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B.M wrote: ↑Tue 05 Nov 2019 9:32am
Does being a drug addict make one a bad character?
How did a bad character Captain an AFL club for 5 years?
Is it possible for a drug addict to stop using, either for periods of time or for good?
Was Ben Cousins a bad person when not under the influence of drugs?
Did Ben Cousins use drugs when at Richmond?
Was the bloke Daniel Conners (who Richmond sacked!) a bad character? And deserved to be punched in the mouth? There wasn’t even a sanction for it!
Did BC fail a drug test at Richmond, since he got tested every week for two years?
Ben Cousins was/is a substance abbuser, and had/has real problems under the influence of Meth. When not on drugs and focussed on footy he was a leader, who led by example at training and in games.
Two last questions
Was BC a failure at Richmond?
Who was the better footballer, BC or HB?
(Would you like me to list their CVs?)
I was pretty supportive of your previous posts and points but you lost me here.
You almost sound like a Victorian Magistrate who seem to have a predisposition in reduction of sentences for drug and alcohol abusers.
I’d say fraternizing with Bikies and drug dealers, assaulting you partner, stealing, drug abuse and putting his family through hell constitutes not only an addiction but a bad character that does not want to change.
But still a good guy around the changeroom and training track
Proudly assuming the title of forum Oracle and serving as the inaugural Saintsational ‘weak as piss brigade’ President.
The bottom line is the club must do their due diligence in every aspect of any recruits life.
Paddy - I reckon Saints plus many more failed to understand the "what ifs" with his physical condition, not because diabetes CAUSES susceptibility to concussion, but once a concussion occurs it increases brain trauma exponentially.
Cousins or Harley - or anyone with known issues, a club should not invest unless 100% sure they are sober. Sobriety is not proven in words but in the one thing a sportsman in career can't afford....time.
People with addiction or dependency issues are not mentally healthy and pose significant risk.
B.M wrote: ↑Tue 05 Nov 2019 9:32am
Does being a drug addict make one a bad character?
How did a bad character Captain an AFL club for 5 years?
Is it possible for a drug addict to stop using, either for periods of time or for good?
Was Ben Cousins a bad person when not under the influence of drugs?
Did Ben Cousins use drugs when at Richmond?
Was the bloke Daniel Conners (who Richmond sacked!) a bad character? And deserved to be punched in the mouth? There wasn’t even a sanction for it!
Did BC fail a drug test at Richmond, since he got tested every week for two years?
Ben Cousins was/is a substance abbuser, and had/has real problems under the influence of Meth. When not on drugs and focussed on footy he was a leader, who led by example at training and in games.
Two last questions
Was BC a failure at Richmond?
Who was the better footballer, BC or HB?
(Would you like me to list their CVs?)
I was pretty supportive of your previous posts and points but you lost me here.
You almost sound like a Victorian Magistrate who seem to have a predisposition in reduction of sentences for drug and alcohol abusers.
I’d say fraternizing with Bikies and drug dealers, assaulting you partner, stealing, drug abuse and putting his family through hell constitutes not only an addiction but a bad character that does not want to change.
But still a good guy around the changeroom and training track
+1.
Its interesting to see which is bigger, the football CV or the issues in society CV... would definitely be a close call.
Funny how some issue a free pass to some players and not others. Very hypercritical.
Ben certainly has/had issues. All I f which centred around drug addiction. A lot of his major incidents happened after retirement. However, he did a have problems at the end of his career at WCE. Which is why he was stripped of the captaincy, suspended and ultimately deregistered.
At Richmond he was a positive.
Was he a poor character?
On the drugs - obviously
Off the drugs - from reports, No
I’ll tell you one thing
He plays in 09 or 10 Grand Final
We win, simple as that.
It would have been a hell of a risk, but in the situation we were in (contenders) and the ability to sack him at anytime. IMO we should have backed ourselves to take the risk at that point in time.
I think his training standards, big game experience and pure class may have been beneficial and the difference?
