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I think the only differance between Cousins and numerous AFL players past and present is that hes been exposed. If anyone thinks that drugs arent part of all clubs has there head in the sand.Dan Warna wrote:between 150 to 500 tests per annum from when the policy was first announced. realistically you have to be a moron to be caught once let alone 3 times.
the hair test is both cheaper and detects drugs in the system longer than the urine test and is less invasive was discussed and used as a realistic option in other agencies.
Hair testing is quite accurate and can go back normally 3 months (6 months or longer possible with specialty tests), showing any drugs of abuse used in the detection window. As hair grows out, any drugs used are encased in the hair shaft, so the longer the hair, the longer back in the individual's drug history the lab can detect. Accredited hair drug testing labs, however, only use hair within about 2.5–4 cm of the scalp, and discard the rest. With head hair each 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) corresponds to about 30 days. This limits the detection history to about 90 days, depending upon the rate at which the individual's hair grows. Some people attempt to circumvent this through shaving their heads. In the absence of the required amount of hair on the scalp, body hair can be used as an acceptable substitute.
Additionally, for pre-employment hair testing, the inability to obtain a sample may be grounds for not hiring the individual. Hair Testing labs are regulated by CLIA or SAMHSA (not FDA). There is a growing trend in major companies and law enforcement agencies to utilize hair analysis on account of its efficiency and reputation as the gold standard when considering test accuracy. This technology makes use of radioimmunoassaytechnology with subsequent confirmation by mass spectrometry.
this isn't so much about treatment, I dont really care in the CONTEXT of afl what they do, this is about cheating.
IMO if a player were to consume an illegal stimulant, and thus get an unfair advantage over an opposition that is cheating.
the likelyhood of testing under the 2004 to 2007 regime is impossible to discover anything.
also the AFLs terminology of 'recreational drugs' has been exposed as a completely bollux interpretation. having recently read the WADA policy on drugs, methamphetamines is considered a stimulant under s6 and prohibited for the duration of acompetition, (which in terms of the olympics would be the duration of the olympics or in terms of the AFL, the duration of the football season)
pre 07, it was unlikely a player would be tested once let alone 3 times in a season, and many agents were not even being tested for.
IMO introduce a NON invasive hair test = 3 month coverage = less cost given that urine and blood tests are of a lot lower duration.
any player caught 3 times is a moron, given the pathetic regime in place.
Jono hay himself said he consumed drugs and never tested once.
take it underground? they can piss off from playing AFL if they want to do drugs IMO, sure choose a lifestyle where drugs are part of your life, but dont be an AFL footballer then.
ben cousins = drug cheat
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so? thats one of my points exactlyCURLY wrote:
I think the only differance between Cousins and numerous AFL players past and present is that hes been exposed. If anyone thinks that drugs arent part of all clubs has there head in the sand.
I understand what your saying about Roo but it would have to be a club decision with all the key people being involved. If troubled kids/teens can be sent to local clubs to be helped out im sure an AFL club with the resouces they have could get Cousins back on track.Saint Mik wrote:CURLY i reckon if his own old man cant stop him after all that he put in for the bloke (fronting the media ect) i dont like our chances and i think every club has its own problem behind the scenes also so why add to it.
I can see where you are coming from but think of the down side if it does go pear shaped which the chances of happening are very high it could put us in the same position as WC.
Imagine if Roo ended up doing a Juddy over it.
Its a health issue not just a mental one and far to hard for the club to control 24/7 and why would they want to try.
I dont think he will play again actually because of this reason.
Love to see Carlton pick him up if anyone
erm a local club is as much a social thing as a sport.CURLY wrote:
I understand what your saying about Roo but it would have to be a club decision with all the key people being involved. If troubled kids/teens can be sent to local clubs to be helped out im sure an AFL club with the resouces they have could get Cousins back on track.
No St Kilda doesnt owe him anything but Cousins is still one of the best footballers in the country and if he helps our team win a flag thats what its all about I couldnt care what hes done. As for the drug cheat thing he hasnt been caught for doing anything against the rules as far as Ive read or heard.Dan Warna wrote:erm a local club is as much a social thing as a sport.CURLY wrote:
I understand what your saying about Roo but it would have to be a club decision with all the key people being involved. If troubled kids/teens can be sent to local clubs to be helped out im sure an AFL club with the resouces they have could get Cousins back on track.
