Am I the only one who feels for Ben Cousins?

[claystreet]

BEN Cousins will 'vigorously defend' himself against drug charges, his lawyer said today. Cousins appeared briefly in court and was bailed until next year.

[Dan Warna]

Why do you think they allowed him to stay? Was it because they gained more from him staying that being a premiership. Now they want to wipe there hands of him and hang him out to dry. I can understand if you havent been part of a club to think the Eagles had to sack him but clubs become like family and everything should be done to help him and sacking him wont. Listen to the drug experts all day yesterday pleading there case for them to not sack him as it may propell him into a downward spiral. All clubs big or small have there problem child or children but thats when the strength of a club culture to turn them around comes to the fore front.

clubs have been wiping their hands of players for years.

they demand loyalty from players and supporters and if things go awry they cut them off.

you only have to listen to the howls over the years to cut players like harvey, burke, thomo etc when their usefulness has seemingly passed.

atm harvey is untouchable, but you just watch the howls if he has 2 or 3 bad games in 08.

[claystreet]

BEN Cousins will 'vigorously defend' himself against drug charges, his lawyer said today. Cousins appeared briefly in court and was bailed until next year.

going back to rehab
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 61,00.html

[CURLY]

so the eagles should risk lost money through...
ceased sponsorships
lost members
poor attendances in protest against junkies being on their list
afl backlash
shaming from the media


all because benny will be very sad because he is delisted


FAIR DINKUM!!!!

Fonz15 seriously let go of your mums apron string.

What would happen if God forbid he overdosed in the next week or two how would the backlash be then? If the Eagles came out and explained there recovery path with Ben and there direction that he wont play but he is still very much part of the club and we will continue our support untill he is well again theyed get more support than they lose.

Would you not support St kilda if we had a player with a similar problem?

[st.byron]

Cousins needs help. He has a substance abuse problem. On this issue I feel sorry for him. Just because he's fit and looks healthy doesn't mean he can't carry a drug addiction at the same time. Lots of people do it.
I do know that an addiction can overpower you and f**k up your sense of what's right and wrong. He's a slave to it and I feel pity for him for that

Having said that, yep he's arrogant and up himself to the max. He's a product of an environment where all Eagles are worshipped, especially the homegrown ones that are great players. His old man was a great WAFL player and he's been told since he was 14 or 15 that he's a superstar and walks on water. The Perth media is happy to play along, it sells papers and TV air time.

IMO the WCE are seriously at fault in their handling of this issue. They've known for a long time that there are a group of playrs at their club with drug issues. Because those players are excellent players, ( Cousins, Kerr, Embley, Fletcher, Chick) they've chosen to f**K about the fringes of the issue in the interest of winning a flag rather than really tackling it. Gardiner was expendable because he was chronically injured and anyway they had Cox and Seaby. The WCE have fostered a supreme arrogance amongst themselves, their players and supporters. A West against the rest attitude. The media is happy to play along.
I feel sorry for Cousins that he has an addiction but not that he's an arrogant twat and I have nothing but scorn and contempt for the WCE.

[fonz_#15]

so the eagles should risk lost money through...
ceased sponsorships
lost members
poor attendances in protest against junkies being on their list
afl backlash
shaming from the media


all because benny will be very sad because he is delisted


FAIR DINKUM!!!!

Fonz15 seriously let go of your mums apron string.

What would happen if God forbid he overdosed in the next week or two how would the backlash be then? If the Eagles came out and explained there recovery path with Ben and there direction that he wont play but he is still very much part of the club and we will continue our support untill he is well again theyed get more support than they lose.

Would you not support St kilda if we had a player with a similar problem?

your posts are of such pathetic quality that i wonder why i bother replying to you.. mums apron string, netball team/pony club coud you come up with anything lamer FFS you are a deadset f***wit of the highest order.

