Terry Wallace says zip the Ben Cousins razzamatazz
Mark Robinson | February 25, 2009
TERRY Wallace, and just about everyone else, is jack of the "razzamatazz" that is Ben Cousins. The time has come to stop chasing Cousins and, instead, watch Cousins chase the ball.
It's why Wallace will start Cousins tomorrow night against Collingwood.
And because it is Cousins, it's why there were 15 reporters - radio, TV, newspaper and net - and five cameras to record Wallace reveal exactly that at Victoria Park yesterday.
Ben is playing, he said.
Ben will start, he said.
Ben is not the only player at Richmond, he wanted to say.
"I think there's been enough razzamatazz, I think probably get out there and just play would be the best idea," the Tigers coach said.
"Look, we haven't finalised our side yet, we've got to get through training today before we do that, but I'd suggest that we'd be more likely to just throw him out there and let him get on with playing.
"He'll play a reasonable amount of game time."
How much game time will be determined by the run of the game, and how much Wallace wants to experiment with his younger players in the middle.
A fair estimate would be 70 per cent, which would satisfy Cousins, Wallace and the manically optimistic Tigers fans.
If 9000 fans will turn up to Richmond's family day, at least three times that will turn up tomorrow night.
Throw in the mighty Maggies and 45,000-50,000 is not out of the question.
Cousins will be nervous, no doubt.
Just how much we'll never know because he's not talking to any media until his doco is sold and on the box.
When Wallace was asked how Cousins was feeling, he said: "You'd have to ask him that question."
Only if we could. Maybe, fingers crossed, Benny might open up after the game.
As it is, Wallace was low-key yesterday.
"We haven't rushed him, we've slowly built up the progress over a period of time and so obviously, first game, I think he would be pretty keen to get out there and get a kick."
His expectations for Cousins were "not a lot".
"His expectations will be stronger than what ours are," he said.
"The game is a practice game, (we're) getting ready for Round 1.
"It's his first genuine hit out and others are ahead of what he's done to this stage.
"What you're looking to is him getting through safe and sound, gets a kick and starts to gain a bit of confidence."
Confidence is not Cousins' alone.
The Tigers beat Fremantle on the road in the first week, which is pleasing whether its NAB, practice match or the season proper, and a win over Collingwood tomorrow night will stoke the fans' faith even more - if that's possible.
It's unclear if Matthew Richardson will play - he will be named in the 29-man squad - but mop-top first-rounder Tyrone Vickery and promising defender Alex Rance will, as is likely the former skipper, Kane Johnson and running defender Jordan McMahon.
Vickery looks the athlete. He stood next to ruck coach Damian Monkhorst yesterday and was two inches taller and perhaps 20kg lighter.
He'll play mainly forward and maybe get a burst in the ruck.
"Last week we had a thousand games worth of players out of our side, we won't be selecting our very, very best side for this game," Wallace said.
"A few of the boys who played in Round 1 won't play in Round 2."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25103013-19742,00.html