AFL purports to be a proffessional elite sport.
I dont see why st kilda owes cousins anything.
further if he is a drug cheat, he has NO place in profession sport, let him go do drugs in the amateurs.
If we sign Cousins, I'll be stocking up on extra social club memberships.http://blogs.theage.com.au/lifestyle/al ... s_kne.html
Ben Cousins: kneel and you shall be forgiven
Reckon there might be a few red faces amongst sports reporters and commentators after they piled onto Ben Cousins for possessing nothing worse than a sleeping tablet and Viagra-like substance last week.
Frankly, I wouldn't have given a flying blue and gold crap if Cousins had been sprung with a bag of ice as big as Andrew Demetriou's head because, unlike half the journalists who opine on these matters, I don't see Cousins as a hero or role model - he's a friggin' footy player.
What interests me is why Cousins has been pummeled so roundly, yet rugby league's Andrew Johns, who admitted to using drugs for most of his playing career, has been given a get-out-of-jail-free card because he was suffering depression during his binges on the pingers?
I don't judge Johns either because I know ten other blokes like him who self-medicate with booze and recreational drugs and understand why they do it - drugs provide an escape from the realities of life, you can stop thinking and just "be"; they're also fun.
Unfortunately I think Cousins' national flagellation comes down to one thing - the sulphurous envy of journalists; you see, Johns knelt before the media beast and begged for forgiveness, while Cousins was too cocky or stupid to do the same ...
To understand this phenomenon, you have to understand journos.
We get to see how the other half lives - rockstars, athletes, celebs and the power elite - but most of us have neither the money, discipline nor talent to join their ranks.
We content ourselves somewhat with this situation by wielding power by proxy - using the massive reach of newspapers and magazines, TV, radio and now the internet to smite or hype who our editors tell us to and, as we gain gravitas in the industry - we make that decision ourselves.
Nothing galls a journo more than an individual who does not pay homage to this 'power' and there's a long list of people who've learned the lesson the hard way from former Federal Labor Mark Latham to actress Judy Davis and Justice Marcus "speed camera" Einfeld.
With someone like Cousins, it can get a bit much for journos; the guy is young, rich, can do remarkable things with his body, he's movie star handsome, he pulls more roots than a market gardener and he looks great with his shirt off.
It's actually a very dangerous situation to be in for a sportsman because unless you project suitable humility to the media, watch out.
Take this exchange between a television AFL commentator and newsreader:
COMMENTATOR: "Having just seen the pictures of his [Cousins] being detained and handcuffed I don't like what I'm seeing ... It's not sort the images you want to see. My thing here is we've got to find out what exactly was in that car, obviously with the police reaction, the fact they have handcuffed Ben Cousins, he obviously had no shirt on, his body language wasn't convincing as he was taken away by police ...You just shake your head. It's very, very disappointing - they're supposed to be role models ..."
NEWSREADER: It's not the sort of demeanour I imagine his mother would like to see ...
COMMENTATOR: Again I didn't like his body language when he returned from his US rehabilitation clinic and nothing much has changed ...
So Cousin's body language was not contrite enough? If the cops arrested me for possession of sleeping pills and some dick drugs, I reckon my body language might be somewhat aggressive.
Given the commentator and newsreader were not to know this, but why pile on when he was yet to be charged with anything? Because he looked hot without a shirt on? Because he had a big, bad tattoo? Because he didn't immediately drop to his knees in front of the Channel Nine cameras and bare his soul to Phil Gould?
Then there was this from one of my SMH colleagues.
"It's hard to look at a scattered Cousins getting out of the back of his 4WD and not think: you selfish bastard. Maybe the answer lies in the smirk on his face.
"The one he sported while coming back through customs at Sydney Airport after attending rehab in Malibu. The one in his pre-recorded television message. The one as he walked into Perth Magistrates Court yesterday to face drugs charges.
"The one that makes you think he may as well just flip us the bird, and the one that makes it hard to feel any of the empathy you might feel for Johns."
