THE judge who sentenced Tony Mokbel to 12 years behind bars in the drug lord's absence will head a probe into the affairs of West Coast.

Former Supreme Court judge Justice Bill Gillard, QC, was announced as the chief investigator on the day that disgraced former Eagles captain Ben Cousins made a surprise return to Australia.

Gillard is no stranger to controversy. On March 17 last year he refused a prosecution plea to revoke Mokbel's bail.

Two days later, Mokbel vanished.

AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said Gillard had the power to request meetings and documentation from West Coast or other AFL staff and players, including Chris Judd.

The Eagles promised to co-operate with the investigation yesterday.

In April, the AFL Commission threatened the Eagles with fines, the loss of premiership points and the loss of draft picks if their off-field behaviour did not improve.

Gillard will make recommendations in regard to those penalties at the end of his investigation.

His report is not expected to be completed for several months, meaning West Coast will retain selections three, which was earned in a trade for Judd, 13, 20 and 22 at the November 24 national draft.

A former president of the Australian Bar Association, Gillard has been asked by the AFL Commission to:

■Give consideration to the culture and behaviour of the club's players.

■Assess the effectiveness of strategies and programs implemented by the club since April 29 to change the culture and behaviour of the club's players.

■Assess the effectiveness of the club's corporate governance and of the commission between its board, senior management and the players, in addressing issues of player conduct.

■Assess the effectiveness of the club's player leadership group and its role and level of authority since April 29.

Meanwhile, Cousins flew into Sydney with his father Bryan yesterday morning.

Last Thursday Bryan said the 2005 Brownlow medallist was preparing to check into drug rehabilitation in Malibu.

But after being informed that the AFL Commission would decide his footballing fate on November 19, Ben Cousins returned to Australia.

It is believed Cousins will continue his rehabilitation in Sydney.

West Coast sacked him last month after he was arrested for alleged drugs possession and refusing to comply with a police-ordered drug assessment. The drugs possession charge was later dropped.

 WEST AUSTRALIAN