Tigers coach Damien Hardwick says scans in the coming days will determine whether the Brownlow medallist has suffered any muscle damage.
The 32-year-old left the field late in the third term of Saturday’s 21-point loss to St Kilda and did not return, raising fears his career may have come to a premature end.
Cousins, who earlier this week announced he would retire from AFL football, hopes to farewell Tigers fans when his club meets Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium in next Sunday’s clash.
Regardless of what scans show, Hardwick said Cousins was experienced enough to make his own decision on whether he would be fit to take the field next week.
“At the end of the day, Ben’s been in this league for what, 15 years? So he’ll make the call whether he’s right to play,” Hardwick said after the match.
“If he’s right to play, he’ll play.
“He feels he just cramped in the hamstrings.
“He’ll have scans at some stage and undoubtedly there’ll be a cast of thousands down there this week to see whether he’s up and going.
“We’re pretty positive that with the right rehab and right recovery that he’ll get up and play, but we’ll obviously assess that during the week.”
Hardwick said his club was determined to give Cousins the “best possible” send off.
Immediately following the match, Cousins told Channel 10 he was a “50-50” chance to play next week.
“All we want to do is send him off with a win," Hardwick said.
"[To] sing that song one last time would be terrific for him.”
The Saints’ big guns got them home on Saturday, although Hardwick was pleased his men toughed it out.
“We could quite easily have folded,” Hardwick said.
“I think we kicked 2.7 for the last quarter. It’s just a shame we couldn’t quite get the result but St Kilda, they’re a fantastic side.
“For us to compete for as long as we did was a good effort, but [we’re] still disappointed to lose.
"Our boys are starting to understand what’s required to play at the top level.”
