Ben Cousins

[the joker]

Richmond are set to put Polak on the Rookie list next year, so they can pick up Cousins

[A Mum]

Ooops.

Just posted that in another thread.
Didn't realise there were sooooo many threads getting around about Ben

[BALLHOG]

Richmond are set to put Polak on the Rookie list next year, so they can pick up Cousins

Don't Richmond need permission from the AFL first to put Polak on the rookie list?

[A Mum]

Looks like they have

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html

[Dirko]

Richmond are set to put Polak on the Rookie list next year, so they can pick up Cousins

Don't Richmond need permission from the AFL first to put Polak on the rookie list?

Reckon the other 15 clubs may kick up a fuss about this one, but the AFL will let it through if it guarantees Cousin's getting picked up.

Why didn't Richmond put Polak on the Rookie list BEFORE final list lodgement ? It's not as if they didn't know his condition. Totally different to the Rama case too IMO.

If they get Polak through to the rookie list, can of worms opened.....

[mighty_tiger_79]

when i popped into cafe de villi after work for something to eat on the drive home i saw the pic of cousins in the richmond jumper and thought at the quick glance it was the glenelg jumper and started getting excited...............but then i realised

[wycbloods]

Richmond are set to put Polak on the Rookie list next year, so they can pick up Cousins

Don't Richmond need permission from the AFL first to put Polak on the rookie list?

Reckon the other 15 clubs may kick up a fuss about this one, but the AFL will let it through if it guarantees Cousin's getting picked up.

Why didn't Richmond put Polak on the Rookie list BEFORE final list lodgement ? It's not as if they didn't know his condition. Totally different to the Rama case too IMO.

If they get Polak through to the rookie list, can of worms opened.....

I agree next thing clubs will be wanting to put those with serious injuries, such as knees, on the rookie list to pick up players in the PSD to cover the loss. I feel for Polak but they needed to either chop him or do this much earlier as they have known for a while it will be a long road to recovery for him.

[NO-MERCY]

The League will do all they can to get Cousins to a club even if that means bending the rules.
The League aint happy with the criticism they've copped in the handling the Cousins case thus far, with that the legal ramifications they may face if he doesn't ( get drafted )

[CoverKing]

Richmond are set to put Polak on the Rookie list next year, so they can pick up Cousins

Don't Richmond need permission from the AFL first to put Polak on the rookie list?

Reckon the other 15 clubs may kick up a fuss about this one, but the AFL will let it through if it guarantees Cousin's getting picked up.

Why didn't Richmond put Polak on the Rookie list BEFORE final list lodgement ? It's not as if they didn't know his condition. Totally different to the Rama case too IMO.

If they get Polak through to the rookie list, can of worms opened.....

I agree next thing clubs will be wanting to put those with serious injuries, such as knees, on the rookie list to pick up players in the PSD to cover the loss. I feel for Polak but they needed to either chop him or do this much earlier as they have known for a while it will be a long road to recovery for him.

It's not everyday a bloke gets hit by a tram Bloods, this circumstance is completely different to a person doing a knee injury which happens to around 5-10 people per year...IT is an extra-ordinary circumstance like that of Rama's, and richmond should be allowed to have Polak on there rookie list IMO... BRing on cousins though.

[Dirko]

It's not everyday a bloke gets hit by a tram Bloods, this circumstance is completely different to a person doing a knee injury which happens to around 5-10 people per year...IT is an extra-ordinary circumstance like that of Rama's, and richmond should be allowed to have Polak on there rookie list IMO... BRing on cousins though.

BULLSHIT. When did he get hit by a tram ? When was the final list due ? What a crock of shit. Richmond could've done this BEFORE the the due dates. Richmond could've had Polak on the rookie list IF they did it before due date.....

[Real McCoy]

Not 100% sure here, but don't the Bombers get a pick before Richmond,that being the case would Knights take him to piss off his old club.
Would love to see him in a Red & Black jumper.

[Adelaide Hawk]

This is so "Richmond" isn't it? They have this compulsion to make adhoc decisions all the time which land them in hot water. Here we are, months and months after other clubs have done a host of checks and balances resulting in a resounding strike against Cousins .. and then along comes Richmond.

Sheedy speaks with Cousins last weekend, then suggests to Wallace they should take him, and suddenly it's a great idea. No consideration given as to why other clubs weren't interested. I've heard the Richmond president approached Collingwood wanting to know what they paid big bucks finding out .. and Collingwood told them to work it out for themselves.

I agree totally with Dermott Brereton here, Richmond have done a great job over the past couple of years bringing the kids through, why would they even consider doing this? Total mystery .. but then again, that's Richmond.

[THE MOLE]

This is so "Richmond" isn't it? They have this compulsion to make adhoc decisions all the time which land them in hot water. Here we are, months and months after other clubs have done a host of checks and balances resulting in a resounding strike against Cousins .. and then along comes Richmond.

