NEWS: News.com.au - 16/10/07 'Ben Cousins to face drug charge'

[lil angel15]

That's an understatement if ever I've heard one.

 

[lil angel15]

Drugs for ADD, claims Cousins
November 14, 2007 09:03am

FOOTBALLER Ben Cousins is expected to claim he had not taken illegal drugs between March and October this year, should he front the AFL Commission on Monday, a Melbourne newspaper has reported.

The Age newspaper has reported the 29-year-old told his legal team he was on legal medication when arrested in Perth's nightclub district last month.

He has claimed he was taking drugs for depression and attention deficit disorder.

Cousins could also claim his cocaine use was exaggerated and that his hospitalisation came as a result of an emotional breakdown.

Yesterday, WA Police apologised to Ben Cousins after an extraordinary bungle led to an outstanding traffic charge against him being dropped.

It is the second charge against Cousins arising from a traffic stop on October 16 to be withdrawn.

Assistant Commissioner John McRoberts admitted police got it wrong when they charged Cousins with refusing to undergo a driver drug test after the former star footballer's vehicle was pulled over in Northbridge.

Cousins' lawyer Shane Brennan said today a comeback for the player, who has been charged with bringing the game into disrepute, depends on the outcome of an AFL Commission hearing next week and public opinion.

"My client has always made it clear that he has had issues and he's addressing them,'' Mr Brennan told the Nine Network this morning.

Mr Brennan said he believed Cousins was keen to return to playing as early as next year, but that was a matter for the player, his management and people closer to him.

"It's up to him of course,'' Mr Brennan said.

"Next week he fronts the AFL Commission and that outcome will be known soon thereafter, no doubt.

"Public opinion is always relevant and no doubt the people who make these decisions will take that into account.''

The Eagles said they had been told both charges had now been dropped, but that did not change their decision to sack him.

"The matters that caused the West Coast Eagles club to terminate him were these charges. They've gone,'' Mr Brennan said.

Cousins' current whereabouts are not known, following his return from Los Angeles, where he was hospitalised after a reported five-day cocaine bender.

Mr Brennan would not elaborate on how the player is coping since his return to Australia.

"He's fine but I don't wish to talk about him in any detail really. It's not appropriate,'' he said.

Herald Sun

 

[lil angel15]

Cousins to tell all on drugs and rehab
Jacquelin Magnay
February 5, 2008

DISGRACED West Coast Eagles star Ben Cousins is preparing to break his long silence on his drug-taking at an event hosted by his friend, the boxing superstar Anthony Mundine, tomorrow.

Mundine, long known for his loud talking but abstinence from alcohol and drugs, is hosting the World Boxing Association annual "KO Against Drugs" bout in three weeks' time, which will be officially launched tomorrow in Redfern, with a panel discussion and an announcement of the full details of the bout.

Cousins, 29, who has fought a very public battle in his addiction to drugs, has agreed to sit on the panel alongside Mundine, the former sprint star Nova Peris and the rugby league player Sonny Bill Williams to discuss the issue of drugs. It will be the first time Cousins will have answered any questions about his drug battles, which became starkly apparent in March last year when he was suspended by West Coast for missing training sessions.

He has previously only read out one prepared statement, seven months ago, apologising to his teammates, the club, the AFL and the community.

It is expected Cousins will reveal how he has been progressing in his rehabilitation, the extent of his drug-taking and the detrimental effects of drugs on his life and health. One of Cousins's closest friends, former Eagles star Chris Mainwaring, died from a suspected drug overdose back in September, just hours after being visited by Cousins.

Mundine's manager Khoder Nasser said Cousins would be on the panel to address any questions that people had about drugs.

"This is an issue that shouldn't be taboo, it affects everyone and we are highlighting the dangers of taking drugs," Nasser said.

It had been planned for the announcement and panel discussion to be held outdoors at The Block in Redfern so that local indigenous youth could attend. However, because of the heavy rain forecast, Nasser said it could now be held inside at Mundine's training gym in Eveleigh Street.

smh.com.au

 

[peaked]

Mundine, long known for his loud talking but abstinence from alcohol and drugs, is hosting the World Boxing Association annual "KO Against Drugs" ...

I find it amusing for a boxer to be against drugs and alcohol. Boxing is far more 'evil' than drugs will ever be - it glamorizes and promotes violent behaviour against another. As much as I hate prohibition, if anything deserves to be outlawed its boxing.

