Mark Cosgrove

[ben.carbonaro]

Yeah, true.

However, I don't think his weight has much to do with his cricketing ability as he has played for Australia A and played in an under19 World Cup before.

Any thoughts on that point people ?

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

I think it also has something to do with his attitude, he, apparently, has been told to lose some weight and he blatantly refused.

I think there has to be more to it than just his weight.

 

[Fred Phillis]

yep, saca told him to lose weight and he didn't...saca says:



The South Australian Cricket Association's (SACA) high performance
committee has suspended the State playing contract of Mark Cosgrove due
to the unsatisfactory state of his fitness and physical condition.



After reviewing fitness test results, the committee found that the
21-year-old batsman has failed to present himself fit and in first class
physical condition to play at the best of his ability - a requirement
within his State Playing Contract.



The committee also found that Mark has failed to abide by all reasonable
policies and instructions as issued by the SACA, which also is a
requirement of his State Playing Contract.



As part of the suspension, Mark will not be considered for any State
selection, will not be required at State training, and has had his
contract payment suspended for one month.



Mark will be set a series of weight and fitness targets by South
Australian Sports Institute fitness consultants and Redbacks coach Wayne
Phillips, that he must achieve by November 1, 2005.



The suspension will be in place until October 31, 2005 at which time
further fitness tests will take place, to assess if Mark has met his
targets.

 

[Roobunny]

Yeah, very harsh call.

It's not a harsh call at all. He had failed fitness tests earlier in the year and was given specific targets to meet to get back into the team, not only did he not meet them, he got worse (he's currently about 97kg apparently).

Part of a professional athlete's contract would be to meet certain obligations regarding training and fitness etc. He's not acted within accordance.

A cricketer needs to be fit to run between wickets and field. (Boof may not be svelte but he's fit enough to do both). Cosgrove's style of batting changed last year for the worse as he tried to slog every ball rather than run singles etc.

He's a wonderful talent and I hope he can sort himself out.

 

[ben.carbonaro]

Interesting.... so even if he performed well enough at grade level, he couldn't get a call up because of the suspension.

If it is more than just weight issues, how come not much has been said about his behaviour ?

 

[Roobunny]

It's actually simple, it's his attitude regarding his fitness. Did you see the footage of him on the news? He's been set standards by his employer and he's thumbed his nose at them.

 

[ben.carbonaro]

No, I unfortunately didn't watch the news last night and have only heard about this just now on SEN radio.

 

[Cooldude]

Anyone who saw him last season would say that this is about bloody time

 

[Roobunny]

No, I unfortunately didn't watch the news last night and have only heard about this just now on SEN radio.

Trust me if you see any footage or a picture, you'll understand.

 

[Power21]

i hear ya ben...
as warnie says, it's "cricket fit" - not triathlon fit that matters...
and i thought it was how well u were batting: if cossy being overweight meant he couldn't score 100s, then fair enuf, but harsh call i say

Not double standards at all, the guy came back huge, his weight was obviously affecting his batting as he was dropped late last season, he came back fatter than ever so what did he expect, we cant have a token fat c*** in the team. Anyway Boof is 100 times the player cosgrave is.

 

[pinkus maximus]

HA HA suspended for being fat

 

[Russian]

Trust me if you see any footage or a picture, you'll understand.

I've stuck up for him in the past but on that footage he had to be punished. He'd be closer to 197kg than 97

 

[Heisenberg_]

He also didnt show up to some fitness thing he was supposed to do for SACA when he was in South Australia, but this could be what he needs so he knows he isnt a star yet so he has to work for it

 

[DaveW]

A shame. He clearly has the talent.

I'm a bit surprised by the drastic action taken by the SACA. Probably a good call though.

 

[silky-smooth]

Geez.... I wonder why this doesn't apply to Inzamam over in Pakistan ?

1) He's their captain
2) They have hardly any batting depth
3) He's big, but not entirely fat

Boof is fat as well, yet the SACA let him play ?
Double standards in my book.

Stand Darren Lehmann and Mark Cosgrove side-by-side. Cosgrove is grossly overweight. Lehmann isn't.

