The real reason for Ben Cousins' prison 'fight'

News has emerged of the real reason Ben Cousins was involved in an altercation in prison, and it has nothing to do with footy.

It emerged on Thursday night that Cousins had been assaulted in a WA jail, with the AFL Footy Show reporting Cousins was attacked by a group of prisoners after refusing to participate in a football match.

Lawyer Michael Tudori said on Friday the 38-year-old former West Coast captain was involved in a minor incident, involving some pushing and shoving in the kitchen, but he was not seriously injured.

He did say it had nothing to do with Cousins refusing to take part in a football match, as had been widely reported.

"Ben is doing fine, he's fit and exercising," Tudori said.

"I heard on the media last night that he was assaulted as a result of not playing football — that's completely untrue."

A source inside Acacia prison has since told Omnisport News that Cousins was angry after his coffee mug was stolen.

A number of inmates took issue with Cousins and that's how the altercation came about.

The Brownlow medallist is serving a one-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to stalking and repeatedly breaching a restraining order taken out by his ex-partner Maylea Tinecheff, with whom he has two children.