 

[lil angel15]

Ben Cousins breaks silence on drugs
By Mark Schliebs
February 06, 2008 11:30am

FALLEN AFL superstar Ben Cousins has spoken about his drug addiction for the first time since he went into hiding last year.

Speaking on an anti-drugs panel hosted by boxer Anthony Mundine, Cousins - who won a Brownlow at his former club the West Coast Eagles - described himself as an educated man who learned at school that drugs could be bad.

“At the end of the day, I ran the gauntlet,” he said.

“I really don’t think I had a choice.

"I am someone who has lost my livelihood. I hurt ... my family and friends."

Cousins was speaking at Mundine's gym in Sydney's Redfern where Mundine is teaching him to fight.

Cousins was wearing a white collared shirt open at the neck with his trademark designer sunglasses hanging from it.

He also sported leather boots and jeans.

When asked about how he was coping with addiction Cousins said: "Life's good - I'm in a good place."

Mundine described Cousins’ appearance at the event as “courageous” and “admirable”.

When Mundine said that Cousins could continue his boxing lessons the AFL player joked: "I can't afford to take too many hits to the head."

Cousins also revealed he had continued his football training and hoped to be able to train with a West Australian or Victorian Club by the end of the year.

He would also fight in an exhibition match to be held before a Mundine bout soon.

news.com.au

 

[hoptis]

It's been a while since we bumped this.

Club has Cousins plan
AAP | October 15, 2008 05:06pm

ONE club wants to present a plan to the AFL commission on how it intends to help Ben Cousins win his battle with drug addiction.

The 30-year-old, who is nearing the end of a 12-month suspension for bringing the game into disrepute, needs to gain approval from the commission next month to be allowed to return.

Cousins' manager Ricky Nixon said Collingwood, St Kilda and a non-Victorian club had all expressed interest in the former West Coast skipper.

One of the clubs - Nixon declined to specify which one - had gone to the extent of developing a plan to help with Cousins' rehabilitation and wanted to put it before the commission as part of the case for his return.

"A club yesterday presented to me a fairly detailed plan of how they think they can assist Ben in football and life going forward," Nixon told Melbourne radio station SEN today.

"They actually even made a very, very good comment and put forward the motion that perhaps the plan is presented to the commission as part of him being eligible to play again.

"I think that's very professional and probably a good way forward."

Nixon said the club's proactive approach was one of the most heartening developments in Cousins' comeback bid.

"Some of the things they put forward in the plan yesterday were outstanding, things that I hadn't even thought of myself," he said.

"Attracting people to the club, people Ben knows that can help him and get some confidence out of him being at the club and keep him going and focussed in the way that he needs to be."

Nixon said he was confident Cousins was ready to return and the ban had had a "massive" effect in ramming home how much the game meant to him.

If given the go-ahead by the AFL, Cousins is likely to nominate for the pre-season draft on December 16.

Meanwhile, Nixon revealed that several clubs were taking a less tolerant approach to suspected drug use within their ranks than the AFL's three strikes policy.

"One captain, the club was aware that one young player might have overstepped the mark," he said.

"The captain grabbed him in a team meeting, the coach was about to address it, but the captain stood up, grabbed him, shoved him against the wall and said: `If you ever ever take drugs in my footy club I'll fair dinkum kill you and you'll be out of this club.'

"The kid absolutely packed himself and so did the rest of the playing group.

"I can assure you I don't think any of them will be going near it after that display.

"Whether that's good leadership or not I don't know but it was one way of addressing it."

Nixon said the coach of another club took the stance that a player would be kicked out of the club if a member of the leadership group became aware that they were using drugs or conducting other activities that broke club policy.

"There's no second chances, it's zero tolerance," he said.

Herald Sun

 

[hoptis]

Cousins comeback: AFL plays it tough
Scott Spits | November 19, 2008 - 12:09PM

The AFL is continuing to defend the tough drug-testing conditions placed on Ben Cousins amid reports today that the former West Coast Eagle may abandon his attempted comeback because the regime is too tough.

In stringent conditions imposed by the AFL Commission, Cousins must agree to urine testing up to three times a week, plus hair testing up to four times a year.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirmed today that Cousins was yet to be subjected to any hair testing.

Media reports today suggested an AFL-appointed medical officer could not find a hair long enough on Cousins - who recently had his head shaved - for a satisfactory drugs test.

"He turned up to a hair test but he didn't complete the hair test, that's all I can say," Demetriou told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

"I don't think there was a sample that could be taken."

