Cousins rejection

[jk23]

I quote from the official press release...

"The Club conducted a complex five month review on Ben Cousins and its own playing group, resulting in a list management blueprint with a long term and strategic approach.

Saints CEO, Archie Fraser said, "We owed it to ourselves to undertake a rigorous and thorough review and have now made our decision. This is a decision that we didn't take lightly and we still believe that for the
right Club, Ben could well be a great opportunity."


Can someone please tell me where they said they are going for a youth policy??

The club probably could not tell us everything that has been going on with him as they may get sued, and I think they made their final decision over the last few weeks because of his aquintences and the head shaving a big slap in our face and the afl.

[sunsaint]

So many pecker head posts that I have so far refrained from responding to because it just ain't worth dabbling in the dribble of such nongs.

But this one's the straw on the camel's back.

It seems to me very few of you have one iota of an idea of what drug addiction is about.

One thing it ain't is a temporary problem that a few games of seniors footy's gonna fix.

It's a lifetime day to day battle for these poor bastards to stay of the gear.
<snip>
You're pathetic.

SO if you are speaking from experience then you would also know that without something to work towards, recovery is difficult. We publicly offered that goal, then at the 11th hour snatched it back. His recovery was always best served by doing what he did best, in a different environment. The problem is, and i truly hope it doesnt eventuate, that if Ben relapses, the sound of some posters back slapping will be deafening, sadly.
You have to remember one simple fact. After their investigations, the AFL cleared him to play. We only had to take the "risk" of a relapse

[SainterK]

I quote from the official press release...

"The Club conducted a complex five month review on Ben Cousins and its own playing group, resulting in a list management blueprint with a long term and strategic approach.

Saints CEO, Archie Fraser said, "We owed it to ourselves to undertake a rigorous and thorough review and have now made our decision. This is a decision that we didn't take lightly and we still believe that for the
right Club, Ben could well be a great opportunity."


Can someone please tell me where they said they are going for a youth policy??

Quote

"I think clearly his playing ability is there for all to be seen," Fraser said when asked if Cousins' well-publicised off-field issues outweighed his on-field prowess.

"We looked at our future list over the next three or four years, we (thought about) what does the team look like in the next three or four years."

"We think we've got three or four kids coming through that will be probably four-year players by then, we've got another probably two or three that we'll get in this draft that'll be three-year players by then."

"He's 30, when we looked at the long-term list management we felt that ultimately, with everything stacked up, it was just the right call."

[Iceman234]

I couldn't find anything re youth policy per se in print.

I found the "blueprint" line, then the next reference I could find was from Caro in her article where she says "After the board meeting, St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser blamed the club's change of heart on a youth policy."

Maybe it was in an audio presser?

The next after that was Gerard Healy starting with "Youth policy. What youth policy?"

[SainterK]

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/news/art ... le-reasons

Here is a link, I think we should start a thread on possible reasons that the saints didn't mention...

[The Fireman]

So you're of the "I've got a dog but I'm gunna bark myself anyway" crowd?

Why elect a board to make decision, and then piss and moan when they do so, particularly when it's not a clear-cut argument? No matter which way they decided there was always going to be an element of the membership that were unhappy. That's life in a democracy. The place to voice your disapproval is at the AGM, and you're vote in the next board election.

And for the record I was a pro-recruit BC guy. But I certainly don't comdemn the board for making that decision; BC did not help his own cause of late (the shaved head thing smells very badly) and spooked many folks that were previously of a more benevolent view.

and why wouldn't you piss and moan if they made a bad decision? That's what's it's all about, they will be voted out if they continue to make bad decisions, they will disappear because of our pissing and moaning.
or you can sit back and accept anything and everything they throw at you.
I prefer to be subjective.
Cousins? bad mistake.

[sunsaint]

I quote from the official press release...


Can someone please tell me where they said they are going for a youth policy??

Oh thank you WJ42 this subject is worthy of a whole thread.
If we are going for a youth policy (& surely this was not formulated on tuesday night) and if this is meant to be the best draft ever, and if this is the last "uncompromised" draft, then...
# Why did we not trade players for better draft selections.
# trade our second draft pick for a Fiora replacement

Our selections in the draft, dont match up with what they are saying, or maybe they have only just realised we have poor draft position in the so called super draft

[Iceman234]

So Cousins' age and the fact the club sees some of our younger players coming through is one of the reasons?

