Ben Cousins' desire to play on next year remains strong despite the latest alarming setback in his controversial AFL career.

Treated in a hospital intensive care ward on Monday after using too much sleeping medication, the Richmond midfielder on Wednesday declared himself "fresh" and keen to play Fremantle on Saturday night.

The 32-year-old conducted a light, solo training run, then told reporters he hoped to use the final eight rounds to justify a career extension.

But the former West Coast skipper, Brownlow medallist and premiership player said if a new deal did not come, his two years at Tigerland will have still proved invaluable.

"I've got eight games of footy that I'm looking forward to and I'm just hoping to play good footy, justify my existence and I'll sit down with the coaches and see what they have in store," Cousins said.

"I've had a great time at Richmond and if it comes to an end at the end of this year, I won't leave bitter and twisted.

"It's been a great club to be involved in, they've given me an opportunity to get my life back on track.

"So if it ends now it will be disappointing, but I'll walk away a happy person."

Cousins' current season started poorly, twice hospitalised with stomach pain in the lead-up to the opening round, before unremarkable early form.

His season was interrupted three times in the first nine rounds - by a knee injury, a club suspension for his role in teammate Daniel Connors' misbehaviour at a Sydney hotel and then back soreness.

But the veteran has performed solidly as the Tigers notched their first four wins of the season over the past five rounds and wants to avoid another interruption.

"I feel pretty fresh and with full training tomorrow, I'll do everything I can to convince the match committee to pick me this week against Freo," he said.

"The boys are up and about and I certainly don't want to hop off the wagon."

Cousins said the health scare was more distressing for family and friends than himself, as he slept through most of it and had only scant memories.

He would not disclose what medication was involved, or how much, although the club has previously revealed it was sleeping medication.

He also dodged a question on whether he used caffeine tablets pre-game.

The recovering drug addict - banned by the AFL for the entire 2008 season before joining the Tigers - said he simply "got the dosage wrong" on a prescribed medication.

"It's above board, it's not illegal or anything untoward," Cousins said.

He will not use that medication again, saying: "Once bitten, twice shy."

Asked about speculation that the combination of caffeine pre-game and sleeping pills afterwards was widespread among AFL players, Cousins played down the issue.

He said caffeine tablets were "virtually the same" in effect as coffee.

AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson also said the league did not believe the use of such legal drugs was at problematic levels.

"We've spoken to our medical officers, who monitor these things through the ASADA doping controls," Anderson told Fairfax Radio.

"They say it's extremely rare that an AFL player will take caffeine, or NoDoz and sleeping tablets - very rare."

Anderson said Cousins' situation was a result of his "own medical circumstances" and should not be assumed to reflect a broader issue.

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