Any failure to stick to the strict conditions would result in Cousins, who was banned for 12 months in November last year for bringing the game into disrepute, being suspended indefinitely pending an investigation.

But the AFL may still face a fight with the AFL Players' Association and Cousins' manager Ricky Nixon over the strict drug-testing regime.

"It's important to recognise that what was determined was based on expert medical advice," Demetriou told Radio 3AW.

"We said we would work with the medicos. All along the way we've relied on their advice."

Cousins' management is believed to be furious that the 2005 Brownlow Medallist has been singled out by the AFL for special treatment.

Cousins is not subject to the AFL's three-strikes drug policy, and any positive test would be immediately referred to AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson.

He must also attend any rehabilitation counselling the AFL's doctors deem appropriate. If Cousins breaches any of the conditions imposed on him by the commission, he risks being immediately suspended by the league.

Demetriou said he wanted to see Cousins back playing the game to aid his rehabilitation.

"He's got less chance of relapsing if he does play football," Demetriou said.

"We want to see him playing. We want to see him healthy."

Demetriou also confirmed that six AFL players had twice tested positive for illegal drugs under the league's three-strikes policy.

He defended the tough conditions imposed on Cousins while other players faced a different testing regime.

"You can't assume they (players who have tested positive) are not being target-tested," Demetriou said.

Demetriou said he was unaware if all six players were still registered AFL players.

Cousins was sacked by West Coast late last year after being arrested by WA police in Perth and charged with possessing a prohibited drug and failing to comply with a requirement to undergo a driver assessment.

Both charges were withdrawn, but the Eagles maintained they were right to sack him, with those incidents the last of a series of misdemeanours involving Cousins.

with AAP

The Age

 

[hoptis]

AFL faces fight on drugs tests
Michael Gleeson and Jake Niall | November 19, 2008

WHILE the AFL has imposed draconian conditions on Ben Cousins' prospective return to football after ending his 12-month ban for bringing the game into disrepute, it could face a fight with the players' union and Cousins' management.

Cousins' manager, Ricky Nixon, will meet with AFL Players Association chief Brendon Gale today to discuss their shared concerns about the unprecedented drug-testing regime that has been demanded of Cousins in return for allowing him to enter the draft.

In announcing that Cousins was free to return to football, the AFL has devised the strictest drug-testing regime ever visited upon a player, including urine tests up to three times a week and hair tests four times a year.

But the union suggested in a statement yesterday that by not consulting it, the AFL may have acted outside its own rules.

"The AFL Players Association notes that the terms of the illicit drugs policy can only be varied with the consent of both the AFL and the AFL Players Association," it said.

Nixon would not comment last night on whether the AFL's conditions would have an impact on whether Cousins would nominate for the draft, other than to confirm that he would be meeting with the players' association today.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou admitted the players' union had not been consulted and despite any grievance it might have, the decision would not change.

"This is a decision that will stand. It is a very difficult issue we have been dealing with and on the balance we think it is the right decision … I would think the players' association would be pleased that Ben Cousins has been given the opportunity to nominate for the draft, and the opportunity to play football again," Demetriou said.

He said Cousins had been tested several times in recent months but had not yet had a hair test.

Cousins, who has admitted a drug addiction and has had counselling and rehabilitation in the past year, has been offered the right to resume playing only if he agrees to the onerous conditions. He is also required to attend any rehabilitation counselling the AFL's doctors deem appropriate and if he fails to co-operate with testing, seeks to dodge a test or avoids attending rehab he would be in breach of his conditions and be immediately suspended by the AFL.

Cousins will not be subject to the three-strikes policy and any failed drug test will be passed on to AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson.

The union was seeking urgent advice from the AFL's doctors of any medical or expert advice that would justify the commission's resolution, and advice from Cousins himself, before seeking to take the matter further.

Cousins' challenge is to find a club prepared to gamble on his health, continued abstinence — to say nothing of his regular physical condition at 30 and having barely played in three years.

St Kilda remains most interested in the former West Coast captain, premiership player and Brownlow medallist, while the Brisbane Lions retain an interest.

The boards of both clubs will consider drafting Cousins now that it is not just an academic exercise.

Announcing the AFL's decision after a two-day commission meeting, AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said the league seriously weighed the competing concerns of the integrity of the game and and the player himself. "This wasn't easy. We not only put ourselves in the position as custodians of the game but as parents, and members of the community who deal with the complexity of our current social issues," Fitzpatrick said.