How's this for a theory? Maybe Cousins is smirking because he's trying to stop himself laughing at all the attention that's been slathered over him by the media. Maybe he's thinking to himself, "I'm a bloke who can kick a ball and they're acting like I'm the PM"? Maybe part of the reason for Cousin's drug habit is he can't quite process what's so special about him - why everyone cares so much and he cares so little?
The other factor in the roiling criticism of Cousins is that many sports journos and columnists are of an age and social set that does not "get" recreational drugs but thinks drinking 40 schooners and appearing at a grand final parade holding a Crown Lager and slurring is just boys being boys.
A lot of the "old school" of journalism perceive the use of ecstasy, cocaine or speed as approaching demonic yet all too many kids today think exactly the opposite - why destroy yourself and get fat drinking ten beers when you can neck a pinger, dance for four hours and wake up without a hangover?
If Cousins, or his minders have any brains, they'll tee-up a nice cosy TV interview where he talks of his insecurities, his battles with poor self-esteem, ADHD or bi-polar disorder and everyone in the media will be able to content themselves his life is just as flawed as ours.
And remember not to smirk, mate.
I couldnt care who hounds him it didnt seem to bother him when he returned this year and almost single handed beat us. As long as he gets out and plays football after all thats what he is a footballer.Dan Warna wrote:if we get cousins, he will be hounded by the AFL and rightly so because he is a drug cheat.
yep and he should have been tested for drugs after the game. apparently he was not.CURLY wrote:I couldnt care who hounds him it didnt seem to bother him when he returned this year and almost single handed beat us. As long as he gets out and plays football after all thats what he is a footballer.Dan Warna wrote:if we get cousins, he will be hounded by the AFL and rightly so because he is a drug cheat.
pretty sure he was tested after every game...Dan Warna wrote:yep and he should have been tested for drugs after the game. apparently he was not.CURLY wrote:I couldnt care who hounds him it didnt seem to bother him when he returned this year and almost single handed beat us. As long as he gets out and plays football after all thats what he is a footballer.Dan Warna wrote:if we get cousins, he will be hounded by the AFL and rightly so because he is a drug cheat.
chances are if he plays in saints colours he will be tested every 3 days and we'll have done our dough.
the ABC and HUN called him a drug cheat, and he will get caught eventually.
I remember reading that he would be 'vigourously tested' on his return.n1ck wrote:pretty sure he was tested after every game...Dan Warna wrote:yep and he should have been tested for drugs after the game. apparently he was not.CURLY wrote:I couldnt care who hounds him it didnt seem to bother him when he returned this year and almost single handed beat us. As long as he gets out and plays football after all thats what he is a footballer.Dan Warna wrote:if we get cousins, he will be hounded by the AFL and rightly so because he is a drug cheat.
chances are if he plays in saints colours he will be tested every 3 days and we'll have done our dough.
the ABC and HUN called him a drug cheat, and he will get caught eventually.
You would have to be pretty quick to do it IMO...evertonfc wrote: Maybe we could even poision Cousins or even kill him - just to set a good example to the kids?
Don't wait for the light at the end of the tunnel to appear, run down there and light the bloody thing yourself!
what he does in his private life is his business, when he cheats at sport then hes fair game.evertonfc wrote:Put down your glasses kids, the media says it's so.Dan Warna wrote:the ABC and HUN called him a drug cheat, and he will get caught eventually.
Maybe we could even poision Cousins or even kill him - just to set a good example to the kids?
yep and marion jones won a stack of gold medals and bronze medals (not sure if she scored a silver at the olympics)CURLY wrote:Look back over the years and youll find many a DH thats played in premiership team both trouble on and off the field its how there managed that can make the differance.
Dan on what your saying about Cousins you should turn your lisence into the police for speeding even though you havent been caught. Johnston and Jones have been caught.Dan Warna wrote:yep and marion jones won a stack of gold medals and bronze medals (not sure if she scored a silver at the olympics)CURLY wrote:Look back over the years and youll find many a DH thats played in premiership team both trouble on and off the field its how there managed that can make the differance.
she is still a drug cheat, although it took 7 years to catch her.
rasmussen should be allowed back into the tour de france and give back ben johnson his gold medal.
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