LIAM Jurrah will be welcome back to the AFL, but finding a club won't be easy.

This week, a Northern Territory Supreme Court jury found the former Melbourne player not guilty of serious assault allegations.

Outside court the 24-year-old declared he wanted to play football again.

After his departure from the Demons late last year, Port Adelaide had offered Jurrah a football lifeline, but issues with alcohol ahead of his Alice Springs trial saw him fail to uphold his end of the deal.

Jurrah and the Demon drink

At this stage Port Adelaide looks unlikely to bring him back into the fold, even to train with its SANFL squad.

“We’re pleased for Liam that he got through this phase, but we’re still of the view that Liam has some other aspects of his life that need to be worked through before he gets to the point of focusing entirely upon a return to football,” a Port Adelaide spokesman said.

“We hope he can make a return to football wherever that might be."

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said Jurrah would be free to pursue a return to football.

"Of course he would. He's been found not guilty," Demetriou said.  

"He's been through a very traumatic period, but he's had the opportunity to defend himself and he's been found not guilty and he would be welcome back into the industry, obviously."

Jurrah still has to face separate drink-driving and assault allegations in a South Australian court.  

Matt Thompson is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @MattThompsonAFL