"I think on balance we decided that given he has been judged to be in remission by the medical experts, and all the advice we have had, that on balance we felt it was fair that he be allowed to play again.

"They are not easy decisions. We know there is going to be a lot of publicity around it. And that will go on during the year, and that, one way or another, will impact on the game and how it is seen. We tried to get a balance on those issues."

He said the decision to approve Cousins' application to play was based on medical advice, and the commission did not seek to hear from the player.

Cousins was informed of the decision ahead of the AFL's press conference yesterday.

Fitzpatrick defended the extraordinary testing regime that Cousins will be subjected to as a means of discouraging his further drug use.

"We have sought to set up a regime that really encourages him to not take drugs, as simple as that, and to not go back to his old habits, and we very much hope he can play out the rest of his career clean," he said.

Demetriou admitted the league was not comfortable applying different standards and conditions to Cousins than to any other player.

"We go back 12 months, and it was an exceptional decision for an exceptional set of circumstances. We are not comfortable about making a decision about one player, we are not comfortable about having to deal with a very complex issue, but … we have made the decision we think is the right decision," Demetriou said.

The Age

 

[hoptis]

Ben's back but the AFL tightens the shackles
Caroline Wilson | November 19, 2008

THE AFL already had an illicit drugs policy, but that was never enough to catch Ben Cousins. Nor could it save him.

Yesterday, in tentatively granting its 30-year-old prodigal son a second chance, it revealed a new policy for drug addicts.

In doing so, the AFL's nine-member board decreed that Cousins will quite possibly become the most drug-tested performer in world sport. Should the 2005 Brownlow Medallist accept the competition's challenge, he could feasibly undergo 120 urine tests before the 2009 finals series along with four more revealing hair tests.

The AFL's decision to break with the already controversial illicit drugs code came in defiance of its players' union, whose executives remained locked in talks last night before a meeting early today with Cousins and manager Ricky Nixon.

Even senior AFL executives were surprised that the commission's decision to subject Cousins to a one-strike policy — it has the power to suspend him indefinitely should he avoid or fail one of his maximum thrice-weekly tests — came without consultation with the AFL Players Association, a move that contravenes the drugs code.

Last night, Cousins was at home in Perth digesting the news. Knowing him, he will believe he has yet again been singled out as a scapegoat for the wrongs of so many undiscovered drug abusers in the competition. But Cousins is also smart enough to know he has been offered a challenge.

Nixon said his client would be making no comment until after the meeting with the AFLPA, which will almost certainly look at his legal options but probably in the end see him nominate for next week's national draft anyway.

Neither St Kilda nor Brisbane had last night reached a final decision on whether to take him, although the Saints remain most likely.

Certainly Cousins will be wondering whether he was duped this time last year into he admitting he was a drug addict. There are six players running around at present on two strikes, but they remain anonymous to all but a small group of industry insiders.

Cousins brought the game into disrepute and, as the commissioners yesterday continued to remind themselves, was charged with conduct unbecoming. It was not just the drugs. It was the lies, the constant running away and finally, where the AFL and West Coast was concerned, that dreadful morning last spring in Northbridge, Perth, when Cousins was arrested and filmed topless and seedy being led into custody. Those shots rebounded all the way to France where Demetriou and Fitzpatrick were meeting Irish football officials.

Cousins made life tough for the AFL. Now he has re-emerged, splashed across the media as football's biggest story and, while the commission knew it had no choice but to give him a second chance, it will continue to make life tough for him.

But there was more to it than that when Fitzpatrick's nine-member board lifted his suspension. "This wasn't easy," said the chairman. "We not only put ourselves in the position as custodians of the game, but as parents and members of the community who deal with the complexity of our current social issues. As custodians of our great game, the commission believes it must always balance the individual interests of players with the broad expectations of the community about the integrity of our game."

The AFL has covered itself and it can also claim it has protected those younger players who could rub shoulders with Cousins next season. Demetriou warned that any club that took Cousins would be taking a risk.

The problem for him, of course, is whether any club will regard him as worth the effort. Quite apart from the distraction of the drug testing and the mechanisms St Kilda must now ensure are in place in terms of its drugs and alcohol policy, the Saints would also be considering the morale damage that would come with a positive drug test or another truancy.

Brisbane believes the Saints have already come close to reaching a deal with the player and remain concerned at the damage he could inflict upon their club, which has greater obligations in a non-traditional AFL market. Interestingly, no other club has emerged as being remotely interested in drafting Cousins. Collingwood believes the AFL don't truly want him to play.

