Ben Cousins to resume his career

[BPBRB]

How can the AFL punish a bloke that they couldn't identify any misdemeanour with?

He's obviously going to be subject to intense drug testing scrutiny now, so everybody should just calm down and get on with life.

When it comes to role models, who has shown greater disrespect for standards in society - Ben Cousins or Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna?

Despite the AFL stating that Cousins would be subjected to very strict drug tests on his comeback, it was announced on Foxtel's "On the Couch" that he was not tested after the game nor the next day?

The AFL don't give a rat's as long as their image is not tarnished.

I agree that it was poor that he wasn't tested, but who seriously believes he would turn up to that one off his dial. The monitoring needs a less obvious approach than that.

As for the AFL showing a harder line - what option did they have? If they suspend him without a positive drug test, they're just going to get hammered in the courts.

Well no-one would believe that Cousins would be so stupid to turn up "off his dial" but that's not the point. The AFL spruked that is was going to be stringent in it's monitoring of Cousins and test him 3 to 4 times a week and the obvious would have been at least the following day but they failed to do even that.

He has since being back in WA been out "socialising" until the early hours and given he is not long out of re-hab and being in an environment that he could be tempted to "indulge" and fall off the wagon so to speak, it seems that eveyone including the AFL has been convinced that he has made a full recovery and will never transgress again?

A lot of this talk and conditions supposedly imposed on Cousins as part of his return to the game seems just to be lip service. IMO I think the AFL don't want to test him too often for fear of finding him in breach and that will not sit well with the image etc they would want to portray?

[Hondo]

I'd say he would have passed whatever tests were imposed by the Eagles and the AFL or he wouldn't have been allowed back

I don't think that means anybody, Eagles/AFL/supporters assumes he will never transgress again ... who knows? If he transgresses again - I'm sure the Eagles will sack him on the spot.

I think the response at the ground last weekend could be construed many different ways - to them it could just have been welcoming back a former captain and one of their best players - doesn't mean they were supporting drug-taking or condoning his actions.

Don't worry, to anybody who worries he is getting hero-worshipped and getting off scott-free - wait until he plays anywhere other than Perth! It'll be on for young and old!

[Blue Boy]

I am in shock after reading he wasnt even tested on the weekend - that would have to be the single most p*!# weak thing I have ever heard of !!!

[RustyCage]

Ben Cousins is a great player, if he had played all of this season he would have been up there for the Brownlow, sensational effort Saturday night...

Any why wasn't he playing from the start? If he was, WC would be higher than 6th. He has let his club down badly. Unforgivable.

[hearts on fire]

Ben Cousins is a great player, if he had played all of this season he would have been up there for the Brownlow, sensational effort Saturday night...

Any why wasn't he playing from the start? If he was, WC would be higher than 6th. He has let his club down badly. Unforgivable.

yes, he has let his club, supporters and family down, now he needs to put it behind him and redeem himself and play great football like against the Swans and hopefully people will change their opinions about him, but for now on, in everybodys minds, he is always going to be the guy on drugs or something like that

[McAlmanac]

I will be at the Telstra Dome tomorrow night for the Bulldogs v Eagles game. I'm looking forward to the reaction.

For those people who don't believe he should be playing - when should he be allowed to?

[hearts on fire]

I will be at the Telstra Dome tomorrow night for the Bulldogs v Eagles game. I'm looking forward to the reaction.

For those people who don't believe he should be playing - when should he be allowed to?

well this will be a test for him, the Bulldogs supporters will be rubbing it into him and making life dificult for him, if he can withstand the pressure and play football at a quality level, hes ready to play and allowed to play

[rod_rooster]

I haven't read this whole thread but why shouldn't he be playing? He has had a problem. So what he may or may not be over it. He hasn't been caught doing anything against the rules of the AFL. Why should he not be allowed to play? People say he is a bad role model. He has admitted to having a drug problem and if he overcomes that i think he will be great role model. Nobody is perfect. If a person can admit a problem like Cousins has that is the most couragous thing one can do. The guy is a star.

