So..... Who's in for Cuz?

[The Dustbin]

For

Yes, we all know about his well publicised problems, but I just think if his health is right and he still has the passion, he is well worth the risk.

Apart from being a damn good footballer, imagine what our budding mids can learn off him in terms of game preparation, positioning and reading of the play at stoppages etc etc etc. Will most likely get a tag, freeing up a Stanton, Watson or McVeigh....

Still has 3 good years left in him I reckon, we won't have to trade for him, plenty of room in the TPP and if he is struggling in the ones at least Bendigo will be bolstered.

Against

The downside being that he would've been out of the game for over a year. Will slow the development of our young mids by taking valuable game time and Cuz simply doesn't fit the criteria (Youth) that EFC is taking.
His past reputation..... May be a bad influence around the club.
Every chance he may not deliver on field. Will be 30 next year, will his body hold up???

I say, give him a second chance. Cuz EFC 09.

Finally, would he be considered as a big name signing?

 

[Merv]

I think the relevant point is if you want him what are your prepared to give up for him.

He is eligible to go into the ND, so the team that pulls the trigger first gets him.

Anyone prepared to give up a third rounder for him?

That's what might be required to get him, depending on the interest or those with Salary Cap room.

I'm not....

 

[Phat Toni]

For

Yes, we all know about his well publicised problems, but I just think if his health is right and he still has the passion, he is well worth the risk.

Apart from being a damn good footballer, imagine what our budding mids can learn off him in terms of game preparation, positioning and reading of the play at stoppages etc etc etc. Will most likely get a tag, freeing up a Stanton, Watson or McVeigh....

Still has 3 good years left in him I reckon, we won't have to trade for him, plenty of room in the TPP and if he is struggling in the ones at least Bendigo will be bolstered.

Against

The downside being that he would've been out of the game for over a year. Will slow the development of our young mids by taking valuable game time and Cuz simply doesn't fit the criteria (Youth) that EFC is taking.
His past reputation..... May be a bad influence around the club.
Every chance he may not deliver on field. Will be 30 next year, will his body hold up???

I say, give him a second chance. Cuz EFC 09.

Finally, would he be considered as a big name signing?

would want hime only if he had his head in the right place. Playing wise would love his Zip around the contests and good deliverey to the forward line. He is know as one of the hardest workers ont he track so I would think that would be something our younger midfielders could learn from.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Hell no. Too much of a risk with his problems, plus too old for our next premiership window. Let him go to the Pies.

 

[Schmick]

If we get Rich, yes. If not, no.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Not in favour. Wouldn't like the club to use any draft pick for a 30 year old man. McVeigh and co are doing a fine job teaching the youngsters. Fair enough everyone deserves a second chance, just not at Essendon.

 

[The Dustbin]

Not in favour. Wouldn't like the club to use any draft pick for a 30 year old man. McVeigh and co are doing a fine job teaching the youngsters. Fair enough everyone deserves a second chance, just not at Essendon.

We used a draft pick on a 36 yr old ruckman back in 2001. That was pre Knights though wasn't it.

 

[Jesse Custer]

We used a draft pick on a 36 yr old ruckman back in 2001. That was pre Knights though wasn't it.

Yeah true. But would not like to see it happen again.

 

[retroparty]

Only to be a mentor for the young midfield. He probably wouldn't be able to play in a premiership with the Bombers even if he did go for 3 years so he would just be a mentor.

He'd have to promise that he wouldn't party or drink during the season. Essendon has a great reputation. We wouldn't want him to destroy it.

 

[Kit146]

Now that the Sheedy era has passed and we have some new blood as a coach I hope that we do not recuit anyone too old for our next premiership opportunity. Can't stop thinking about the biggest mistake of drafting recycled players who were past there use by dates:
1. Matthew Allan
2. Justin Murphy
3. Mark Alvey
4. Ty Zantuck
5. Scott Camporeale

Would like Ben Cousins as the player but would not like the off field baggage thats goes with.

 

[fishguts]

Sure, you may say that we will lose a 3rd round pick. But Cousins has abillity to teach the squad the tricks of the trade, a real general in their. Also frees up our young players so they aren't getting tagged out of games. The upsides outweigh the downsides IMO, but lets try to get him at bendigo first, no loss their.

 

[DonMania#5]

For a third/fourth round pick, why not?

 

[Merv]

For a third/fourth round pick, why not?

Around the same picks as Reimers, Houli and Davey of recent times.

 

[Rack Watts]

It's a no for me.
He isn't a kid anymore. we need young fellas to get us through the dry Gold Coast picking years!