Less than a fortnight ago, his stress levels had him at close to breaking point. Now, at least where the competition's governing body is concerned, Cousins knows where he stands.

But if St Kilda's board shares the enthusiasm of its players — or at least sanctions his return — and if Cousins himself is fair dinkum about fighting his addiction in the workplace he once controlled so majestically — then he will rise above the conditions laid before him and embrace them.

Then again, he might decide it is all too hard. And run away again.

The Age

 

[hoptis]

Basically, we have a player with an addiction to a mind altering substance (MAS), who is being treated differently because his addiction happens to be "illegal drugs", as opposed to legal MAS, such as alcohol, or ... wait, there are no other MAS... Clearly what we have here is the result of antidrug propaganda gone to the extreme. If this player's performace isn't up to par, then he shouldn't play. If his performance, both on and off the field are OK, then he should be allowed to play and his addiction should be treated as any other medical condition. Imagine if we imposed this kind of restriction on alcoholics? Sorry Bob Hawke, you can't be Prime Minister, unless we subject you to three random breath tests each week!!

Posted by: Wraithcat of Geelong 11:17am today
Comment 183 of 215

Herald Sun Reader Comments

 

[lil angel15]

Media reports today suggested an AFL-appointed medical officer could not find a hair long enough on Cousins - who recently had his head shaved - for a satisfactory drugs test.

"He turned up to a hair test but he didn't complete the hair test, that's all I can say," Demetriou told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

I laughed at the thought of a totally hairless Ben Cousins - eyebrows and all!!!

 

[Mr Blonde]

Basically, we have a player with an addiction to a mind altering substance (MAS), who is being treated differently because his addiction happens to be "illegal drugs", as opposed to legal MAS, such as alcohol, or ... wait, there are no other MAS... Clearly what we have here is the result of antidrug propaganda gone to the extreme. If this player's performace isn't up to par, then he shouldn't play. If his performance, both on and off the field are OK, then he should be allowed to play and his addiction should be treated as any other medical condition. Imagine if we imposed this kind of restriction on alcoholics? Sorry Bob Hawke, you can't be Prime Minister, unless we subject you to three random breath tests each week!!

Posted by: Wraithcat of Geelong 11:17am today
Comment 183 of 215

I didn't know MAS was a term. I prefer psychotropic or psychoactive.

I agree with what he is saying though; I wish addiction didn't have the stigma attached to it that it does, which can prevent people from seeking the help they need and can affect your medical treatment for life.

I laughed at the thought of a totally hairless Ben Cousins - eyebrows and all!!!

Ha ha, very Syd Barrett.

 

[hoptis]

Richmond will pick fallen AFL player Ben Cousins in pre-season draft
The Australian
December 16, 2008 02:19am

BEN Cousins is expected to become a Richmond player today, with the Tigers deciding late last night to recruit the fallen Brownlow medallist and former West Coast captain with their sole pick in the pre-season draft.

The decision amounts to an extraordinary reprieve for the 30 year-old and something of an embarrassing about face for the Tigers, who had categorically ruled out the prospect of taking Cousins on unless their appeal for a second pre-season draft selection was granted by the AFL commission.

That application was refused yesterday, The Australian reports.

For Cousins, Richmond’s decision means that his exile from the game which threatened to be permanent will end just over a year after it began.

In November of 2007 the once brilliant mid-fielder was sacked by the Eagles and deregistered by the AFL after a string of wayward incidents which have since been attributed to an escalating illicit drug addiction.
Related Coverage

Cousins never failed a drug test and was never charged but was nonetheless removed from the game for conduct the AFL described as having brought the game into disrepute.

It was this history, coupled with his age and the memory of a hamstring injury which dogged his last season with the Eagles, that saw every club other than the Tigers ultimately baulk at offering him the second chance that appeared to materialise when the commission agreed to readmit him to the game last month.

News.com.au

Despite the fears of AFL sponsors, I'm glad this is happening. In the long run, as the media keep saying, it's important for his rehabilitation to play football again. I think we can all imagine a place someone like him would go to if he didn't get a chance.

 

[hoptis]

Drugs, crime … and a little footy
Richard Hinds | December 18, 2008

NEAR the end of a press conference during which Ben Cousins had been cross-examined about his contact with alleged underworld figures, asked when he had last taken illicit drugs and dealt with the associated issues that stemmed from his addiction, Richmond's new recruit aired a wistful thought.