I am a saints supporter, i love ourn club and would support them through anything, but the club is bigger than the individual buddy so f*** ben cousins he brings the said club (wets coast) down..

if ben overdoses like you are suggesting, then "such is life", it would prove to just how dumb cousins is.

[CURLY]

so the eagles should risk lost money through...
ceased sponsorships
lost members
poor attendances in protest against junkies being on their list
afl backlash
shaming from the media


all because benny will be very sad because he is delisted


FAIR DINKUM!!!!

Fonz15 seriously let go of your mums apron string.

What would happen if God forbid he overdosed in the next week or two how would the backlash be then? If the Eagles came out and explained there recovery path with Ben and there direction that he wont play but he is still very much part of the club and we will continue our support untill he is well again theyed get more support than they lose.

Would you not support St kilda if we had a player with a similar problem?

your posts are of such pathetic quality that i wonder why i bother replying to you.. mums apron string, netball team/pony club coud you come up with anything lamer FFS you are a deadset f***wit of the highest order.

I am a saints supporter, i love ourn club and would support them through anything, but the club is bigger than the individual buddy so f*** ben cousins he brings the said club (wets coast) down..

if ben overdoses like you are suggesting, then "such is life", it would prove to just how dumb cousins is.

Get involved in a club rather than sit on the outskirts and see what goes on you little porch monkey get off the computer on the weekend and see what goes on in the world. You showed what a DH you are with your last comment regarding Cousins.

[claystreet]

The Sun says

Cousins appeared red-eyed and wore silver-studded jeans, a white shirt, unbuttoned, and blue snake-skin boots.

onya benny

[fonz_#15]

and what do you do that is so life changing hero? Porch monkey...gee you just get more pathetic every time

why should i give a f*** if ben cousins was to overdose..

I lost my best mate to cancer at 14 years old, 14 f****** years old.. he never did anyrhing wrong , he was a great person.

put into perspective ********, i will never get back my best mate, nor will i get back the other mate i lost to cancer all before my 17th birthday..

why should i care is some junkie wants to waste his life, when i have seen 2 young men fight so hard for theirs and fail.

[Mr Magic]

IMO the WCE are seriously at fault in their handling of this issue. They've known for a long time that there are a group of playrs at their club with drug issues. Because those players are excellent players, ( Cousins, Kerr, Embley, Fletcher, Chick) they've chosen to f**K about the fringes of the issue in the interest of winning a flag rather than really tackling it. Gardiner was expendable because he was chronically injured and anyway they had Cox and Seaby. The WCE have fostered a supreme arrogance amongst themselves, their players and supporters. A West against the rest attitude. The media is happy to play along.
I feel sorry for Cousins that he has an addiction but not that he's an arrogant twat and I have nothing but scorn and contempt for the WCE.

StByron, your poat sums up my feelings exactly.

All this 'gnashing of teeth', 'wringing of hands' and shedding 'crocodile tears' by the WCE hierarchy is making me feel billious.

The facts are that they were aware of the drug problems surrounding their players in general, and Cousins in particular, and chose to do little if anything about it in case it impinged on their ability to win the Premiershp.
As long as these drug affected players were performing on match day WCE were more than happy to 'turn a blind eye' to their activities.

Instead of being lauded for their actions by the AFL and the football industry they should, IMHO, be roundly castigated and severely penalised for allowing this travesty to continue on.

They chose to deliberately risk the safety of their employees (their players) by not stepping in and taking action when they were told of the problems. Their inaction has quite possibly jeopardised Cousin's ability to beat his problem. Unfortunately we will never be in the postion to truly know if it did/has and WCE will contnue to play the role of the poor sympathetic employer who did everything they could to assist poor Ben.

