Richmond media conference at 12 Noon

[one-eyed]

The club will be holding a media conference at Midday.

I'm sure that pr!ck Damien Barrett will be there telling us how we somehow stuffed up 

[one-eyed]

Wallace, Cameron and Newman will be speaking.

The first time we'll hear from Terry. The media will ask about Sheeds' involvement as Ricky Nixon today didn't give Sheeds as much credit as the media has been.

Coming up shortly. Tune in on SEN.

[one-eyed]

Here it is....

* Cameron - Today we made a decision to draft Cousins. Best player in the draft and best decision for his health.

* Wallace - first up to go through the process. Time line.

- A few months ago went to board and said list positions will be tight so we'll only have 4 picks in the draft. Past years it was 12, 8, ..  So more unlikely to pick up Cousins from fitting him in the list point of view so he dropped off our radar.

- it almost never happened as pick 70 we were going to use on a kid but brisbane jumped in with the pick before us and both tables had a 'chuckle". So we passed on our last pick.

- we decided to bring down a group of kids to train with. They were good but there was no standout.

- we saw a opportunity to place Polak on the rookie list. The rookie list would allow him to play at Coburg where he won't be allowed to no the LTIL. We also didn't want to apply to the AFL to place Polak on the rookie list unless Polak himself realised that himself.

- For humanitarian reasons we thought the AFl would give us the tick. The footy division was wrong to shut the door on pick 6 and Gary March was only passing on the footy depts decision.

- we were genuinely shocked by the AFL's decision to refuse Polak's place on the rookie list.

- After overwhelming support from the playing group and supporters we decided to go with Cousins. The decision was unanimous. We sat down with Cousins to seek his determination to play on.

- We've also sent in recommendations on what we are going to do with Cousins to the AFL even before the picked up Cousins today.

- Players and fans are the most important commodity in the game and we think not only Richmond supporters but all fans will be happy to see Ben back.

- We believe he will play good footy for us. There is also a humanitarian part to this. We strongly beleive in giving people second chances.

- Our change of mind? We made a wrong decision to shut the door on pick 6 you then don't make a second wrong decision and not drafting the best player available. Us shutting the door initially probably was a sign of too much overconfidence in getting a favourable verdict from the AFL.

[torch]

can somebody please have an mp3 of this conference!

[one-eyed]

Cameron now

- The only thing we said was the player we delisted we would take as a rookie.

- We made sure with the AFL there's the structure to help Ben with his rehab.

- There's no issue with our salary cap.

- 1 year contract for Cousins.

Wallace again

- Ben will say himself he created what has occurred. He's determined to right that. It will be a wonderful story if he gets it right and takes this opportunity.

- He's coming from a footy town, a 2 team town with the Eagles the number 1 team. So the scrunity will be in melbourne as much as it was in Perth. Different to Lockett who went to a non-AFL town.

- Asked what about the youth policy picking up a 30 year old? Yes we did take Knobel and Kingsley who didn't work out well  in the PSD in the past but all we've said all along we wouldn't use our early selections on older players. They'd be used on kids and Richmond people will say they are now coming through.


Cameron aagin
-  We won't be going into his contract conditions but there won;t be any additional conditions or specific restraints on movement.

Wallace
- he's kept himself fit and trained with a WAFL but we have to ease him into the footy side of things.

- All that happens now is we've given him an opportunity to play again with our last pick on our list. It's up to him to take that opportunity.

Newman:
- Newy thinks the way Cousins conducts himself on-field and on the track will really benefit the club. He won't be treated differently. The onus is on Ben.

Cameron:
- We haven't seen the doco and it won't go to air without us seeing it.

Wallace:
- Sheeds was over in Perth and met the family. Kevin thought he made huge strides compared to earlier in the year. Timing is everything and it was at the same stage we were looking at moving Polly onto the rookie list. That's all Terry said he discussed with sheeds.

Cameron:
- We did an assessment on Cousins ourselves and decided to go with him. We can't give an answer for the other clubs and your (the journos) premise is wrong and they're your (the journos) words that we were desperate to get him when all other 15 clubs said no.

[Stripes]

There is going to be a lot of journo's and opposition clubs and supporters hoping for Cousins to fail and to drag the Tigers down with him. The humanitian aspect will soon fade if the AFL world start to believe that Cousins will help the Tigers to achieve any type of success especially if it is at the expense of their teams.

Good news for us. If we start to become hated again then that equates to many happy times ahead for our glorious club.

Congratulation TW, the players and board on taking the risk!

Stripes

[tiga]

There is going to be a lot of journo's and opposition clubs and supporters hoping for Cousins to fail and to drag the Tigers down with him.

I can't see how Ben failing would bring the Tigers down. We took him at the absolute last resort. No Multi-Million Dollar contract like Judd.
No real heavy expectations from anyone except for him to train hard and push for a spot. If anything, Richmond will be looked at as a compassionate club throwing a lifeline to a troubled upper age player who wants a chance to redeem himself. If anything we will get kudos for at least giving him a chance. If he stuffs up personally, he will be out on his ear with very little damage done. If he succeeds, he will be the story of the year!!!! Win Win as far as I'm concerned!

Good luck Ben. Hope you hit the headlines for all the right reasons!! 

[one-eyed]

Cousins return good for the game: Wallace
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
2:03 PM Tue 16 December, 2008

RICHMOND Football Club coach Terry Wallace says the decision to take Ben Cousins with pick six in the 2008 NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft was entirely a football department decision.

The Tigers came to the Cousins party late but stayed until the end, finally drafting the former Eagle with its only pick in the pre-season draft and handing the Brownlow Medallist a lifeline that appeared unlikely less than 24 hours earlier.

