Cousins AFL exit to put out fires
Chip Le Grand | October 26, 2007 | The Australian
When asked if he was looking forward to playing in the AFL again, Cousins replied, "absolutely". Asked whether he would remain overseas for several months, he said: "Hopefully not. I'd like hopefully to be in training by then."
One of two inferences can be made from this.
The first is that Cousins, for all his unquestioned talents as a footballer, has become delusional about his place in the game and the AFL's tolerance for his drug-related behaviour.
The second is that Cousins understands better than anyone the AFL's tolerance for his drug-related behaviour and knows a comeback in 2008 is indeed a possibility.
Either way, the implications for the league are much the same. With a parting smile and a couple of off-the-cuff remarks, Cousins has forced the governing body to confront the question of his legal status as an AFL player, a question it had quietly hoped to avoid.
At its next commission meeting on November 19, the AFL will debate whether it would allow a team other than the West Coast Eagles to recruit Cousins in this year's national or pre-season draft.
If the AFL gives a green light to Cousins joining another club, it will be seen as a humiliating snub to Canberra and a betrayal to the Eagles.
But in the aftermath of Cousins' sacking by the Eagles - a decision the AFL strongly supported - the AFL's position has been weakened by a decision by police to abandon a charge of possession of a prohibited substance against the former club captain.
The only outstanding charge against Cousins is a traffic offence, failure to submit to a driver assessment test.
This time last week, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said playing football again should be the least of Cousin's concerns.
Since then rival clubs have begun considering Cousins as a potential recruiting target.
Link.The Pies via Malthouse aren't interested in Cousins.
Link.