[CURLY]

IMO the WCE are seriously at fault in their handling of this issue. They've known for a long time that there are a group of playrs at their club with drug issues. Because those players are excellent players, ( Cousins, Kerr, Embley, Fletcher, Chick) they've chosen to f**K about the fringes of the issue in the interest of winning a flag rather than really tackling it. Gardiner was expendable because he was chronically injured and anyway they had Cox and Seaby. The WCE have fostered a supreme arrogance amongst themselves, their players and supporters. A West against the rest attitude. The media is happy to play along.
I feel sorry for Cousins that he has an addiction but not that he's an arrogant ---- and I have nothing but scorn and contempt for the WCE.

StByron, your poat sums up my feelings exactly.

All this 'gnashing of teeth', 'wringing of hands' and shedding 'crocodile tears' by the WCE hierarchy is making me feel billious.

The facts are that they were aware of the drug problems surrounding their players in general, and Cousins in particular, and chose to do little if anything about it in case it impinged on their ability to win the Premiershp.
As long as these drug affected players were performing on match day WCE were more than happy to 'turn a blind eye' to their activities.

Instead of being lauded for their actions by the AFL and the football industry they should, IMHO, be roundly castigated and severely penalised for allowing this travesty to continue on.

They chose to deliberately risk the safety of their employees (their players) by not stepping in and taking action when they were told of the problems. Their inaction has quite possibly jeopardised Cousin's ability to beat his problem. Unfortunately we will never be in the postion to truly know if it did/has and WCE will contnue to play the role of the poor sympathetic employer who did everything they could to assist poor Ben.

Spot on!

[Dan Warna]

StByron, your poat sums up my feelings exactly.

All this 'gnashing of teeth', 'wringing of hands' and shedding 'crocodile tears' by the WCE hierarchy is making me feel billious.

The facts are that they were aware of the drug problems surrounding their players in general, and Cousins in particular, and chose to do little if anything about it in case it impinged on their ability to win the Premiershp.
As long as these drug affected players were performing on match day WCE were more than happy to 'turn a blind eye' to their activities.

Instead of being lauded for their actions by the AFL and the football industry they should, IMHO, be roundly castigated and severely penalised for allowing this travesty to continue on.

They chose to deliberately risk the safety of their employees (their players) by not stepping in and taking action when they were told of the problems. Their inaction has quite possibly jeopardised Cousin's ability to beat his problem. Unfortunately we will never be in the postion to truly know if it did/has and WCE will contnue to play the role of the poor sympathetic employer who did everything they could to assist poor Ben.

concur,

in part the whole head in the sand issue from the AFL, its ridiculous testing policies etc show they aren't interested in dealing with the problem.

if as alleged cousins has had a problem for many months, as much as 18 months by some estimates, WHY HAS IT NOT BEEN DETECTED ONCE?

jono hay indicated a culture of drugs and yet the AFL castigated him, rather than attempting to resolve the issue.

[GrumpyOne]

IMO the WCE are seriously at fault in their handling of this issue. They've known for a long time that there are a group of playrs at their club with drug issues. Because those players are excellent players, ( Cousins, Kerr, Embley, Fletcher, Chick) they've chosen to f**K about the fringes of the issue in the interest of winning a flag rather than really tackling it. Gardiner was expendable because he was chronically injured and anyway they had Cox and Seaby. The WCE have fostered a supreme arrogance amongst themselves, their players and supporters. A West against the rest attitude. The media is happy to play along.
I feel sorry for Cousins that he has an addiction but not that he's an arrogant ---- and I have nothing but scorn and contempt for the WCE.

StByron, your poat sums up my feelings exactly.

All this 'gnashing of teeth', 'wringing of hands' and shedding 'crocodile tears' by the WCE hierarchy is making me feel billious.

The facts are that they were aware of the drug problems surrounding their players in general, and Cousins in particular, and chose to do little if anything about it in case it impinged on their ability to win the Premiershp.
As long as these drug affected players were performing on match day WCE were more than happy to 'turn a blind eye' to their activities.

Instead of being lauded for their actions by the AFL and the football industry they should, IMHO, be roundly castigated and severely penalised for allowing this travesty to continue on.