Excellent, they're supporting their own youth.

I'd love to hear your insider thoughts in your thread though on what wasn't mentioned.

But in the opposition forum thanks, he's certainly not a Saint.

[SainterK]

So Cousins' age and the fact the club sees some of our younger players coming through is one of the reasons?

Excellent, they're supporting their own youth.

I'd love to hear your insider thoughts in your thread though on what wasn't mentioned.

But in the opposition forum thanks, he's certainly not a Saint.

I was being sarcastic...I think they covered it all

[Iceman234]

I agree Fireman, Cousins is a bad mistake and I'm glad we didn't touch him.

[Iceman234]

So Cousins' age and the fact the club sees some of our younger players coming through is one of the reasons?

Excellent, they're supporting their own youth.

I'd love to hear your insider thoughts in your thread though on what wasn't mentioned.

But in the opposition forum thanks, he's certainly not a Saint.

I was being sarcastic...I think they covered it all

Oh

[SainterK]

So Cousins' age and the fact the club sees some of our younger players coming through is one of the reasons?

Excellent, they're supporting their own youth.

I'd love to hear your insider thoughts in your thread though on what wasn't mentioned.

But in the opposition forum thanks, he's certainly not a Saint.

I was being sarcastic...I think they covered it all

Oh

That's OK...I think we kind of get the fact that you were against drafting Cousins Iceman.

Please realise though, that a lot of us changed our original view on drafting him over time, thinking that in doing so we were on the same page as the club. Surely you can understand that, I think you'll find that's were a lot of the frustration comes from.

[Iceman234]

So Cousins' age and the fact the club sees some of our younger players coming through is one of the reasons?

Excellent, they're supporting their own youth.

I'd love to hear your insider thoughts in your thread though on what wasn't mentioned.

But in the opposition forum thanks, he's certainly not a Saint.

I was being sarcastic...I think they covered it all

Oh

That's OK...I think we kind of get the fact that you were against drafting Cousins Iceman.

Please realise though, that a lot of us changed our original view on drafting him over time, thinking that in doing so we were on the same page as the club. Surely you can understand that, I think you'll find that's were a lot of the frustration comes from.

Don't worry there were times when I was almost a swinging voter myself, thinking purely of the possible football results.

But I think he's too great a risk and I think the board made the correct decision.

However had we decided for him, you would not have seen me carrying on this long about how the club farked up. Nothing I say would change it.

Anyway tomorrow's Friday...

[sunsaint]

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/news/art ... le-reasons

Here is a link, I think we should start a thread on possible reasons that the saints didn't mention...

yep agreed, two quotes are very strange if true.
"The St Kilda board came to the decision at a meeting on Tuesday night which has now effectively left the Brisbane Lions as the only club displaying some public interest in recruiting the 2005 Brownlow Medalist. The issue didn't go to a vote by the Saints' board."

"Factors such as the state of St Kilda's playing list, Cousins' age and a questionable hamstring - which the former Eagles skipper badly tore against Port Adelaide last year - contributed to the Saints' decision."
# Strange it didnt even get put up for a vote, no I take that back, staggering, it would tend to suggest the meeting was a forgone conclusion.
# Ball tore his BADLY hamstring three months ago. Not a problem! BC body is not the issue

[FortiusQuoFidelius]

I quote from the official press release...

"The Club conducted a complex five month review on Ben Cousins and its own playing group, resulting in a list management blueprint with a long term and strategic approach.

Saints CEO, Archie Fraser said, "We owed it to ourselves to undertake a rigorous and thorough review and have now made our decision. This is a decision that we didn't take lightly and we still believe that for the
right Club, Ben could well be a great opportunity."


Can someone please tell me where they said they are going for a youth policy??

Not sure how you can read "youth policy" into this, although the "long term approach" could be interpreted that way I guess...

[WayneJudson42]

I quote from the official press release...

"The Club conducted a complex five month review on Ben Cousins and its own playing group, resulting in a list management blueprint with a long term and strategic approach.

Saints CEO, Archie Fraser said, "We owed it to ourselves to undertake a rigorous and thorough review and have now made our decision. This is a decision that we didn't take lightly and we still believe that for the
right Club, Ben could well be a great opportunity."