 

[bomberstomake8]

in the pre season draft: id strongly consider it
national draft: no way

he has a maximum of around 4 years left,

we have people on here constantly blaming the recruitment of players like campo as the reason we are down yet we are doign the exact same thing recruiting someone like cousins.

around the same age just had a year off footy and dont forget campo was pretty bloody good before he came to essendon as well..

get some good quality kids, unless its the 4th round pick or lower then i would not even consider it in the national draft, pre season i would probably get him because your pretty much giving up nothing

 

[Tambu]

Let's hang on to our draft picks, get more of them if possible!

 

[Phat Toni]

Around the same picks as Reimers, Houli and Davey of recent times.

When you put it that way, NO!

 

[Rack Watts]

We have McVeigh.
He doesn't do as much coke.

 

[bomba4eva]

Im in. Haver plenty of respect for this bloke as a player. Genuine star of the competition. Do not compare him to the likes of Zantuck and Murphy as he is in an entire different class. There would have to be many conditions set down for him but I am all for him coming to us through the PSD. If we needed to pick him up in the National Draft, I would consider getting an extra pick through a trade and then using that on him. Probably around pick 40.

 

[bomber69]

Blues and Kangas have already said no. Wouldn't mind taking the punt for a pick 50+ if he was available. Could turn into a great success story

 

[Ben the Gooner]

I'm in.

As for what it would cost, if our next planned pick was a speculative one like Hooker, then get him. If it was a kid who we genuinely thought was a very good chance to be part of our future, or a bottom age player, like Reimers, then, sorry, the kid comes first.

PSD, no hesitation, whatsoever.

 

[Windas_Magic]

For a third/fourth round pick, why not?

Because using a a third/fourth pick should be on a player who could be at the club for 8-10 years. If we used it on Cousins then we would only be able to get 2-3 good years out of him, then there's always questions over if he can stay injury-free with an ageing body. Especially with a re-building list like ours, we have to use our ND picks effectively on players who could potentially be at the club for a long period of time, something that Cousins doesn't offer
In the PSD maybe, but im leaning towards not picking him up

 

[The Donners]

Absolutely!

There's a probability we'll be looking at a key position backman with our first pick, from popular opinion Hurley <insert your own player>. That being the case I would then go for the next best midfield option, that being a tried and proven champion, a known commodity. He will have in my opinion 3-5 good years of football left ahead of him and is a fair chance of being at the bottom end of his peak when we have a dip at the flag.
His "hiatus" would have given his body a rest and with his work ethic it wouldn't take long for muscle-memory etc. to sink in. Pick up Cousins, have a bigger, fitter and stronger Houli, Lonergan, Hislop, Monfries, Ryder, Neagle and Myers. Also a fit Davey, Gumbleton and Dempsey and add to that the possibility of retaining the services of the bookends in Fletcher and Lloyd beyond 2009 and we are looking at a formidable unit.

As for keeping out a young player, a spot on a senior list should be worked for. We are currently contradicting this, we do not have the depth nor the injury status to do otherwise. We are not necessarily picking our best side every week, we are sifting through the list for reasons to retain certain individuals. This will stop. We will know who our best 22 are, we will work towards those players playing 22 games + 3 games. Does this mean we're leaving out Tom Hislop because Sam Lonergan and David Myers are excelling in the engine room? Does this mean Andrew Lee will be delisted because Fletcher is simply a machine? There will come a time when we will not play players based on the fact that they are young, we will wait until they are ready, in the long run this will build depth.

 

[Blind Blink]

I want him.

Who are the Melbourne clubs (assuming he will play for a Melbourne club) that still want him?

North and Carlton today said they don't want him, I heard someone say Collingwood and Melbourne don't, any more clubs who don't want him?

 

[Jesse Custer]

I'm in.

As for what it would cost, if our next planned pick was a speculative one like Hooker, then get him. If it was a kid who we genuinely thought was a very good chance to be part of our future, or a bottom age player, like Reimers, then, sorry, the kid comes first.

PSD, no hesitation, whatsoever.

As i stated before, id rather take a punt on a kid than a player at veteran status regardless of who he is. On the flipside, he could be a good teacher for the kids, but we don't know if he can produce that role. He seems to be a very individual character, ofcourse i dont know him personally but i got that vibe when he used to play. There are too many doubts surrounding the fella and a promising kid would be a better bet. We have to look at the long term future of this club.

By the way sorry Dusty i hope you can forgive me mate.