CARLTON and North Melbourne led Wednesday's chorus in saying they would not draft Ben Cousins in his anticipated comeback and similar views were aired by Melbourne, Hawthorn, Essendon and Port Adelaide.
The Sydney Swans, Adelaide and Fremantle also declared a lack of interest in the former West Coast Eagles captain.
However, Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs, Richmond, St Kilda and Geelong would not rule out the possibility of recruiting the 2006 premiership player and four-time Eagles best and fairest.
Tigers assistant coach Brian Royal said while Richmond was also on the youth path â€" the primary reason given by the Blues and the Roos â€" that did not necessarily mean a veteran of Cousins' ability could not aid that process.
"You just can't say, 'No, we're not going to go after Ben Cousins,'" Royal told Melbourne sports radio station SEN.
"Probably we'll look at it two ways. As long as he's fully rehabilitated, does he come into our midfield? Does he take the spot of one of our up-and-coming developing midfielders?
"That could be the case.
"Or does he come into your midfield with his experience of being a Brownlow Medallist, a premiership player, a captain? Does he come in and actually teach your midfielders certain aspects of the game which have helped him over the years?
"So you can look at both sides of things."