Plus, Lehmann's batting hasn't suffered because of his weight. Cosgrove's clearly has.

 

[oaksy]

does anyone have a pic of 'fatty' cosgrove

 

[ben.carbonaro]

1) He's their captain
2) They have hardly any batting depth
3) He's big, but not entirely fat



Stand Darren Lehmann and Mark Cosgrove side-by-side. Cosgrove is grossly overweight. Lehmann isn't.

Plus, Lehmann's batting hasn't suffered because of his weight. Cosgrove's clearly has.

Good points, redbacksfan.

It has affected Cosgrove's batting, can remember seeing him slog rather than play every ball on merit.

 

[Stafford678]

He probably has the turning circle of the titanic, making him a liability in the field and running between the wickets. he looked huge on the news, inzi is quite tall isnt he?

 

[JohnWorsfold]

OMG I saw him on tv in the news and I was like the ******** he is seriously fat like you can actually tell he is way too overweight I cant believe he plays cricket

 

[ahhhbirsie]

does anyone have a pic of 'fatty' cosgrove

or even some screen captures from the news?

 

[DaveMorro]

I saw him last season at Glandore oval and no joke the whole time he was on the sidelines he had food in his hands
He's not just solid or stocky, his guts is huge

 

[portentous]

You've got to wonder about the boy's mental capacity. Why on earth would a young guy, on the verge of a first class career, turn up like that? He's an absolute lardarse at the moment, and deserves the suspension. He makes Boof look like a triathlete!

 

[dan warna]

Danny buckingham was another one.

could have played for australia if he cared enough.

 

[ben.carbonaro]

I saw him last season at Glandore oval and no joke the whole time he was on the sidelines he had food in his hands
He's not just solid or stocky, his guts is huge

Was this during a grade game ?

 

[Roobunny]

I think the Players Association are actually not being fair on the SACA - he was given 9 months of chances, requests etc.


Cosgrove suspended, fined over weight gain
By RICHARD EARLE
30sep05

THE South Australian Cricket Association has issued rotund batsman Mark Cosgrove an unprecedented fat fine - suspending his state contract due to poor "fitness and physical condition".

Cosgrove, 21, has been docked a month's salary and banned from Redbacks training and selection until October 31 meaning he will miss the Pura Cup and ING Cup openers against New South Wales.
The SACA's high-performance committee had a gutful of his 97kg frame. The stroke-maker's ability is unquestioned having won the 2005 Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award and top-scoring with 99 at SA's pre-season camp in Mildura last week. But Cosgrove has battled the bulge since being dropped from the Pura Cup unit in January and returned from his stint with English league club Swalwell last week carrying an extra 4kg.

SACA general manager Harvey Jolly said the landmark intervention was necessary with Cosgrove facing his last chance with the Redbacks.

"We have been working with Mark for 15 months and assisted him by providing him with a personal trainer over and above the training the whole squad gets," Jolly said.

"Significant investment has gone into Mark Cosgrove. Unfortunately when we take that support away Mark falls back into habits that don't suit a first-class cricketer."

Cosgrove, who ignored a personal plea from SA coach Wayne Phillips to remain in Adelaide this winter, must achieve unspecified weight and fitness targets by November 1 or face further sanctions including contract termination.

"Mark's taken it strongly, it's hit him emotionally, we understood that would happen but he's going to buckle down and meet the requirements," said Jolly, of Cosgrove who averaged 45 in his debut 2003-04 season.

"Within Mark's contract he must present himself in the best physical condition to play first-class cricket. We have sort legal advice and believe our position is strong."

Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Paul Marsh blasted the SACA's "public humiliation" of Cosgrove.

"We are really disappointed with the sanctions the SACA has taken," Marsh told The Advertiser.

"There has been a complete lack of support on a professional level for Mark. He accepted the decision but could have fought it.

"Mark's been banned from training with team-mates and using the SACA facilities.

"He should have been given support to reach what ever targets there might be.

"To have come out and taken this action is really a public humiliation. The matter could have been handled behind closed doors."
Former Test star Darren Lehmann and SACA chairman of selectors Paul Nobes attracted scrutiny for their portly figures while playing for SA but Jolly maintained "things are different than they were".

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