Why not Cousins?

[The Big Cat]

2. Whether Cousins should be given a second chance.

I'm not against second chances. Hell, that's what Australia was founded on. But how many has Cousins had - six at least come to mind. He was signed sealed and delivered to Collingwood but they pulled out of the deal - Ask yourself why if he'd become a clean skin. He was signed sealed and delivered at St Kilda - ditto. Where's there's smoke there's usually a bloody big bush fire about to erupt! AS Tommy Hafey said in today's Age, he had his chances and he blew it..

[CureTheSane]

The club went down that route in the 1980's. If you want to turn the club into a freak show for the entertainment of the voyeurs then perhaps you can suggest Plan B when he hits the wall.

Any publicity is good publicity. Personally, I never saw the Swans as a freak show. And what you refer to as being a 'freak show' allowed the Swans to survive, so you should look back fondly.

Cousins is/WAS a drug addict. It is unclear whether he has beaten his habit.

From what I understand, he would have to be pretty damn smart and lucky to evade detection given the requirements placed upon him.
Personally, I think the term 'drug addict' is a bit overplayed here and in the media.
I'd be willing to bet that he had a dabble in some illegal drugs, just as many of your heroes would have done in the past, only he took it a bit further and got busted a couple of times.
Imagine the @@@@storm if he had come out and said "I don't really have a big problem - it was a casual thing that got out of hand"
He had no option but to tell everyone that he was a full blown addict for life and was ashamed of everything and hated himself, and beg for forgiveness.
That's just MY opinion, and in teh end it's kinda irrelevant as he DID do drugs which are a no no for AFL players (and everyone I guess)

It is the height of irresponsibility to allow a player who may not yet have recovered form an addiction to play professional sport.

Think you may have illegal drugs mixed up wiith performance enhancing drugs there, but I don't really want to open up that can of worms again - oops, just did

The integrity of sport depends on the prevention of drugs in sport.

The integrity of sport is validated and confirmed in the way a participant is treated by the governing body with regards to drugs in sport.
You seriously cannot expect all participants to follow the rules all of the time. That is unreasonable. Each case is acted upon when it becomes prevalent.

Give me one example where a competitor has returned to competition with the question mark that hangs over Cousins? His recent device of body shaving to thwart sampling should set the alarm bells ringing. What we may be watching is another instalment in a sporting disgrace and a human tragedy. And you want to sell this as sport or entertainment.

I read your words, but all I get out of them is blah... blah... blah...

[CureTheSane]

I'm not against second chances. Hell, that's what Australia was founded on. But how many has Cousins had - six at least come to mind. He was signed sealed and delivered to Collingwood but they pulled out of the deal - Ask yourself why if he'd become a clean skin. He was signed sealed and delivered at St Kilda - ditto. Where's there's smoke there's usually a bloody big bush fire about to erupt! AS Tommy Hafey said in today's Herald Sun, he had his chances and he blew it..

Speculation, which I would attribute more to the perceived repercussions by those mentioned clubs in drafting Cousins.

Seems in the end he had one chance left

[AnnieH]

My hero, Patrick Smith, says:

Cousins mustn't exploit fall

[givekidsakick]

blah...

blah......i just want to see some good footy.

[The Big Cat]

Think you may have illegal drugs mixed up wiith performance enhancing drugs there, but I don't really want to open up that can of worms again - oops, just did .

Many sports ban amphetamines because they allow players to train with greater pain levels.

[goswannie14]

You're right that it's lame, at least. Everybody has problems, many worse than Cousins. He made the conscious decision to take drugs, he is responsible for the consequences. I have absolutely no sympathy for his situation.

You have no sympathy for his situation because you don't know what it is.

I know a friend of Cousins and the story behind the man is tragic, it has never been publicised because that's the way he wants it to stay, so I won't (and can't without jeopardising a friendship) expand on what has effected Ben Cousins in the way it has.

What annoys me more than someone getting a second, third, fourth or more chance in life is the self righteous pratts who get on their judgemental high horses without having a clue about the facts of the case. :steps down off personal soapbox:

[ShockOfHair]

Give the bloke a chance. He's had the whole country come down on him. Now if he screws up it's on his head.

I'm looking forward to seeing him play. The downside is Richmond are going to be extremely tough to beat this year.

[stellation]

Many sports ban amphetamines because they allow players to train with greater pain levels.

