Former AFL star Brian Lake’s stay in a Japanese jail could soon be over, according to former Western Bulldogs teammate and close friend Adam Cooney.

The three-time Hawthorn premiership player has been held in custody in Osaka since Sunday morning AEST after an alleged bar scuffle, but Cooney believes Lake could soon be on a flight home.

“He’s met a lawyer over there (to) set up a meeting with a person … which the alleged scuffle (was with),” Cooney told SEN.

“There’s a few demands that he needs to meet before he can get out.

“It could be (Wednesday night) that he gets out and straight back home you would think … to try and work on everything that’s happening in his life at the moment.”

Lake helped the Indonesian Volcanoes win an AFL Asia tournament on Saturday and was said to be celebrating in the bar when arrested.

He can be held for 23 days without charge under the same law Wallabies great George Smith and former motorcycle world champion Wayne Gardner were recently detained.

Cooney, once managed by Rick Olarenshaw who recruited Lake to play in the Asian tournament, revealed the defender has found it difficult to find his feet after hanging up the boots for the Hawks.

“He’s been one of those players whose struggled at times to fill that void (post-AFL career),” Cooney said.

“Contrary to popular belief, he actually loved the game of football and was a bit of a footy-head.

“He’s probably at his most stressful point in his life … in the last six-to-eight weeks. No excuse whatsoever to what has allegedly happened over there, but I’m feeling pretty sorry for him.”

Lake retired in 2015 and now works part-time in the AFL media.

He has recently been in Fiji, filming for Channel Ten’s reality TV show Australian Survivor.