IT WAS the day of judgement for football's falling stars. For one it was the moment of redemption, for two others the bleak moment of warning.

Three clubs, three errant characters. Three players on notice with the common admonition — misbehave again and you're gone.

On a day of football drama, West Coast welcomed Ben Cousins back to training, Collingwood moved to tighten its rein on Alan Didak, putting him on the alcohol-free wagon, and Carlton sent Brendan Fevola into indefinite exile.

The Eagles' prodigal son, Cousins was finally, officially, free to return to the club. He trained for the first time in four months with his teammates yesterday. His next hurdle remains — to be cleared by the AFL and its doctors before he is allowed to play a senior match.

Exasperated at another petulant display from its key forward and best player, Carlton yesterday told Fevola to go away and consider his future, which may entail considering a change of guernsey for next year.

Carlton chief executive Greg Swann said Fevola's on-field performance in the 77-point loss to Fremantle at the weekend was another unacceptable display.

He gave away two successive 50-metre penalties, kicked only one goal and was clearly sulking. "He has been told to go away and have a think about his role at the club and his role in the team," Mr Swann said. "We will touch base with him next week on this issue."

Fevola has a contract with the club for next season but Mr Swann admitted there was a chance the player who won the Coleman Medal last year might be traded at season's end.

"That's a chance," Mr Swann said. "He's contracted for next season but the weekend culminated in what we thought was an unacceptable situation for the club, and so we've made the decision for him to go away and think about it.

"He may come back and say 'I don't want to play here any more', or if he comes back and says he'll play his role in the team he's welcome to come back."

After a series of meetings yesterday, Collingwood finally resolved that it will not fine or suspend Didak for his late-night drinking binge at a strip club that culminated in a hell ride with former Hells Angel and accused killer Christopher Wayne Hudson.

The drive, through Melbourne's north and via the bikie gang's headquarters, also allegedly involved shots fired in the vicinity of police.

Instead of a suspension, the club will seek to impose a curfew on the talented forward and is looking at a prohibition on in-season drinking for the remainder of his contract, which expires at the end of next season.

Didak will also undergo alcohol counselling as part of the broad range of measures in a long-term strategy, the detail of which was still being ironed out in meetings between the club and the player's management last night.