When sports started to allow players to take a jab to kill the pain mid game it really started to make inroads on their ability to take the high moral ground on that.

[CureTheSane]

When sports started to allow players to take a jab to kill the pain mid game it really started to make inroads on their ability to take the high moral ground on that.

Awesome comment

[givekidsakick]

cressa....

When sports started to allow players to take a jab to kill the pain mid game it really started to make inroads on their ability to take the high moral ground on that.

Cressa didn't bother....just smash it back in and get on with it.

[connolly]

You have no sympathy for his situation because you don't know what it is.

I know a friend of Cousins and the story behind the man is tragic, it has never been publicised because that's the way he wants it to stay, so I won't (and can't without jeopardising a friendship) expand on what has effected Ben Cousins in the way it has.

What annoys me more than someone getting a second, third, fourth or more chance in life is the self righteous pratts who get on their judgemental high horses without having a clue about the facts of the case. :steps down off personal soapbox:

So the poor kid is the victim. Give me a break. He had an obligation to come clean (figuratively) as well as literally. In the US they have Congressional hearings into sports stars drug taking where they are compelled to provide truthful evidence regarding drug taking. Drug taking in sport is not a personal issue of someone's privacy. It is a threat to the integrity of the sport. That is true of horse racing, cycling or any sport. Except AFL apparently. If Cousins was an Olympic athlete he would have been given two years, maybe more, on the evidence publicly known. Jones didn't fail a drug test in Sydney but she was disqualified on the evidence that later emerged regarding her drug taking and lying. Tragic figure no doubt. But ahe has no place in sport. She is a cheat. Why should we regard Cousins differently given that he is/WAS addicted to a performance enhancing substance (WADA listed)??

[goswannie14]

In the US they have Congressional hearings into sports stars drug taking where they are compelled to provide truthful evidence regarding drug taking.

In case you missed it, we are in Australia, not the US, so this has nothing to do with anything.

Drug taking in sport is not a personal issue of someone's privacy. It is a threat to the integrity of the sport. That is true of horse racing, cycling or any sport. Except AFL apparently.

Funny how you seem to be putting recreational drug use (which I am not condoning) above the biggest threat to the itegrity of sport, gambling and match/race fixing.

If Cousins was an Olympic athlete he would have been given two years, maybe more, on the evidence publicly known.

Again, he is not, so your argument is moot, like most of the stuff you have been sprouting about contracts.

There is an old, but true saying, "a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing." But I do admire your tenacity, even if it appears, IMO to be misplaced.

[Donners]

You have no sympathy for his situation because you don't know what it is.

I know a friend of Cousins and the story behind the man is tragic, it has never been publicised because that's the way he wants it to stay, so I won't (and can't without jeopardising a friendship) expand on what has effected Ben Cousins in the way it has.

What annoys me more than someone getting a second, third, fourth or more chance in life is the self righteous pratts who get on their judgemental high horses without having a clue about the facts of the case. :steps down off personal soapbox:

No, I have no sympathy because I hear sob stories every day as part of my job, vainly trying to explain the most heinous acts. In the end, it comes down to personal choices. He made bad ones.

Plenty of people miss out on opportunities in life simply because of the way fate has treated them. He has only himself to blame.

That's not to say he should not get another chance - hell, I said Sydney should sign him. It does mean that I don't feel sorry for him, and that I don't feel he deserves another chance.

[Donners]

Read some stories about addicts, how they got there, how they overcame their addiction and what it took to break that habit.

Trust me, I've heard far more stories than you could imagine. I've dealt with things just as bad myself. I know more than I would ever want to.

As you rightly said, EVERYONE has problems.
I'm sure you do.
I'm sure you've made mistakes.
I'm sure you've put them behind you.
Yet you don't allow that privilege for Cousins because he is in the limelight/played for West Coast/was targeted by the media/or whatever reason.

Ah, now I did not say that, did I? I said I have no sympathy for his situation. I do not feel he is owed a chance. However, I do not begrudge the fact that he has one.

I'm not here saying he's the best bloke in the world.
For all I know he's a complete asshole.
But what I see is a guy who @@@@@@ up, SEEMS to have done everything asked of him to rebuild his life and has done it with quite a bit of decorum.

Indeed, but I have far more respect for those who fight through problems which were not of their own doing.