Cousins Suspended .No show for round 1 with Sydney

[Wardy]

Off topic I know, but I still do smile when I think about Buckley leaving Brisbane in 98 because apparently, he wanted to play in a premiership team...

Whoops-a-daisy....

indeed - it brings a smile to the face re Buckley - however (back on topic), I think that if Cousins sorts himself out (and you never know the Betty Roos Clinic here in Sydney might do the trick) he would be great in the Swans midfield!

[Demsone]

You should be thankful you are posting here at all, and not stuck on just BF.

Both as bad as each other to be honest. Anyway I seem to ruffle a few feathers and we all want intelligent high brow footy discussion. So have it.

ROK and Sanecow can breathe easily.

And design your own site..what i have seen..you guys need a lot of help!

[Demsone]

Off topic I know, but I still do smile when I think about Buckley leaving Brisbane in 98 because apparently, he wanted to play in a premiership team...

Whoops-a-daisy....

If you are going to talk on a footy site..at least get your facts right. 98 was not the year bucks left for Collingwood..try end of 93.

[Mr_Juicy]

If the tests are positive, and that is the reason for his idefinite suspension then I congratulate WCE for finally acting. He does deserve his punishment, and deserves to be disgraced.....much like Gary Ablett Snr. But I don't believe we should take "joy" in his downfall

Exactly how I feel. I don't take joy in his downfall I take joy in the prospects of justice being served.

I want Ben to become a better person after this ordeal and rid himself of the associations he has confided in over all these years. This goes back a long way (believe me I know, because I've seen it first hand) and a kick up the pants is exactly what Ben Cousins deserves. He has paid dearly for his past indiscretions, he's lost his girlfriend, he's lost his club, and he's lost his respect. But he deserves every chance to get it all in line AFTER he has done his time.

[hammo]

I have to say I find it hard to muster any sympathy for Ben Cousins and can't agree with the holier than thou sentiments by some here.

Cousins is a grub who has had several chances to clean up his act but has been effectively "untouchable" in Perth. Over the years its been fights with teammates, connections with gangsters, running from booze buses, drinking himself into a stupor. And these are the incidents we know about.

Yes, he's been let down by his club which seems to be bereft of all morals, common decency and understanding of its responsibility to uphold community standards. It seems as long as he racked up another 30 possessions the Eagles were prepared to turn a blind eye to his off field behaviour.

You could argue his parents are partly to blame but he is 29 years old.

Ultimately there needs to be some personal responsibility and that has to be something he needs to work out for himself. If he learns that through his club struggling without him this season then so be it. May he be racked with guilt and strive to change his ways.

I don't regard my opinion as "gloating" of the situation either. I am sure no one wishes Cousins any ill-will, but I simply don't have any sympathy for his constant brushes with the law and his hard-living ways.

As Brownlow medallists, Chris Judd, Adam Goodes, James Hird, Michael Voss and countless others are all epitomies of champions. Ben Cousins does not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as those players.

[Wardy]

If you are going to talk on a footy site..at least get your facts right. 98 was not the year bucks left for Collingwood..try end of 93.

geez take a chill pill will you!

[Mr_Juicy]

Typical - lets blame everyone else bar the individual. No wonder society is up @@@@ creek and kids don't know any better. No one is willing to take blame and rather fob off the blame to others.

How true

[Mr_Juicy]

Now, to say we dont have an off-field rivalry with the Eagles is wrong. You couldnt get more chalk and cheese clubs or supporters. The rivarly extends beyond the boundary line, and is only tempered by distance.

I think our rivalry really stems from the two clubs and supporters being so similar. The close games we've had recently has just brought that rivalry to the surface.

[Mr_Juicy]

No he didn't run any old ladies down, but there was something - I think maybe to do with a shooting and knifeing at a nightclub in Perth.

[giant]

Where is the real ROK Lobster, and what have you done with him?

He can be remarkably forgiving of other team's players.

[ScottH]

Both as bad as each other to be honest. Anyway I seem to ruffle a few feathers and we all want intelligent high brow footy discussion. So have it.

ROK and Sanecow can breathe easily.

And design your own site..what i have seen..you guys need a lot of help!

We are and we know.

[reigning premier]

If you are going to talk on a footy site..at least get your facts right. 98 was not the year bucks left for Collingwood..try end of 93.

Hmmm.... seeing as it was Collingwood, Buckley and the Lions.... who really cares....

[Triple B]

He can be remarkably forgiving of other team's players.

I also found it strange that in another thread Crouchy gets knocked from pillar to post for his views, but some of the very same people want to show sympathy and understanding for this scumbag.

[Triple B]

I have to say I find it hard to muster any sympathy for Ben Cousins and can't agree with the holier than thou sentiments by some here.

Cousins is a grub who has had several chances to clean up his act but has been effectively "untouchable" in Perth. Over the years its been fights with teammates, connections with gangsters, running from booze buses, drinking himself into a stupor. And these are the incidents we know about.

Yes, he's been let down by his club which seems to be bereft of all morals, common decency and understanding of its responsibility to uphold community standards. It seems as long as he racked up another 30 possessions the Eagles were prepared to turn a blind eye to his off field behaviour.

You could argue his parents are partly to blame but he is 29 years old.

Ultimately there needs to be some personal responsibility and that has to be something he needs to work out for himself. If he learns that through his club struggling without him this season then so be it. May he be racked with guilt and strive to change his ways.

I don't regard my opinion as "gloating" of the situation either. I am sure no one wishes Cousins any ill-will, but I simply don't have any sympathy for his constant brushes with the law and his hard-living ways.

As Brownlow medallists, Chris Judd, Adam Goodes, James Hird, Michael Voss and countless others are all epitomies of champions. Ben Cousins does not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as those players.

Hammo, only just saw that post.

I must say it reflects EXACTLY my thoughts. Well said.

[laughingnome]

My $0.02...

Most people here are leaning to the issue of Cousins having a serious drug problem. All I could think of reading through the pages of posting was the training that AFL players are supposedly put through. Surely the Drug Seminars have not been disbanded, so what was Cousins thinking? In my opinion if he is drugged up he deserves a lengthy stint on the sidelines, as punishment and as a chance to get his life back in some sort of order. Remember too that if the club let him play knowing he had a drug problem, how bad would that look when it finally came out (as all things are want to do eventually). Give him a stint on the other side of the fence, and see what happens.

Then we have Cousins family complaining about pay. Am I ignorant to think that Sydney is not the only club to teach their youngsters how to effectively manage their salary? Surely all the clubs do this (or so I thought). What I'm getting at is that either Cousins is an extreamly stupid and selfish person, or the Club lacks a good ethos and structure, but most likely a mix of both. Are they dimwits? Absolutely. Does Cousins deserve the tarnished tag he will undoubtedly carry for the rest of his life if these reports are confirmed (ie - that he is a drugger)? Maybe.

I know it is the right thing to be sympathetic to those who have fallen, but in this case with stupidity piled on ego piled on stupidity its hard to muster that sentiment. It's there somewhere. I know I'd rather be playing WCE with cousins in it so when we win we win fair, but if the WCE and the players cannot abide by the rules well, make the bed and lie in it. If cousins tries to rectify his situation and comes back to the AFL clean and sober, he has my support. Good luck to them, but I still hope we crush them on the field this year.