Sheedy speaks with Cousins last weekend, then suggests to Wallace they should take him, and suddenly it's a great idea. No consideration given as to why other clubs weren't interested. I've heard the Richmond president approached Collingwood wanting to know what they paid big bucks finding out .. and Collingwood told them to work it out for themselves.

I agree totally with Dermott Brereton here, Richmond have done a great job over the past couple of years bringing the kids through, why would they even consider doing this? Total mystery .. but then again, that's Richmond.

If i am right Wallace is in the 5th year of his 5 year contract and he said they werent making the finals by the end of his 5th year that he wasnt a success............. Maybe hes thinking of his next contract and is trying to get cousins to give him his best chance

[Booney]

Parhaps Richmond are onto something.

For a moment,forget what sponsors,fans and the playing group think,if your club was to pick up a player of Ben Cousins on field qualities next year,would it improve your teams chances of winning games/playing finals?

A resounding yes must be the only answer.

So perhaps Richmond are focussing on football,which primarily,is the business they are in,winning football games.

(Well,Richmond aren't actually in this business )

[Dirko]

Parhaps Richmond are onto something.

For a moment,forget what sponsors,fans and the playing group think,if your club was to pick up a player of Ben Cousins on field qualities next year,would it improve your teams chances of winning games/playing finals?

A resounding yes must be the only answer.

So perhaps Richmond are focussing on football,which primarily,is the business they are in,winning football games.

(Well,Richmond aren't actually in this business )

The issue IMO isn't whether they get Cousins or not, it's the way the morons are doing it. The whole Polak thing on the rookie list is just plain ignorance and stupidity. How much time did it take for Sheedy to arrive and declare his hand.
Sheed to Wallace - "Yep better get Benny over ".
Wallace and others - "But we have no room on our list".
Sheeds - "Hang on we had Rama at Essendon, the AFL allowed him on the rookie list, due to exceptional circumstance"
Wallace - "Ohh yeah, um, but Polak got hit by the Tram 6 months ago, umm you think the AFL will let us, if we're too stupid to have done it before list lodgement dates"
Sheeds "Shit yeah, just tell 'em Sheeds said so"

[Booney]

Bit of a narrow minded view IMO.

Have you considered Richmond were not in a position to make a decision on Polak's long term future before now?

They would have waited as long as possible before they made a decision like this.(To place him back on the rookie list)

[Dirko]

Bit of a narrow minded view IMO.

Have you considered Richmond were not in a position to make a decision on Polak's long term future before now?

They would have waited as long as possible before they made a decision like this.(To place him back on the rookie list)

So they didn't know before what two weeks ago ? All the medical assistance and information presented to them BEFORE he started pre-season wouldn't have been enough to make a informed decision. Hell when he was hit it was doubtful whether he'd play again, so that was what 6 months ago, so unless you totally ignore the doctors and medical staff, you'd know his status for season 2009 would be doubtful at best.
Why wouldn't they approach the AFL before the list was due and raise the issue that perhaps Polak may be out for the whole year, and ask then ?

It's not as if Polak was in danger of losing his spot. He is contracted for 2009, unlike Rama who came out of contract when the cancer hit.

Piss poor planing by Richmond IMO, and I hope the AFL don't let them get away with it......

[SCD]

IMO Richmond should be given special consideration here..

They are standing by a player who clearly will not be well enough to play AFL or any level of football next year as he recovers from head injuries.

Collingwood / Geelong and every other team had an oportunity to pick him in the draft and choose not to - where is their issue.. that Richmond will have 40 fit blokes to play next year.. FFS - get over it.. they will only finish 9th anyway

[Booney]

I agree,it is typically 'Richmondesque',however,IMO they have done what they can to give Polak a chance to :

1 : Get fit for 2009

2 : When they realised it would not be in Polak's best interest to 'push' him to be near playing in 2009 they have made adjustments accordingly.

As I said,very Richmond like,but they are acting now on what they think is best for them.

[Hondo]

According to Adrian Barich on 5AA last night, this opportunity at Richmond has only just cropped up and it (allegedly) followed Sheedy speaking to Ben, after the draft, and basically telling him to swallow his pride and start again with a new approach to make it as easy as possible for a new club to want to pick him up, rather than making it as hard as possible as Ben seemingly had been trying to do before the ND.

I think Barich said that Sheeds told Ben to go to Richmond and plead his case while he and the club planned how to make it happen via the the Polak arrangement. To cut a long story short, it seems entirely feasible that Richmond have only considered Cousins and the Polak option in the last week or so. Hence the answer to the question of why Richmond didn't do anything earlier.

As I have said before, I'd like to see him get a second crack and restore some of his reputation, on the field at least. If that means a special arrangement for Polak then I don't have an issue with it. I don't want to see administrative red tape getting in the way.