"I would like to think after this week it will get back to being about football," said the former West Coast Eagles star. "Well, at least it might be something of a reasonably normal nature."

As you would expect when one of the AFL's highest-profile players returns from a 12-month ban for bringing the game into disrepute, there was nothing normal about Cousins's first appearance at Punt Road yesterday.

Nothing normal about the 2000 fans who turned up to watch a December training session. Nothing normal about the security guards hired to keep them at arms length. Nothing normal about the helicopters buzzing overhead. Nothing normal about the only normal thing at Richmond yesterday was Cousins himself.

Perhaps not during a 40-minute appearance on the track, where the famously fluid midfielder looked tentative as he kicked and huffed and puffed more than you once would have expected from such a superb athlete - understandable, given his long absence and concerns about his fragile hamstrings.

But later as he faced the media, Cousins was as self-confident and frank as ever. That was evident in the manner he dealt with questions about tape-recorded conversations mentioned in the Victoria Supreme Court linking him with accused killer Angelo Venditti. Rather than duck and weave, he acknowledged a relationship he said had been "nothing of a criminal nature".

"Through the hard times I've found myself in, people love to link me to other people who have found themselves in hard times," he said. "What doesn't get reported is a lot of relationships and associations I've had with those people have been born out of sincere friendship, a common thread that we've found ourselves in hard times.

"A lot of those cases, they've been people who've played pretty significant roles in getting [me] where I am today."

Cousins said contact with other addicts was part of his recovery.

"I am a drug addict and part of my rehabilitation, and the program I am in, is addicts helping other addicts. So it's not like I'm not going to have contact with people that have been in the situation that I have. It is quite the opposite, that is the contact I require to keep myself on a level playing field."

However, rather than attendance at self-help groups, it had been Cousins's association with know criminals that had led other AFL clubs to consider him an unacceptable risk. Perhaps that was why Cousins's manager, Ricky Nixon, who fought a tough battle to have him recruited, seemed more sensitive about the topic than his client.

After Cousins was asked about his friendship with Perth crime figure John Kizon, Nixon sprung to his feet and reprimanded a television reporter: "Have you actually got a footy question, because you are being a nob at the moment? That's pretty consistent for you, mate. Let's get onto a footy question."

The most pertinent of those was whether Cousins's could return to full fitness. "I understand I'm 30 and I've had 12 months off," he said. "But, right the way through, the time I spent away from the game, I've put a lot of work into my body. I'm confident that's it's going to be able to hold up, but I guess the rigors of AFL football, you never really know until you get back into it."

As importantly, Cousins says he is - and can stay - clean. "I'm really proud of the time and effort that I've put into my rehabilitation and I feel more confident now than I ever have that I can contribute both on and off the field and live a normal lifestyle while trying to get the best out of myself without the use of drugs," he said.

The fall-out form his addiction, said Cousins, had been a dark blessing. "Life came along, give [sic] me a slap. If it didn't happen 18 months ago or two years ago, it would have happened at some point. Other than the fact it has been really hard on the people around me, in some ways it has been the best thing because it has given me the opportunity to learn a bit about myself, learn why I am the way I am. Yeah, I think I am a better person for it."

Asked what would constitute a successful return, Cousins set no goals. "Just back to playing footy. Just leading a clean lifestyle.

"There are no guarantees in football. I could get injured like anyone else. I don't judge going forward on how many kicks I get or how many games I play. I'll train exceptionally hard, leave no stone unturned and what happens after that is left up to the gods."

The Age

 

[hoptis]

Ben Cousins goes to water
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun
Sue Hewitt
January 10, 2009 12:00am

A RELAXED Ben Cousins hit the town last night toasting his re-born career - with mineral water.

The Tiger recruit is rebuilding his life in Melbourne and spent a lazy late afternoon in Albert Park.

He and three male friends, including a burly looking man, strolled into the Naked Japan restaurant in Victoria Ave at dusk.

Cousins, who was handed an AFL lifeline by Richmond in the pre-season draft, did not shun the stares of strangers and chose to sit outside.

He ordered sushi rolls and teriyaki chicken, washed down with Splitrock natural mineral water.

Wearing designer ripped jeans and a "hoody", Cousins chattered to friends and ate for about an hour.

Insiders said Cousins - who has declared himself drug free - has been to the restaurant several times since his AFL resurrection.<

"He usually comes with a few friends and stays for about an hour," a regular restaurant goer said.

After the meal, Cousins left the restaurant with the burly man and strolled down Victoria Ave about 8.30pm.

Cousins has said his rehabilitation is progressing well and he is "coming to terms with the changes in my lifestyle".

But his past came back to haunt when last month he was linked to an accused gangland identity Angelo Venditti, who charged over the contract killing of Paul Kallipolitis in 2002.

Herald Sun

 

[hoptis]

Ben Cousins has tested negative to 33 drug tests since joining Richmond
By Mark Robinson
March 04, 2009

Ben Cousins has been drug tested an estimated 33 times since joining Richmond - and all have been negative.

The 2005 Brownlow medallist has been tested three times a week since December 16.

The self-confessed drug addict, who has never tested positive, supplied a hair sample in January. It also tested negative to illicit drugs.

It was taken at Punt Rd under the supervision of AFL medical commissioners Dr Peter Harcourt and Dr Harry Unglik and AFL integrity services manager Brett Clothier.

It is believed the sample was sent to London for testing.

The first attempt at obtaining a hair sample from Cousins in November, before he had been cleared to play by the AFL, ended in a debacle when Cousins shaved/waxed his body, meaning he did not have the required three centimetres of hair.

The AFL, in allowing Cousins to return to the competition, will subject him to a rigorous drug-testing regimen in the next 12 months.

It includes hair testing four times a year, the first of which was in January.

A letter to Cousins specified the time and place of that appointment and a requirement to have hair available.

The estimated 33 urine tests for illicit drugs, conducted by Dorevitch Pathology, have mostly been at training sessions.

It is highly unlikely that Cousins has been tested away from the club.

Testers from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) targeted Cousins in the first training session after the Christmas break.

ASADA tests for performance-enhancing drugs.

The AFL won't comment on the Cousins situation other than to say: "The conditions are ongoing and he accepted those conditions."

Although Cousins is said to be enjoying the occasional alcoholic drink, the drug-testing results are emphatic evidence Cousins is winning his battle with drugs.

Regular discussion with Richmond officials, also part of the AFL conditions, indicates Cousins is in a happy space, despite the media spotlight.

His much-hyped documentary about his battle is nearing its end, and that will not disappoint Cousins.

Herald Sun

 

[filenet]

now i wonder if 4mar is tested for?

seriously, if his habit was as bad as the papers made it out to be then how the fuck does one keep ones body looking like that?

 

[hoptis]

Stewart empathises with Cousins
April 15, 2009

Like Ben Cousins, Ian Stewart was a Brownlow medallist with "issues" when he was drafted by Richmond 38 years ago. He tells Jake Niall how Cousins can make it work.

IAN Stewart, the last Brownlow medallist to arrive at Richmond, offers this advice for the next man to turn up at Tigerland with a Brownlow in tow and some personal issues.

"He’s got to embrace them (Richmond) as well," said Stewart. "I mean, just to go out and play good football, there’s got to be more than that. You know, he’s got to involve himself not only with training, which I know he does, I’ve heard he does, but he’s ... got to get involved in the club."

Stewart’s advice posed the question of whether Ben Cousins had yet embraced the club that adopted Stewart, nurtured him and helped him revitalise a career that had stalled at St Kilda.

Stewart won his third Brownlow Medal in his fi rst season at Punt Road, and went on to play in the club’s 1973 premiership as a 30-year-old; he remains the only man to have won both a Brownlow and premiership at two clubs. He also coached South Melbourne into the fi nals in 1977, a minor miracle then.

He is an official legend of the game, and an intelligent left-fi eld thinker whose public pronouncements still carry weight, all the more for the fact that he makes them sparingly.

As recently as 2004, he declined an invitation to join the Richmond board as football director. "My use-by date is well and truly up," he said. "By 20 years."

Others would baulk at the comparison between a legend and a recovering drug-addict and fallen champion, but Stewart is happy to draw an analogy between himself and Cousins. Stewart, whom Kevin Sheedy called the best recruit Richmond had in his playing days, also would like to meet Cousins.

"I’m all for Ben Cousins. I’d love to meet him," said Stewart, who was traded to Richmond for another superstar, Billy Barrot, in what was a groundbreaking deal, the first blockbuster swap; Barrot played only seven quarters for St Kilda, which was the victim of what Stewart once described as a carefully planned "sting" by the Tigers.

What would he tell Cousins? "Make sure that you embrace Richmond because you’ll never find yourself in a better club.

