New Richmond recruit Ben Cousins says the responsibility of resurrecting his AFL career rests entirely in his hands.

Cousins joined his new Tigers team-mates for his maiden training session this morning in front of a crowd of around 2,000 people at the club's training base at Punt Road.

The former West Coast captain, whose substance abuse saw him serve a 12-month ban handed out by the AFL for bringing the game into disrepute, was selected by the Tigers with their sole pick in yesterday's preseason draft.

You can listen to today's media conference with Cousins, and team-mates Chris Newman and Nathan Foley below:

The father of Ben Cousins says he is confident his son will not neglect to opportunity to revive his AFL career with Richmond.

The Tigers recruited Cousins in yesterday's preseason draft and the former West Coast captain joined his new team-mates at a training session at the club's headquarters at Punt Road this morning.

The senior career of the 2005 Brownlow medallist, who had served a one-year suspension from the AFL for bringing the game into disrepute, had appeared to be over until the Tigers went against their initial intention to add a younger player to their rookie list via the preseason draft.

You can listen to Bryan Cousins's interview with 720 ABC Perth's Russell Woolf below:

Ben Cousins's manager Ricky Nixon says Richmond's decision to recruit the former West Coast captain came down to the fact he was the best player available in the preseason draft.

The Tigers used their sole pick in today's preseason draft to select Cousins, less than 24 hours after stating it was "highly unlikely" they would opt for the 2005 Brownlow medallist, who had served a 12-month ban from the AFL for bringing the game in disrepute because of his substance abuse.

Cousins, who was overlooked by Collingwood, St Kilda and Brisbane prior to last month's national draft, will join his new team-mates at a training session at Punt Road tomorrow.

You can listen to today's media conference with Nixon below:

Former West Coast captain Ben Cousins has been given an AFL lifeline by Richmond Football Club.

The Brownlow medallist will return to the AFL next season after the Tigers selected him in this morning's pre-season draft.

The Tigers decided to use their draft pick on the 30-year-old, after yesterday's AFL decision to block Graham Polak's move to the rookie list.

Cousins hasn't played an AFL game for more than a year, after he was sacked by the Eagles and banned from the game for 12 months by the AFL, and is expected to train with the Tigers tomorrow morning.

Richmond general manager of football Craig Cameron says it is "highly unlikely" the Tigers will recruit former West Coast captain Ben Cousins with their sole selection in tomorrow's preseason draft.

The Tigers's plans to consider picking Cousins (pictured) appear to have been dashed following the AFL Commission's decision not to allow the club to place injured defender Graham Polak on its rookie list.

Had the league agreed to the Tigers's request, the club would have been granted two selections in the preseason draft and they were expected to take Cousins with the second pick.

You can listen to today's media conference with Cameron below: