OT: Ben Cousins

[jo172]

Alright I know the guys a gun footballer (whom i find to be a bit overrated, in other words Judd/Kerr/Embley>Cousins) but when is he going to pull his head in and behave like a social and club leader?

The fact that he went to Melbourne to hang out with Gardiner does not speak volumes for the man. Personally I thought both Gardiner and Cousins would of been better with the continent's worth of distance between them but for this to keep happening over and over again is ridicolous. If he was any other player at WCE he'd be out on his arse by now (eg: Gardiner).

I know some people are going to come back at me with "He was targeted because he's a high profile football player" but that's complete crap. Also what exactly do you have to be doing to spend the night in lock up for being drunk and disorderly? There are alot of drunk and disorderly people out there who just get put in cabs to sleep it off. If you ask me odds are the coppers were going easy on him.

Anyways, what's your opinion on Cuz?

 

[Crow-mo]

so you think he shouldn't spend time with his mates?

 

[jo172]

so you think he shouldn't spend time with his mates?

If the same mate keeps getting you into trouble over and over again, possibly jeopardising your very successful career because he already had his screwed is he really your friend?

 

[QL 21]

I don't see much of a problem? After having a massive year, he decided to head out on the town and had a few too many. He acted like a bit of an idiot and got chucked in a cell for the night.

I would get legless too if I just won a GF.

 

[jo172]

I don't see much of a problem? After having a massive year, he decided to head out on the town and had a few too many. He acted like a bit of an idiot and got chucked in a cell for the night.

I would get legless too if I just won a GF.

3 months ago ....

And i'm not saying that if this was a one off it would be a huge deal. Just the fact that it seems to be a recurring pattern of behaviour would surely have a few people in the WCE hierachy nervous.

 

[QL 21]

Just the fact that it seems to be a recurring pattern of behaviour would surely have a few people in the WCE hierachy nervous.

How so? He likes to have a good time in the off-season, do you ever hear about him going out during the year and getting smashed?

 

[jo172]

How so? He likes to have a good time in the off-season, do you ever hear about him going out during the year and getting smashed?

Stacked on to running away from booze buses, an affinity for Coca-Cola , getting in to fights with team mates, refusing to co-operate with Cops investigating serious crimes and this is not the behaviour of a well balanced human being. It is clear off the field Cousins is a loose cannon. For the time being this has not hindered his performance on the field, my question is how long can this last?

 

[Mad Dog]

For all those claiming "victimisation" and "boys will be boys" and "it's the off season"........I don't think it's any coincidence that out of 6 hundred and thirty something footballers in the AFL that the same 3 or 4 keep getting pulled up for this kind of thing.

Yeah sure it's the off season...but.

what are you doing on the piss the weekend before training starts 4,000 kms from home ????.

like moths to a flame..........people like Cousins will always be seduced by the plonk......if he wasn't a great football player.....he'd have gotten himself into some serious trouble by now.

Now that they've won a flag....I'll be interested to see how many more instances like this Wet Toast will tolerate before they cut him loose.

I'm certainly not calling for his head.........I just reckon it's all a bit sad...and a bit typical..........

 

[QL 21]

Now that they've won a flag....I'll be interested to see how many more instances like this Wet Toast will tolerate before they cut him loose.

I'm certainly not calling for his head.........I just reckon it's all a bit sad...and a bit typical..........

I can't see them cutting him loose. Would Adelaide cut Roo loose if he did the same as Cousins, yet still managed to play great football and be a terrific on-field leader?

If they decide to send him back to train with his WAFL club, then so be it, that's fine with me.

 

[Mad Dog]

I can't see them cutting him loose. Would Adelaide cut Roo loose if he did the same as Cousins, yet still managed to play great football and be a terrific on-field leader?

If they decide to send him back to train with his WAFL club, then so be it, that's fine with me.

I don't think Cousins has been as integral to the West Coast over the last 14 years as Roo has been to the AFC.....so not really a sensible comparison.

 

[kane249]

I don't think Cousins has been as integral to the West Coast over the last 14 years as Roo has been to the AFC.....so not really a sensible comparison.

Well hang on a sec, Cuz has been integral to the club

Cuz started at the club in 95, ie when the club was coming off its previous premiership highs and was starting its decline. Cuz led the club admirably throughout those dark days when the club wasn't a powerhouse and was a cellar dweller. He stood out like a beacon during those dark days.

Similarily when the clubs been going well he's still been there leading from the front. There is a reason why he is called the 'spiritual leader' at the club because he's the guy the other players turn to rev up the other guys and provide that spark or bit of brilliance when things aren't going well (eg during the prelim final, his third quarter was one of the reasons the eagles turned it around)

Cuz has been very integral to the club over the 11 years he has been there.

 

[Mad Dog]

Well hang on a sec, Cuz has been integral to the club

Cuz started at the club in 95, ie when the club was coming off its previous premiership highs and was starting its decline. Cuz led the club admirably throughout those dark days when the club wasn't a powerhouse and was a cellar dweller. He stood out like a beacon during those dark days.

Similarily when the clubs been going well he's still been there leading from the front. There is a reason why he is called the 'spiritual leader' at the club because he's the guy the other players turn to rev up the other guys and provide that spark or bit of brilliance when things aren't going well (eg during the prelim final, his third quarter was one of the reasons the eagles turned it around)

Cuz has been very integral to the club over the 11 years he has been there.