"I think that it’s the perfect club for Ben, perfect club. It’s been a wonderful club, with a soul. Sometimes they lose their way. But I’ve never forgotten the time at Richmond and how they embraced me and that helped me, and I’m sure that spirit still exists."

Stewart’s career was in a downturn in his last two seasons at St Kilda. He did not have a great rapport with the coach, Allan Jeans, having stood down as captain in 1969.

There were personal issues, too. Stewart is willing to acknowledge this as a factor in his departure from Moorabbin.

"Yes, I can see the analogy there (with Cousins). I was, for a period, a troubled soul. I struggled with a few things, but you know, I haven’t met anybody that hasn’t actually who’s worth talking to.

"In those days, I had issues and I sought professional help, yeah.

"It’s deja vu isn’t it really, with a gap of how many years? ... It’s just history repeating itself, with a gap. They gave me an opportunity when, as I say, I was struggling and so I’d like Ben to get the same opportunity, and every other young player."

Stewart notes a critical difference between his circumstances, circa 1971 and Cousins today — the invasive coverage of footballer’s foibles by a voracious media.

Stewart was left alone, his issues remained more or less private.

"It’d be almost impossible to deal with what he’s had to deal with and one or two other players have had to deal with in recent times ... I think it’s grossly unfair and I don’t like the way the media are scrutinising the players. But times have changed and, as in the UK, people like to read — that’s where it all started, all this trash about players. I don’t lie, I don’t enjoy it. But it sells papers ... and obviously the editors are, they’re replying to the demand, the public demand.

"All I can probably say is that we were lucky we played then, not now. Because the misdemeanours that went on ... not all players, the misdemeanours that happened were just as regular or more regular then than they are now. They were just as prevalent.

"Usually, if you made a mistake the journalist would look after you and say, ‘you owe me one’ ... I don’t know where it’s going to end, actually."

Stewart’s view of Cousins is decidedly at odds with those who see the champion as a disgraced figure.

"Personally, I’m not of the view that what Ben’s done, or used drugs, is that serious. I don’t regard that as serious, sorry. The boy hurts himself and his family, but that’s all, and he’s still played good football. Now, I don’t regard it like the rest of the community has."

The triple Brownlow medallist offers this qualification: "30 per cent of the population (has an) addiction to something — alcohol, drugs, tobacco and gaming, and the worship of money."

He notes that addiction is not like crimes against others. "Murder, rape, pedophilia. I regard those things as serious. Drug-taking, hurt yourself, only yourself and your family."

Stewie, as he is often called, would have pursued Cousins had he been a coach. He believes that Cousins, despite his hamstring, can be in Richmond’s top five or six players and should be aiming to play 50 games for the Tigers. He is disappointed that the Tigers did not limit Cousins’ ground time in round one, putting his fragile hammy at risk.

"I thought that he shouldn’t have been on the ground for more than 15 minutes a quarter, and at three-quarter-time, regardless of the state of the game, that should have been it.

I thought the club let him down in the first game ... they got carried away with the hype."

Stewart said that while Cousins probably won’t reach his West Coast heights, he would still rank among Richmond’s better players.

He observed another difference between their football circumstances — the Cousins lay-off, caused by injury and his AFL-imposed suspension. "I played the year before (1970). I’d played up until then."

Pursuing Cousins, he added, was the right call. "If I were coaching, I would have chased Ben. I feel that he is in their best players and to get a recruit that’s in your top six is good recruiting. I also feel that probably Ben won’t reach the heights, or the standard that he ... reached before, but I think that he’s a great asset for the Richmond Football Club.

"I’d say if the coach Terry Wallace embraces Benny Cousins and then Ben plays good football, the players will embrace him and then the supporters will embrace him, but it’s really got to come from the coach first. He sets the pattern."

Stewart himself has established a template for Cousins, 38 years ago.

Another Brownlow Medal and a premiership might not be feasible for Cousins, but embracing the club, as Stewart advocates, is well within his capabilities.

The Age

 

[hoptis]

The triple Brownlow medallist offers this qualification: "30 per cent of the population (has an) addiction to something — alcohol, drugs, tobacco and gaming, and the worship of money."

He notes that addiction is not like crimes against others. "Murder, rape, pedophilia. I regard those things as serious. Drug-taking, hurt yourself, only yourself and your family."

Refreshing perspective.

 

[Sustanon]

Hey i dont hurt my family, i dont agree with that one. Anyone who hurts there family with there drug abuse should think twice and snap out of it. Family comes before drugs, or atleast in my theory.