Can someone please tell me where they said they are going for a youth policy??

Quote

"I think clearly his playing ability is there for all to be seen," Fraser said when asked if Cousins' well-publicised off-field issues outweighed his on-field prowess.

"We looked at our future list over the next three or four years, we (thought about) what does the team look like in the next three or four years."

"We think we've got three or four kids coming through that will be probably four-year players by then, we've got another probably two or three that we'll get in this draft that'll be three-year players by then."

"He's 30, when we looked at the long-term list management we felt that ultimately, with everything stacked up, it was just the right call."

What I see is that they are happy with the youngens coming through. So they didn't see the need for him.

Pretty simple one would have thought.

Yet, I suspect that all future trades will be used by those who are unhappy as justification for their argument.

Oh thank you WJ42 this subject is worthy of a whole thread.
If we are going for a youth policy (& surely this was not formulated on tuesday night) and if this is meant to be the best draft ever, and if this is the last "uncompromised" draft, then...
# Why did we not trade players for better draft selections.
# trade our second draft pick for a Fiora replacement

WTF? What part of strategic long term view don't people understand. The club, as far as I can see, didn't pull a youth policy out of their clacker just to justify their decision on Tuesday.

This club never had a youth policy. Due to our position on the ladder and a lack of early draft picks, it has gone about recruiting best available kids with an eye to the future, as mature aged recruits that would bolster our list.

Not sure where the uncompromised draft argument came from.

As I read it, they weighed up who we having coming through v what BC would add to the list, and decided he's not worth it. Or so they tell us.

Ok, disagree with the decision, but all these accusations and conspiracy theories are baseless and childish IMO.

People demanding answers etc. Give me a break.

No one ever questioned why we didn't chase Kerr or Judd more aggresively... or even Fevola for that matter.

As for trading for draft picks... none eventuated, but do you know for a fact that they didn't try?

Farren Ray was a top 4 pick, and adds instant impact in the midfield or as a flanker where he can free up others to take midfield roles.

Anyone they draft on Saturday is unlikely to have an impact for a few years yet. And how old is Ray btw??

I'd be pulling my hair out if I wasn't forty four, fat and folically challenged.

[duckduckduckgoose]

I quote from the official press release...

"The Club conducted a complex five month review on Ben Cousins and its own playing group, resulting in a list management blueprint with a long term and strategic approach.

Saints CEO, Archie Fraser said, "We owed it to ourselves to undertake a rigorous and thorough review and have now made our decision. This is a decision that we didn't take lightly and we still believe that for the
right Club, Ben could well be a great opportunity."


Can someone please tell me where they said they are going for a youth policy??

Quote

"I think clearly his playing ability is there for all to be seen," Fraser said when asked if Cousins' well-publicised off-field issues outweighed his on-field prowess.

"We looked at our future list over the next three or four years, we (thought about) what does the team look like in the next three or four years."

"We think we've got three or four kids coming through that will be probably four-year players by then, we've got another probably two or three that we'll get in this draft that'll be three-year players by then."

"He's 30, when we looked at the long-term list management we felt that ultimately, with everything stacked up, it was just the right call."

What I see is that they are happy with the youngens coming through. So they didn't see the need for him.

Pretty simple one would have thought.

Surely you can see that its an exceptional circumstance for a recent brownlow medalist to be on the market at a bargin price?

We could have 10 Joel Selwoods' on the list, but that shouldn't have any bearing on the Cousins decision.

Explaining away the decision with this newly imagined youth policy has me far more concerned than the actual decision itself.

I'll cop that we aren't taking him because there is obviously much more info that we aren't privy to, but don't feed me this long term garbage when we are looking at a bloke like Nathan Carroll at the same time.