They chose to deliberately risk the safety of their employees (their players) by not stepping in and taking action when they were told of the problems. Their inaction has quite possibly jeopardised Cousin's ability to beat his problem. Unfortunately we will never be in the postion to truly know if it did/has and WCE will contnue to play the role of the poor sympathetic employer who did everything they could to assist poor Ben.

Spot on!

But he's still a prick, albeit a stylishly dressed one.

[Riewoldting]

About the only posts you seem to make on this forum are nasty or dictatorial.

Well, you're entitled to your opinion, but I can only conclude that you simply choose to remember the posts of mine that you think are nasty or dictatorial.

I post on a whole raft of issues, and for the most part I remain civil in my discourse. If the charge is one of being vigorous in putting my point of view ... well, I have no rebuttal.

About the only posts you seem to make on this forum are ... are ... well, it's difficult to say what posts you make on this forum:

Breaking news: nope
Comedy/banter: nope
Opinion on last game played: nope
Opinion on games to come: nope
Opinion on coach: nope
Opinion on playing list: nope
Opinion on trading: nope
Opinion on draft: nope
Opinion on membership: nope
Opinion on board: nope
Opinion on other clubs: nope
Opinion on AFL issues generally: rarely
Opinion on non-football issues: rarely

It's possible that you've made more posts than I have outlined above. To be honest, they are very difficult to recall. You don't say much, and anything you do say contributes little to the debate, does nothing to stimulate further debate and is quickly forgotten. You are a bit of a non-entity on here, I'm sorry to say.

Have I been nasty? Possibly, on occasion; we all have our flaws. I have certainly not deliberately been personally nasty to anyone, as far as I can recall. For example I have never been spoken to or warned by a mod for language, insults, flaming etc.

You have been nasty to me, though. "Tool", I believe you called me. That's a personal insult; unprovoked, I might add.

Dictatorial? I'm not a mod. I have no power. Pretty tough to be dictatorial without power. The worst you could accuse me of there is having an opinion, and voicing it. On a forum, of all things! How utterly presumptuous of me.

Don't like it so much when someone comments on you, do you?

Not sure where you're trying to go with that one. I don't really care, unless the implication is false, in which case I deny/rebut. Pretty standard response, really.

I don't really remember too much about the avatar, something to with Warwick Capper. Beyond that it's a bit fuzzy. Sorry.

Is it possible you're making a mountain out of a molehill here?

[claystreet]

Cousins doesnt give 2 flying farks about anyone or anything
except Ben

He is so far up himself hes turning inside out

Poor Ben oh yeah

my 10yo nephew asked me online
last night whats Ice and why does Cousins take it
i replied because hes a brainless idiot

people can say what ever people like, hes a jerk off personified
who could play great footy and now hes blown it with the emphasis on HIM hes the blame forget all this other BS

holier than thou he thinks he is

I cant stand him hes a doper thats the end of the story

CARN THA SAINTERZ!!!!!!!!!!

[saint66au]

Agree on the WCE..they have handled this badly

Benny is arrested in the Perth CBD and the Eagles say "Oh he's on leave, we werent even sure he was in the country"

Christ on a bike!!!!!! The AFL have threatned the Eagles with unprecendented punishment should Benny stuff again..wouldnt that be good enough reason to keep him on a pretty short leash, maybe check in every day with an Eagles official?? But..no..they dont even know if he's in the country!!!!

**shakes head in amazement**

[carn_sainter]

Cousins doesnt give 2 flying farks about anyone or anything
except Ben

He is so far up himself hes turning inside out

just admit that you don't know him, have never met him, been within several hundred metres of him or have any perception of the man other than what the media present you with...

everyone reveling in the man's misfortune is happily smirking that he deserves it because he's arrogant...he may be, but you don't know...all you know is what the herald sun want you to think

you know nothing...that you let this lack of knowledge dictate how you behave and your opinion is analogous to an admission of stupidity...