“We had huge support from Monday’s decision onwards from our playing group, from our fans, and just genuinely from everyone involved with footy,” Wallace said from Punt Rd on Tuesday.

“At that stage, the football department  believed it was within our rights to go back and speak to the board, and we tried to organize a phone hookup to have a chat with board members to be able to find out where they stood with the situation.

“It was pleasing for the footy division that we were unanimously supported, that it was the footy division’s final call on the matter, whether we wanted to continue and press ahead.

Wallace said Cousins' attitude throughout what has become something of a saga was positive, and boded well for his future at the club.  But the coach was also quick to point out the responsibilities that now lay with his new midfielder.

“At that time last evening (Monday) I spoke with Ben again, and once again, as he had done in previous meetings, he confirmed his commitment to the Richmond football club.

“At that stage, we decided that we were going to take Ben, and that the ball was now in his court to make the best opportunity he possibly can and get himself right as a person and get his football right".

Richmond are aware of the conditions that come attached to Cousins following the AFL's decision to allow him another shot at League football, and Wallace said the club would be doing everything in its power to support him on and off the field.

But it was the prospect of seeing a champion given a second chance that had the most impact on Richmond's decision to take Cousins, according to his new coach.

“AFL footy is about the game itself, it’s about the players that play the game, and it’s about the fans that come along to watch the game," he said.

“I think it’s more than Richmond fans this time around, I think it’s every football fan wanted to see Ben have another opportunity.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=70894

[torch]

Ben Cousins

[one-eyed]

Here's the video of the press conference

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/video/0,,AFL%20News_10297,00.html

[bushranger]

I'm heading off to listen to it now. I don't really care what he has to say but none the less it will be good to hear what he has to say.
Then I know what is truth and what is just gossip.

[one-eyed]

Ben more relieved than joyous
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
3:55 PM Tue 16 December, 2008

RELIEF rather than joy was Ben Cousins’ reaction on being told his AFL career had been rescued at the 11th hour.

Richmond made the decision late on Monday evening to take the former Eagle with their only pick in the NAB AFL Pre-season Draft.

Tigers coach Terry Wallace said Cousins’ reaction was pretty much what you would expect from a player taken at the last possible instant.

“I think it was genuine relief – he’s been through a rollercoaster of emotions,” Wallace said.

“I think it’s fair to say that a lot of those scenarios have come and gone, whether it be St Kilda, Brisbane, Collingwood over a recent period of time.

“I think Ben will speak for himself, but he knows that he’s created what has come his way, but he’s determined to do something about that.

“Obviously, we all hope that he can.”

Wallace said the return of Cousins was a good-news story.

“There’s a lot of bad-news stories going around in the world, and there’s a lot of bad-news stories that go around in sport, and to be honest, the bad-news stories take up more newspaper room than the good-news stories do these days,” Wallace said.

“Look, it’d be a wonderful story if he can get it together and get it right, and he now has that opportunity.”

Perth is an intense cauldron of AFL media scrutiny, especially when things go off the rails, so Wallace said he wasn’t worried about the attention Cousins was sure to cop in Melbourne.

“He’s coming from a football town as well, I think that’s got to be clear,” Wallace said.

“You come from a two-team town, and particularly where the West Coast Eagles were the number-one team for so long just with their standing on the ladder when he was playing there.

“So I think the spotlight and scrutiny that he had n Perth will be every bit of what it’ll be in Melbourne.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsid=70906

[one-eyed]

Players wanted Cuz: Newman
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
 4:24 PM Tue 16 December, 2008

NEW RICHMOND skipper Chris Newman says the players are thrilled that Ben Cousins is headed to Tigerland.

Cousins was courted by several clubs but in the end the Tigers were the only club willing to take him.

Coach Terry Wallace said the players had made their position on Cousins very clear. “The playing group was very strong, but I’ll let Chris speak on that,” Wallace said.

“Every playing group would want to have the best players they could possibly get, we know and understand that, and that was only one of the facts we took into account, but certainly the playing group was very, very strong in support of Ben coming to our club.”

Newman, who only recently took over the captaincy from Kane Johnson, said the players were solidly behind the move.

"I guess we thought that we’ve got the right mix now to be able to deal with it,” Newman said.

“With Ben coming down, we thought that he could set the standards not only at training, but also with his work ethic on the ground.

“He’s coming in to our side, and we feel he can make some improvement for us going in to the future.

“The players felt really strongly that he’s able to come and contribute straight away; he’s a ready-made player.

“We feel as though we’ve got a really good opportunity over the next few years with a good core of younger guys and older guys to really make an impact on the competition.”

Newman said the players told the coaches and the board as recently as Monday afternoon that Cousins would be a great addition.

“We just thought it would be a huge opportunity, and we thought that given the circumstances the timing was right, and if he’s available, why not get him?” Newman said.

“We thought he could be a really good contributor on-field, not only with the older guys there, but the younger guys coming through can learn a great deal.

“The way he conducts himself on the training field and on gameday is something that I think we’ll really benefit from.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=70909

[WilliamPowell]

I can't see how Ben failing would bring the Tigers down. We took him at the absolute last resort. No Multi-Million Dollar contract like Judd.
No real heavy expectations from anyone except for him to train hard and push for a spot. If anything, Richmond will be looked at as a compassionate club throwing a lifeline to a troubled upper age player who wants a chance to redeem himself. If anything we will get kudos for at least giving him a chance. If he stuffs up personally, he will be out on his ear with very little damage done. If he succeeds, he will be the story of the year!!!! Win Win as far as I'm concerned!

Absolutely agree tiga. See this as a win/win for the RFC whatever happens