[saintly_safes]

I can understand that Ben is a big risk & i have no problem with the club not electing to draft him . But after 5 months of possitive press releases giving all us loyal supporters false hope ,you would think that if the risk was that bad you would have sussed it out in less than 5 months. At least the filth had the common decency to come out a give there supporters some time to absorb the fact that it aint gunna happen instead of building it up ,playing the game getting everyone excited & less than week before the draft pull the pin & expect everyone to be comfortable with it.What they should have done is keep it low key, do their home work ,then make a rational informed decision .Not keep feeding the press with crap & allowing players to make statements fueling the expectations of fans that have been starved of success for such a long time & start to think this might be what we need to get us to that one day in September.Weather it proves to be the right or wrong decision I pesonally think the club has handled it very poorly

[SainterK]

I can understand that Ben is a big risk & i have no problem with the club not electing to draft him . But after 5 months of possitive press releases giving all us loyal supporters false hope ,you would think that if the risk was that bad you would have sussed it out in less than 5 months. At least the filth had the common decency to come out a give there supporters some time to absorb the fact that it aint gunna happen instead of building it up ,playing the game getting everyone excited & less than week before the draft pull the pin & expect everyone to be comfortable with it.What they should have done is keep it low key, do their home work ,then make a rational informed decision .Not keep feeding the press with crap & allowing players to make statements fueling the expectations of fans that have been starved of success for such a long time & start to think this might be what we need to get us to that one day in September.Weather it proves to be the right or wrong decision I pesonally think the club has handled it very poorly

I said similar on another post, by supporting the drafting of BC we were just trying to be on the same page as the club...

[Iceman234]

I can understand that Ben is a big risk & i have no problem with the club not electing to draft him . But after 5 months of possitive press releases giving all us loyal supporters false hope ,you would think that if the risk was that bad you would have sussed it out in less than 5 months. At least the filth had the common decency to come out a give there supporters some time to absorb the fact that it aint gunna happen instead of building it up ,playing the game getting everyone excited & less than week before the draft pull the pin & expect everyone to be comfortable with it.What they should have done is keep it low key, do their home work ,then make a rational informed decision .Not keep feeding the press with crap & allowing players to make statements fueling the expectations of fans that have been starved of success for such a long time & start to think this might be what we need to get us to that one day in September.Weather it proves to be the right or wrong decision I pesonally think the club has handled it very poorly

Are you really that upset by this?

Has it thrown your life out of balance that badly because the board made a long process of whether to throw away a 1/4 of a mil or more (and that's just for one year) on a 30 yo recovering druggie with bad hamstrings and no hair?

Seriously, has it?

Cos if it has, one day you're gonna have to come out of your bubble and breathe polluted air...

No-one "fed" the press other than answering questions.

The nuffy press and supporters built it up out of all proportion.

Do we need to set up a counselling thread for all those who had him in #9 and had glossy photoshopped shots of him holding the cup aloft...

[saintly_safes]

I can understand that Ben is a big risk & i have no problem with the club not electing to draft him . But after 5 months of possitive press releases giving all us loyal supporters false hope ,you would think that if the risk was that bad you would have sussed it out in less than 5 months. At least the filth had the common decency to come out a give there supporters some time to absorb the fact that it aint gunna happen instead of building it up ,playing the game getting everyone excited & less than week before the draft pull the pin & expect everyone to be comfortable with it.What they should have done is keep it low key, do their home work ,then make a rational informed decision .Not keep feeding the press with crap & allowing players to make statements fueling the expectations of fans that have been starved of success for such a long time & start to think this might be what we need to get us to that one day in September.Weather it proves to be the right or wrong decision I pesonally think the club has handled it very poorly

Are you really that upset by this?

Has it thrown your life out of balance that badly because the board made a long process of whether to throw away a 1/4 of a mil or more (and that's just for one year) on a 30 yo recovering druggie with bad hamstrings and no hair?

Seriously, has it?

Cos if it has, one day you're gonna have to come out of your bubble and breathe polluted air...

No-one "fed" the press other than answering questions.

The nuffy press and supporters built it up out of all proportion.

Do we need to set up a counselling thread for all those who had him in #9 and had glossy photoshopped shots of him holding the cup aloft...

So who made you the spokes person to point out what we should believe & what we shouldnt.I think im more than qualified to make my own assessment & dont need your opinionated drool on how I should think & behave.Ive stated my opinion & like it or not that is how I see it . I m not a Ben fan but what i am saying is the club should of handled it alot better than they did & when it comes to councelling maybe your the one that needs it.

[saintbrat]

Do we need to set up a counselling thread for all those who had him in #9 and had glossy photoshopped shots of him holding the cup aloft...

