THE FOOTBALL future of Ben Cousins took another twist yesterday as it emerged that the former Brownlow medallist had passed a hair test for drugs and could be considered a draft target by North Melbourne.

But a West Coast comeback for the former club captain was emphatically ruled out by Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett.

The Brisbane Lions and St Kilda still shape as the most likely draft destinations for Cousins if the nine-member AFL Commission clears the player to return to football when it meets in Sydney tomorrow and Tuesday.

The Sunday Age understands that hair and urine samples obtained from Cousins have been tested and are drug-free. But those results alone will not guarantee a return to football as the commissioners will have broad discretion to refuse Cousins' request to be re-registered if they are not convinced the player has reformed.

Neither the AFL nor Cousins' management would comment on the test results.

The former Eagles captain was banned for 12 months by the commission last year after a series of incidents led to a public admission from the four-time best-and-fairest winner that he was a drug addict. Drugs charges, levelled by Perth police after a dramatic roadside bust, were later dropped.

Most football people spoken to by The Sunday Age during the week said they believed Cousins would be cleared to return, though few believe it is a certainty.

There was confusion yesterday regarding where such a return might take place.

St Kilda and the Lions have already declared their interest, but Cousins' manager, Ricky Nixon, said he had spoken at length to North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley on Friday about Cousins' rehabilitation.

"(Laidley) said they did have some interest, but would have to do a lot of due diligence," Nixon said.

The Kangaroos coach did not give any undertaking to make a play for Cousins, but asked if Cousins was fit to resume his career and had turned his life around, Nixon said.

Laidley could not be contacted yesterday, but if the coach is interested in pursuing Cousins, he may have a difficult time convincing the club's administration.

Chief executive Eugene Arocca told The Sunday Age yesterday that he was not interested in bringing Cousins to the club.

"We are not interested and we haven't done any due diligence," he said. "He is not on our radar at all. We certainly, like every other club, would wish him the best, but in 2009 he does not fit into our plans.

"We've got a direction of developing young players and young talent through the draft. We've got a strategy and to recruit Ben would be outside of that strategy."

Nisbett also hosed down a push from former West Coast chairman Murray McHenry to bring Cousins back to the club, saying the Eagles wished their fallen champion well but did not seek his return.

"The door is shut. We made that decision 12 months ago," Nisbett said.

"As much as emotions swell from time to time and people have their different opinions, the decision's been made by the club in what we believe is the best interests of the club and that decision will stand."

The commission — which includes AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou — could reach a decision on Cousins by lunchtime on Tuesday and is likely to make its announcement later in the day.

Cousins, who has been avoiding any publicity in the lead-up to the meeting, will not appear before the commission and will issue a statement from Perth after the decision.