Controversial recruit Brendan Fevola will not be punished by the Brisbane Lions for distributing a nude 2006 photo of Lara Bingle.

Lions coach Michael Voss accepted Fevola's explanation that he hadn't sent the picture to anyone since he signed with Brisbane late last year.

Fevola, who had an affair with Bingle four years ago, is being sued by the model after the picture of her in the shower appeared in Woman's Day this week.

It is the first off-field setback for the ex-Carlton star since he arrived in Brisbane.

Fevola was off-loaded to the Lions following his drunken 2009 Brownlow Medal antics, and Voss admitted the latest controversy had hit him hard.

The coach had been encouraged by Fevola's transition into his new club, his off-field efforts and was satisfied the full-forward had not circulated the damaging photo in recent times.

"You always have to follow these things through and we have," Voss said.

"What we have seen from Brendan over the period of time he has been at this football club is he has been a great advertisement for our club.

"The way he interacts with kids, what he does for our club with the way he trains and the standards he sets himself - he really wants to get on with things.

"I recognise some things happened some time ago but he has expressed his desire to put his best foot forward here and that is what he is doing."

Voss said Fevola, who has played two practice matches for Brisbane, must put the controversy behind him to focus on the start of the AFL season on March 27 against West Coast.

"It is easy at a time like this to say he isn't making inroads in a lot of areas, but the fact is he is," Voss said.

"There is nothing to suggest he is not doing the right things and representing our club in the right fashion.

"I am not going to get distracted by it and the team is not going to get distracted by it. We have a job to get done and that is what we are going to do."

Meanwhile, the Lions have copped a further blow with luckless ruckman Jamie Charman ruled out for up to eight weeks with an ankle injury.

Charman, who missed the bulk of 2009 with injury, visited a surgeon on Wednesday but won't know the full extent of the damage until next week.

"Initially I only thought he had bruised his ankle but from 2-4 weeks it was basically doubled after he saw the surgeon, so the surgeon didn't give us great news," Voss said.

"But he is still in pretty good spirits and it can be hard to be when you get hit with a sledgehammer like that.

"He has got himself fit and we are still hoping he will play a prominent role for us this year."

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