....but now that they have achieved at the highest level......Worsfold will be looking for a sacrificial lamb to maintain the focus and hunger.

 

[QL 21]

....but now that they have achieved at the highest level......Worsfold will be looking for a sacrificial lamb to maintain the focus and hunger.

Not yet, maybe once we go back-to-back like your blokes did.

 

[kane249]

....but now that they have achieved at the highest level......Worsfold will be looking for a sacrificial lamb to maintain the focus and hunger.

Nah i dont think this will warrant more then a slap on the wrist. As far as misdemeanours go it wasn't a big one. It's not like he:
-Crashed a car
-Ran away from a booze bus
-resisted arrest
-punched a public officer
-Drunk drove
-Was invovled in a public brawl
-Punched his girlfriend

Or one of the other acts various other AFL players have commited from other clubs, all he was busted for was being drunk in public. Not even drunk and disorderly, just being drunk.

Will be a fine from the club, but nothing more me thinks

 

[macca23]

Ordinary effort by Cousins on top of his past performances.

You don't get arrested for being drunk unless it's accompanied by being disorderly, and even then you have to be a real pain in the arse to others before you get arrested and thrown into the slammer.

What it says about Cousins is that he really has no regrets about his prior episodes, as they are just symbolic of how he likes to be. All that shyte about being sorry etc was pure and utter crap - just lip service.

Yes, he's a great footballer - one of the very best - which is why he'll get a slap on the wrist from the club while Joe Average would have been kicked out by now.

That's not peculiar to West Coast though - all clubs have variable values related to ability. It's not right, but that's the way it is.

 

[fryingpan]

Needs to grow up. He's a role model to the younger kids and needs to show them what's right and wrong. Lacks the leadership qualities but who has them at WCE? No one springs to mind. Dean Cox maybe.

 

[jo172]

Nah i dont think this will warrant more then a slap on the wrist. As far as misdemeanours go it wasn't a big one. It's not like he:
-Crashed a car
-Ran away from a booze bus
-resisted arrest
-punched a public officer
-Drunk drove
-Was invovled in a public brawl
-Punched his girlfriend

Or one of the other acts various other AFL players have commited from other clubs, all he was busted for was being drunk in public. Not even drunk and disorderly, just being drunk.

Surely the more worrying thing is that he has been involved in incidents similar to the above?

 

[jo172]

Needs to grow up. He's a role model to the younger kids and needs to show them what's right and wrong. Lacks the leadership qualities but who has them at WCE? No one springs to mind. Dean Cox maybe.

cough ... Judd .... cough

 

[fryingpan]

cough ... Judd .... cough

Oh yeah that guy as well

Braun maybe. Hard to pick a guy from WCE that actually abides by the law.

 

[mudgeathon]

Alright I know the guys a gun footballer (whom i find to be a bit overrated, in other words Judd/Kerr/Embley>Cousins)
QUOTE]



Judd > Cousins [just] >>>>>>>>>> Kerr >>>>>>>Emlbey

If you think he's overated go and watch the preliminary against you guys, he ripped you apart that game.

How can someone who has been a

6 x AA
4 B/F
Brownlow Medalist
AFLPA MVP - [Leigh Matthews award]
AFL Rising Star
Captain from 2001 - 2005
Premiership player
Has the best Brownlow votes to game ratio behind Judd [of players currently playing]
Has the equal most top 10 Brownlow finishes [equal with Buckley] of players currently playing

by the time he's just turned 28 be overated?

 

[Flukey!]

Its easy to say it was nothing serious, just locked up for a few hours to get himself sober. Its also easy to compare Cousins to other players that may have had a few indescretions over the time.

However, its always Cousins. Name another club Captain or Vice Captain that regularly make news for the wrong reasons like Benny boy.

Not many, are there?

 

[campbell]

The guy has an addictive personality.He will never clean up until he admits his addictions.Seeing though he thinks he has done no wrong ever, I can't see this happening.

 

[Mad Dog]

However, its always Cousins. Name another club Captain or Vice Captain that regularly make news for the wrong reasons like Benny boy.

Not many, are there?

This is the point - I'm certainly not calling for his head......but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck - lets not pretend its not a duck.....

He's a serial knob.......the club or his fans shouldn't expect a behavioural change at this stage nor try and flower it with an apology.

That's just who he is

 

[QL 21]

Needs to grow up. He's a role model to the younger kids and needs to show them what's right and wrong. Lacks the leadership qualities but who has them at WCE? No one springs to mind. Dean Cox maybe.

Stenglein? I do see your point though, there is no stand out leader (well, apart from Cousins and Judd) at our club. We do have a fairly young team though, when they all get a bit older I'm sure a few will take on the leadership role.

However, its always Cousins. Name another club Captain or Vice Captain that regularly make news for the wrong reasons like Benny boy.

Not many, are there?

Luckily Cousins isn't our Captain or Vice Captain then isn't it?

 

[kane249]

Surely the more worrying thing is that he has been involved in incidents similar to the above?

Well 2 things
A) techinically he was never actualyl caught drink driving as he was never breathalysed
B) When did Cousins get involved in a drunken fight? perhaps getting it confused with one M.Ricciutto?