If you want to talk about Ben Cousins, post it here (mega merged thread)

[AnnieH]

There is a big difference between being an "apologist" and questioning whether the charges will stand up in court. It's not unheard of ifor cops to go after high profile individuals to make a name for themselves.

I've never defended Cousins' drug taking nor have I said his sacking was wrong so I am hardly an "apologist or denier" in regards to Ben Cousins.

All I'm saying is that the case against him here hardly seems water tight.

On the "evidence" the media has presented thus far (valium/refusing the blood test), his charges will be dropped to a misdemeanour ... you don't need to be a QC to know that the police are kidding themselves if they think there's going to be a conviction out of this.

My question is, what was benny-boy still doing in the country this week? I recall something being reported when Mainey died that benny was supposed to leave for the US two days after the funeral.

EDIT: Found an article (I should have been a jurno) ... Plan change that cost Cousins career

At the end of the day, you have to feel sorry for Benny's stupidity.

[Zlatorog]

Is all this talking about Cousins still necessary? What's teh point and what RWO'ers really want out of this? Is the purpose of this post just an attempt to get sympathy for Cousins and get him to join the Swans? Why somebody doesn't set up a poll and see how others feel about it.

Personally, I don't like him, but I wouldn't be suprised if the Swans wouldn't try draft him if AFL permits it.

[Sanecow]

And why would Cousins need diazepam?

PRESCRIBED FOR: Diazepam is used for the short-term relief of symptoms related to anxiety disorders. Diazepam is also used for the treatment of agitation, tremors, delirium, seizures, and hallucinations as a result of alcohol withdrawal.

Shock, horror.

[Industrial Fan]

PRESCRIBED FOR: Diazepam is used for the short-term relief of symptoms related to anxiety disorders. Diazepam is also used for the treatment of agitation, tremors, delirium, seizures, and hallucinations as a result of alcohol withdrawal.

Anyone know where I can get some? That sounds like me.

[Sanecow]

Probably not - the charges are obviously a beat up. Cousins is the victim in all this.

I don't know if you are tongue-in-cheek or not, but the presence of a video camera smells shonky. And who were the "two female passengers"?

[Bazman]

Charges to be dropped on Monday according to Vega fm, so question is should the Swans try and lure him to Sydney for further rehabilitation?
Lets face it we need him or dont we need the baggage that comes with him? personnally i'd like to see him running around in the Red and White. I'd like to see him carve up the West coke eagles mid-field.

If we want him Email the club.

[cruiser]

Charges to be dropped on Monday according to Vega fm, so question is should the Swans try and lure him to Sydney for further rehabilitation?
Lets face it we need him or dont we need the baggage that comes with him? personnally i'd like to see him running around in the Red and White. I'd like to see him carve up the West coke eagles mid-field.

If we want him Email the club.

Only the drug charge has been dropped. The charge relating to his refusal to submit to a drug test remains - and why wouldn't it.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22613343-5001021,00.html

I find it staggeringly incomprehensible that some people here would want to see him playing for us.

[Layby]

Hey Cruiser,

Would you be happy to submit to a drug test if you were just driving in a car ?

The opportunity to harass minorities is enormous with that leglislation.

[cruiser]

Hey Cruiser,

Would you be happy to submit to a drug test if you were just driving in a car ?

The opportunity to harass minorities is enormous with that leglislation.

If I was pulled over and asked I would do it. I don't put myself above the law.

Was he 'just driving' or 'driving erratically'? Was he under surveillance and as a result, did the police have sufficient evidence to pull him over to search his vehicle and request that he submit to a test?

I always thought that the diazepam charge was tenuous.

[Sanecow]

With a possibility of drink spiking ("A staggering one in four people recently surveyed claimed to be victims of sneaky drink spikers."), his career in the balance if he failed a test and police trying to Punk him, he took the smart option.

[hammo]

Only the drug charge has been dropped. The charge relating to his refusal to submit to a drug test remains - and why wouldn't it.

It's a new law which came into effect about 2 weeks ago and has never been tested in court. An interesting test case, I wonder how determined the WA police are to make such a high profile case the first one. My guess is not very.

[Matty10]

I doubt that there is any way that the AFL would allow Cousins to come to the Swans - but this whole issue smacks of political correctness and public pressure forcing an issue.

The Federal Government, for political mileage, is putting heat on the AFL (and therefore their sponsors), who in turn are putting it on the Eagles.

Cousins wasn't at work when the issue came up anyway (it seems ridiculous to me that someone's legal problems should immediately cause their employer to sack them).

At the very least (without knowing all the facts - and who could at this point) it seems that the Eagles jumped the gun.

To be honest if I was pulled over (not by your regular Police Officers, but by the Drug/Crime squad) at 10:30am because they said I was driving erratically (I assume giving them probable cause to search the car etc) I would be a bit hesitant.

Shouldn't the Eagles have waited until he was found guilty - perhaps they should have suspended him again until the issue was resolved instead of sacking him.

The Eagles (and the world) knows that Cousins has a drug problem - so what is new? If his drug problem was so great and so well known - surely they would expect that a relapse was possible if not probable. He was already planning to go back to rehab, but then his close friend dies and he postpones the trip to attend the funeral etc - it is still planned.

The whole issue seems beyond the bounds of what the AFL should be trying to do in running a football competition.

Footballers play football - anything outside that world shouldn't be an issue for the AFL.

Unless the illegal drugs are a performance enhancer then I don't think the AFL should even be testing for them - they are not the police and should not try and be the moral moderators of the world either.

[TheGrimReaper]

There were other terms and conditions that Cousins broke, so the Eagles had every right to sack him. I think it might have something to do with the people that he was seeing.

[hammo]

OK now its going to get interesting.

I don't see any reason why Cousins couldn't play in the AFL next year.

What a farce.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/comments/0,22023,22613344-661,00.html

[Sanecow]

Cousins has never tested positive for illicit drugs.

From another report:

as many as three drug tests a week kept coming back clean.

There's no reason to think that he is not successfully undergoing rehabilitation. My apologies to Ben for doubting him on the back of poor police work and media speculation.