"SS Counselling services Pty Ltd"
Attached find; account for
second session with the Provided on Thurs 27th Nov

Previous service provided- Tues 25th Nov


reminder- We provide service at any time, anywhere,
do you suffer from........ rejection, dissociation, abondonment, lose of faith, addictions of the footballing variety, fanatacism,
we can provide acceptance, alternatives, debate or agreement, a willing ear ( eye), or a chance to vent/ rant

basic requirement: an underlying Belief in St Kilda Football Club and that 'ONE DAY' the Joy will be ours.


Contact: saintsational.com

[Iceman234]

I can understand that Ben is a big risk & i have no problem with the club not electing to draft him . But after 5 months of possitive press releases giving all us loyal supporters false hope ,you would think that if the risk was that bad you would have sussed it out in less than 5 months. At least the filth had the common decency to come out a give there supporters some time to absorb the fact that it aint gunna happen instead of building it up ,playing the game getting everyone excited & less than week before the draft pull the pin & expect everyone to be comfortable with it.What they should have done is keep it low key, do their home work ,then make a rational informed decision .Not keep feeding the press with crap & allowing players to make statements fueling the expectations of fans that have been starved of success for such a long time & start to think this might be what we need to get us to that one day in September.Weather it proves to be the right or wrong decision I pesonally think the club has handled it very poorly

Are you really that upset by this?

Has it thrown your life out of balance that badly because the board made a long process of whether to throw away a 1/4 of a mil or more (and that's just for one year) on a 30 yo recovering druggie with bad hamstrings and no hair?

Seriously, has it?

Cos if it has, one day you're gonna have to come out of your bubble and breathe polluted air...

No-one "fed" the press other than answering questions.

The nuffy press and supporters built it up out of all proportion.

Do we need to set up a counselling thread for all those who had him in #9 and had glossy photoshopped shots of him holding the cup aloft...

So who made you the spokes person to point out what we should believe & what we shouldnt.I think im more than qualified to make my own assessment & dont need your opinionated drool on how I should think & behave.Ive stated my opinion & like it or not that is how I see it . I m not a Ben fan but what i am saying is the club should of handled it alot better than they did & when it comes to councelling maybe your the one that needs it.

No self-appointment needed here, nor counselling.

Nor would there be if the club had decided to take him. I wouldn't have been happy about it but I wouldn't have carried on like most of the sooks on here have because we didn't take him.

No-one fuelled the fire except for the press and the supporters who couldn't live without the new #9 saviour.

The club certainly didn't, and eventually made the absolute correct decision AFAIC.

[Iceman234]

Do we need to set up a counselling thread for all those who had him in #9 and had glossy photoshopped shots of him holding the cup aloft...

"SS Counselling services Pty Ltd"
Attached find; account for
second session with the Provided on Thurs 27th Nov

Previous service provided- Tues 25th Nov


reminder- We provide service at any time, anywhere,
do you suffer from........ rejection, dissociation, abondonment, lose of faith, addictions of the footballing variety, fanatacism,
we can provide acceptance, alternatives, debate or agreement, a willing ear ( eye), or a chance to vent/ rant

basic requirement: an underlying Belief in St Kilda Football Club and that 'ONE DAY' the Joy will be ours.

Spam it out to ...............................................

ah, you know who....


Contact: saintsational.com

[sunsaint]

Are you really that upset by this?
Yes

Seriously, has it?
see above

Cos if it has, one day you're gonna have to come out of your bubble and breathe polluted air...
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent on the things that matter.
Martin Luther King - just saw it on an ad, thought it sounded good.
No-one "fed" the press other than answering questions.
The club sent me many updates as to their "process" with ben did you not get yours? Players responded in glowing terms
The nuffy press and supporters built it up out of all proportion.
My hope and there are many like me, thought he would have been an adequate fillin for a retired 35yr old. No one currently on our list is anywhere even remotely close to replacing his worth to the side. What he did as a 35yr old in his final year is a sad indictment on list management
Do we need to set up a counselling thread for all those who had him in #9 and had glossy photoshopped shots of him holding the cup aloft...
I suppose it would have been prudent because to a lesser extent there would have been a few here that would have needed it when he did hold the cup aloft... Now THAT's sarcasm!