[CURLY]

Cousins doesnt give 2 flying farks about anyone or anything
except Ben

He is so far up himself hes turning inside out

just admit that you don't know him, have never met him, been within several hundred metres of him or have any perception of the man other than what the media present you with...

everyone reveling in the man's misfortune is happily smirking that he deserves it because he's arrogant...he may be, but you don't know...all you know is what the herald sun want you to think

you know nothing...that you let this lack of knowledge dictate how you behave and your opinion is analogous to an admission of stupidity...

Again spot on?

[F_Q_F]

I don't think you can blame the board for what Cousins has done. They arn't there to babysit their own players, they have to give them a certain degree of trust and hope it is returned by the player.

It happened when the players where on holidays, even the president was in Italy. WC have been more than fair in giving Cousins every opportunity to get himself right, I would say they would like to see this happen more than anyone, however Cousins has chosen to abuse their trust.

[CURLY]

Saintmik if your there back me up for how our club babysat one of our stars for over 200 games.

[GrumpyOne]

Saintmik if your there back me up for how our club babysat one of our stars for over 200 games.

Judging your location, I have a fair idea who you are referring to, and it is not a situation where our club came up smelling of roses.

Let it go, mate.

[St Fidelius]

Ben Cousins story is so overhyped police raided his car in hope that they would find illicit drugs they couldnt find anything so pinned him with holding a prescribed drug without a prescription which is a misdemeanor and he didnt get blood tested probabally because of his lawyer telling him not too. If for the whole of yesterday the media didnt say he was caught with drugs he would still have a career mark my words

Are you serious???

These police were not just traffic police officers that saw him "drive erraatically" they were members of the "organised crime squad"...

Are you able to read into it at all ????

I suppose you think the organised crime squad detectives just happened to be driving behind him and it's all just a coincidence

FAIR DINKUM

Wake up

[CURLY]

Saintmik if your there back me up for how our club babysat one of our stars for over 200 games.

Judging your location, I have a fair idea who you are referring to, and it is not a situation where our club came up smelling of roses.

Let it go, mate.

But didnt walk away.

[GrumpyOne]

Saintmik if your there back me up for how our club babysat one of our stars for over 200 games.

Judging your location, I have a fair idea who you are referring to, and it is not a situation where our club came up smelling of roses.

Let it go, mate.

But didnt walk away.

Credit to individuals involved, but not the club as an entity.

[claystreet]

Cousins doesnt give 2 flying farks about anyone or anything
except Ben

He is so far up himself hes turning inside out

just admit that you don't know him, have never met him, been within several hundred metres of him or have any perception of the man other than what the media present you with...

everyone reveling in the man's misfortune is happily smirking that he deserves it because he's arrogant...he may be, but you don't know...all you know is what the herald sun want you to think

you know nothing...that you let this lack of knowledge dictate how you behave and your opinion is analogous to an admission of stupidity...

My lack of knowledge is such that i have had 3 addicted friends over a life time all of who went out of their way to destroy themselfs but happily bar one overcame their addictions with the help of friends and relatives, the other i found with a sawn off rifle in his mouth propped up in his bed looking grey with blood all over the wall behind him that was 30yrs ago and its still as clear as a bell in my mind . These were people who where dealt the wrong cards in life and went and got themselfs farked up and then got themselfs right bar 1, but with quite a few hiccups on the way. Ever stayed with a junky getting the monkey off his back nah bet you havent but i spent weeks with 2 of these guys and not one of them were walking around posing and making out their shiit dont stink because their shhit and pewk was all over the floors and the bed, but all i see is this arrogant little s*** parading around like he ownes the world, time for him to get his s*** together without everyone making excuses for him and blaming everyone else, its a disgrace.

Yeah cousins get into rehab fkn stay there till your ok then get a job your footies over

CARN THA MIGHTY SAINTERZ