COLLINGWOOD has withdrawn from the race to recruit Ben Cousins, leaving St Kilda as the hot favourite to secure him if the AFL clears him to resume his career.

Cousins' manager, Ricky Nixon, confirmed last night that the Magpies had informed him that they would not be pursuing Cousins in the draft — a decision believed to based on a raft of reasons, including the club's preference for youth, concerns about injury and his well-documented issues with drugs and even the potential impact on sponsorship in the current environment.

The withdrawal of the Magpies, who had been the early favourites to snare Cousins — a favouritism based largely on the player's relationship with his old coach, Mick Malthouse — leaves the Saints as the frontrunner for Cousins, if he is permitted to enter the draft.

Sources have confirmed that Collingwood undertook extensive "due diligence" on Cousins before finally deciding that the former West Coast captain would not be pursued. The Magpies interviewed Cousins and are believed to have used a private investigator to learn as much about him as possible.

Confirming that Collingwood had informed him that it did not want to draft Cousins, Nixon said the priority was to ensure that Cousins was eligible for the draft; Cousins has to undertake a series of tests, including a hair test for illicit drugs, before he will be allowed to enter the draft.

"In the last few weeks, they (Collingwood) certainly weren't our preferred position and I accept their decision and so does Ben, but, you know, we're not here to worry about whether Collingwood's in or out," Nixon said.

"This isn't an auction. Ben's never said he wanted to go to Collingwood … I don't sit here and worry about it. I worry about the teams that are being proactive.

"To be honest, we're more worried about him being eligible than before anything else.

"Collingwood were up front with us and told us and gave us their reasons. I accept that. They've had their problems this year with behavioural situations and I don't think it would have been in anyone's best interests if there had been a problem next year with Ben, combined with what problems they've had in the last three years."

Whereas decisions on whether to recruit players are usually left entirely to football departments, the potentially huge ramifications of recruiting Cousins meant that it was a topic for the Collingwood board, as well as football staff and the chief executive.

The Magpies were interested in Cousins, but in weighing up all the factors, they have taken the view that the potential risks of having him outweigh the prospective gains.

His age is a significant factor for Collingwood, which has a strong bias towards young players, and does not believe it is one player away from a flag.

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert last night declined to comment on Cousins.

Sydney chief executive Myles Baron-Hay said yesterday the Swans were not interested in recruiting Cousins either. "If there is a race on (for Cousins') services, we are not in it," he said.

St Kilda has been on record saying that it has an interest in Cousins, who has to be cleared to play by the AFL Commission — which is expected to rule on whether he will be re-registered at its next meeting in mid-November.

The commission's decision will be heavily based on the recommendation of the AFL's medical officers.