AFL legend Ben Cousins has opened up about how his post-sporting career is going, since he retired from the game in 2010.

The West Coast great, 45, attended an exclusive event in Western Australia this week and told the crowd while he was initially nervous, he was now fully embracing his new role as a 7News sports presenter.

'I was really reluctant to stick my neck out too far. I was worried about giving too much of my own opinion,' Cousins said. 

'I love my sport, I love keeping abreast of what’s going on in local and world sport, so that's been another blessing.' 

The Geelong-born athlete added he was thrilled to be competing on Channel Seven's Dancing With The Stars, and revealed it had been a thrilling experience making it to the semi-finals.

'I haven't been exposed to that world before and I wish I had. Pretty quickly I realised the opportunity to train and dance with somebody who is that good for that many hours, opportunities like that don't come by,' he said. 

'I'd like to think my best dance is still ahead of me, it has been fun.'

Cousins has been rebuilding his life in recent years after a fall from grace. 

The 45-year-old AFL legend revealed that part of his redemption arc will include reality TV. 

The footballer says he was approached multiple times by Channel Seven's SAS Australia, which is known for signing up controversial public figures. 

Ben has so far refused, however, he agreed to do Dancing With The Stars this year, explaining that focusing on a new challenge will aid him in rebuilding his life. 

The athlete told the Herald Sun that he actually agreed to do the dance competition before, back in 2008, before changing his mind. 

'I'm just in a pretty good space at the moment and am in a position to take on some new challenges and this has come along and probably for the first time in quite a while I am in a position to give it a go' he said.

Ben won the Brownlow Medal in 2005 and captained the West Coast Eagles from 2001 to 2005, securing the club's best and fairest awards four out of those season. 

His dramatic fall from grace was well documented from 2007 as he publicly battled a drug addiction and coped with his failed relationship with Maylea Tinecheff.