[Hondo]

I think some people can't see past the 'strut' unfortunately and their views get unbalanced as they sit in judgement on the guy ... IMO

[McAlmanac]

I think some people can't see past the 'strut' unfortunately and their views get unbalanced as they sit in judgement on the guy ... IMO

A nice way of saying people can be self-righteous.

[Hondo]

I think some people can't see past the 'strut' unfortunately and their views get unbalanced as they sit in judgement on the guy ... IMO

A nice way of saying people can be self-righteous.

I think they wouldn't be happy unless Cousins was tied to a stake in the centre of the MCG, while he gets stones and excrement thrown at him in a public humilation after which he grovels in the mud and begs for forgiveness and permission to play again

[Psyber]

As an unrepentant junkie.

[rod_rooster]

Thing i don't get is that whatever way you look at it Ben Cousins has done harm to himself not others. The whole role model talk is a crock IMHO. These guys are paid to play football. He does that very well. He isn't hurting anyone but himself. If people choose to become drug addicts because of Ben Cousins it reflects more poorly on those people and their upbringing that Ben Cousins.

Easy to say from the outside that he is an unrepentant junkie but until you fully understand what it is like to hate yourself and what you are doing yet be unable to stop doing it you can't really understand. Might sound lame but it is true.

Ben Cousins can be a great role model if the media stop hi-lighting on the negatives and actually appreciate the courage the bloke has in admitting and fighting his addictions.

[Psyber]

Thing i don't get is that whatever way you look at it Ben Cousins has done harm to himself not others. The whole role model talk is a crock IMHO. These guys are paid to play football. He does that very well. He isn't hurting anyone but himself. If people choose to become drug addicts because of Ben Cousins it reflects more poorly on those people and their upbringing that Ben Cousins.

Easy to say from the outside that he is an unrepentant junkie but until you fully understand what it is like to hate yourself and what you are doing yet be unable to stop doing it you can't really understand. Might sound lame but it is true.

Ben Cousins can be a great role model if the media stop hi-lighting on the negatives and actually appreciate the courage the bloke has in admitting and fighting his addictions.

You're right - it sounds lame. I got drunk once and decided never again, and I quit smoking aged 11!

Cousins went through the motions of being contrite and "fighting his addictions" but he actually opted out of the rehab. programme early and was clearly just reading a script someone had written for him when he appeared on TV.

Unfortunately, kids copy what they see, not what they are told, and people in the public eye therefore are really role models whether they think it is fair our not. So, if they take the job and the money they must also accept that setting a standard as a famous person kids will model themselves on is part of the job, and not look for a cop out.

He drove under the effect of booze and drugs - which means he was prepared to risk harming others - perhaps kids!

[Magpiespower]

I think some people can't see past the 'strut' unfortunately and their views get unbalanced as they sit in judgement on the guy ... IMO

A nice way of saying people can be self-righteous.

LMAO!

[Tight_Lines]

So after the Didak inccident continues to play. Jeff Farmers rubbish all year and after what he did last week admits he has a problem but guess what hes playing this week. Cousins serves 16 weeks on the sidelines and he is not worthy of playing? Doesnt matter if Cousins missed no games or 3 years fact is he will all ways have the tag of 'Drugie' over his head and people will always bag him. If that anti-drugging was to realise the names of everyone that was found positive would you boo and bag them all or are people just jumping on him cose of his bad boy rep?

[redden whites]

I think some people can't see past the 'strut' unfortunately and their views get unbalanced as they sit in judgement on the guy ... IMO

A nice way of saying people can be self-righteous.

I think they wouldn't be happy unless Cousins was tied to a stake in the centre of the MCG, while he gets stones and excrement thrown at him in a public humilation after which he grovels in the mud and begs for forgiveness and permission to play again

So you can remember the Collingwood games at Victoria Park to mate .....that was the weekly ritual for visiting teams

[Hondo]

So you can remember the Collingwood games at Victoria Park to mate .....that was the weekly ritual for visiting teams

I recall Cornesy saying that either Vic Park or Windy Hill they turned off the hot water in the visitors' showers when the Crows played there in the early days

[Dogwatcher]

[/url]http://realfooty.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339168932.html[url]

[hearts on fire]

Ben Cousins well on the comeback, another 29 touches tonight against the Doggies