Malthouse, the former Collingwood coach, had investigated signing Cousins in the 2009 pre-season draft after he had been sacked by West Coast and completed his one-year suspension for bringing the game into disrepute.

Richmond would ultimately take a chance on Cousins and he would spend two years at Punt Road.

Malthouse yesterday said he was not surprised Cousins, 33, had suffered a relapse.

''I was warned by people who had strong connections to him, because we were looking at drafting him, that any slight alteration to the norm could trigger a response,'' Malthouse said.

''This is what I was told: 'Accept it, Michael, it's going to happen; he is never going to be free'.

''You can take him on for three or four years - he will not get through that period without having a setback.

''It might be a girlfriend, a bad game, bad media, an injury; something will set it off.

''But he, this gentleman, was hopeful that they would diminish in numbers over a period of time … but clearly it hasn't happened.''

Cousins was last week involuntarily committed to a Perth mental health facility as a result of prolonged psychosis related to his battle with methamphetamine addiction.

He had earlier spent four days in hospital, having fallen and hit his head at a drug rehabilitation facility.

The former Eagles captain reportedly had been on a recent eight-day drug binge.

Cousins has said life post-football would always be his greatest challenge.

His latest relapse comes after he and partner Maylea Tinecheff had their first child, Bobby Ernest Cousins, in September.

Malthouse, who coached Cousins during his time with the Eagles, is concerned.

''It's one of those things … what's the next chapter for Ben and, unfortunately, I don't think it was ever going to be a great chapter,'' Malthouse said on 3AW.

''I hope there's no last chapter coming up too quickly.''

Cousins revealed in a documentary in 2010 chronicling his life that he began using illicit drugs from the age of 17.

''I was taking drugs regularly and hard. From that very first time it just opened up a gateway for me that very quickly, if not instantly, became an obsession,'' he said.