalczyk last Tuesday. He confirmed Cox had met the Swans coach but maintained it was purely a social chat, saying: "He was having a coffee with Paul Roos - what's wrong with that? It was purely a social chat. I'm his uncle and his manager and he's got another three years on his contract. It was just a social, chance meeting."

For his part Roos was adamant he had not met Cox, who is contracted to the West Coast. However, there would of course be no problem if the Swans were interested in Cox's close friend, Cousins. Certainly, it would represent a sudden shift of policy from earlier in the year when the Swans were one of the handful of clubs who said they were not interested in the drug-addicted star.

Sydney, the club and the city, could be the perfect environment to nurture the fallen Cousins back to his best. But getting a clear picture on who is and who is not interested in him has been difficult throughout the season.

Yesterday, Swans football manager Andrew Ireland had this to say when asked if the club would be interested in recruiting Cousins: "No."

Some clubs have been loath to declare their hand, or voice concerns about Cousins's wellbeing, for fear of upsetting his high-profile manager, Ricky Nixon, who has worked diligently to restore the fallen idol's image. And even for a club such as the Swans, which prides itself on rehabilitating shop-soiled recruits, Cousins would be a high-risk proposition.

Cousins appeared on Channel Seven's grand final coverage and talked about where he would like to play. While he has been linked with Collingwood in recent weeks, he also has ties to the Brisbane Lions and the Western Bulldogs. Ultimately, the 30-year-old said he was looking for a club with a focus on welfare.

The Swans are perhaps the best club in the AFL when it comes to taking care of a player's wellbeing.

"I haven't worked through where I'd like to end up," Cousins said at the weekend. "In a perfect world, I would have loved to have stayed a one-club player at West Coast and finished my career on my own terms, but I understand with my unique circumstances that the club has to move on and I guess so do I.

"I think a big part of it for me is it's not just a football decision. I have to find a club that has the right structure and has its head around addiction and the things that come not just with being a footballer but a person and the things that I've been through. A big part of that is finding the right environment to keep me fit and healthy."

Until then, friends say, he is understandably worried as to whether or not he will be re-registered by the AFL, allowing him to be placed in the pre-season draft.

In the meantime, he's hoping to finish off a documentary on his battle with addiction and his continuing rehabilitation. The doco is being narrated by rocker Jimmy Barnes, who has also struggled with addiction.