Dan Hannebury was recruited for that very reason, and if you think he has no issues, you’d be mistaken.
Andrew Lovett on the other hand was a lazy, woman basher with a bad attitude towards others and footy.
At their time of playing
Who was more respected
Ben Cousins or Andrew Lovett?
BC may have lasted a week, a month or as he did at Richmond, two years.
AL didn’t even make it to Christmas
And it cost us Pick 16 and a Million dollars.
SMS wrote: ↑Wed 06 Nov 2019 10:58am
Sounds like the interviews didnt go well.
Melbourne the inly team to put hand uo and even then it was only a trial training period of "we'll see"
no commitment basically from anyone.
Must either be injured or still showing signs of being a massive tool.
But we have decided on Masten
It's a smart move by Melbourne, gives Benell another summer to prove he has matured off the field. then if he get's through a pre season and is looking fit and has kept his nose clean then he could get on the list.
Ben certainly has/had issues. All I f which centred around drug addiction. A lot of his major incidents happened after retirement. However, he did a have problems at the end of his career at WCE. Which is why he was stripped of the captaincy, suspended and ultimately deregistered.
At Richmond he was a positive.
Was he a poor character?
On the drugs - obviously
Off the drugs - from reports, No
I’ll tell you one thing
He plays in 09 or 10 Grand Final
We win, simple as that.
It would have been a hell of a risk, but in the situation we were in (contenders) and the ability to sack him at anytime. IMO we should have backed ourselves to take the risk at that point in time.
I think his training standards, big game experience and pure class may have been beneficial and the difference?
Dan Hannebury was recruited for that very reason, and if you think he has no issues, you’d be mistaken.
Andrew Lovett on the other hand was a lazy, woman basher with a bad attitude towards others and footy.
At their time of playing
Who was more respected
Ben Cousins or Andrew Lovett?
BC may have lasted a week, a month or as he did at Richmond, two years.
AL didn’t even make it to Christmas
And it cost us Pick 16 and a Million dollars.
Ben Cousins was easily the best player in the AFL and probably should have won back to back Brownlows in 2004/5.
I agree that we missed a golden opportunity to recruit him and he would have made us better as a team in our GF years.
I recall Nick Riewoldt going on The Footy show (back when it rated its socks off) and he claimed Cousins "wouldn't fit into our culture" or some sort of similar bs words that he was told to say by the club...maybe my memory fails me and maybe that's what he said at the time we were looking to interview Dustin Martin. Actually...I think it was about Martin. Carry on
IiRC, and my memory may be faulty on this, but I believe we were going to recruit Cousins until he turned up to his mandatory 'hair drug test' and presented himself with his body completely shaven so that there was no hair available to be tested.
B.M wrote: ↑Wed 06 Nov 2019 9:55pm
That is completely correct. He shaved his entire body to avoid a hair test. Obviously he knew he was going to fail that test.
On a side note with WADA/ASADA being so strict with their policies I can’t believe he wasn’t sanctioned for this action, or was it an internal test and nothing to do with them?
"It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress."
Mr Magic wrote: ↑Wed 06 Nov 2019 3:33pm
IiRC, and my memory may be faulty on this, but I believe we were going to recruit Cousins until he turned up to his mandatory 'hair drug test' and presented himself with his body completely shaven so that there was no hair available to be tested.
I had heard it was more that Wasteaway vetoed him whereas Lyon wanted him.
Flying the World in comfort thanks to FF Points....
Mr Magic wrote: ↑Wed 06 Nov 2019 3:33pm
IiRC, and my memory may be faulty on this, but I believe we were going to recruit Cousins until he turned up to his mandatory 'hair drug test' and presented himself with his body completely shaven so that there was no hair available to be tested.
I had heard it was more that Wasteaway vetoed him whereas Lyon wanted him.
That’s my recollection as well.
Cannot for the life of me imagine RL knocking back a player of Cousins caliber.
