Richmond greats back Ben Cousins Jon Ralph
Herald Sun
April 14, 2010 RICHMOND'S most famous sons have urged the club to keep faith with Ben Cousins, despite growing calls for the Tigers to end his career.
A day after Cousins was suspended for his part in a boozy Sydney brawl, the Tigers said they would continue to play the 31-year-old if his form and fitness warranted it.
But Richmond showed it was finally losing patience with Cousins, with head of football Craig Cameron warning: "It's important he makes the right choices going forward."
The decision to suspend four players means coach Damien Hardwick is considering blooding first-year forwards David Astbury and Troy Taylor against Melbourne on Sunday.
Francis Bourke, Tom Hafey and Tony Jewell - considered Richmond royalty - said Cousins could play a vital role this year, despite continuing controversy.
But commentators, including former Western Bulldogs ruckman Luke Darcy and premiership coach Robert Walls, said the time had come for the Tigers to cut their losses.
In a superfooty.com.au poll, nearly a third of fans said Richmond should jettison Cousins.
But AFL Team of the Century wingman Bourke said the club could not in good conscience sack the recovering drug addict.
"The over-riding consideration with him is our football club is providing an opportunity to help someone who has fallen by the wayside, and to get him back on the straight and narrow," Bourke said.
"Despite the setbacks along the way, I am happy our club has done that.
"Ben Cousins still has a lot to give. He is absolutely a positive for the club, and I think he still has value.
"Obviously what has happened at the weekend hasn't done him or us much good, but, from what I can see, this man can play football."
Four-time Richmond premiership coach Tom Hafey said a fit Cousins still had a lot to offer.
"If he can get himself fit and starts playing well, he'll probably be a massive help. He'd be like an assistant playing-coach because he has so much experience and class about him," Hafey said.
"And I think that if the players are good enough to be in the team, then they should be played now, because they've got enough youngsters that they are grooming for later on," Hafey said.
"If you've got your 40 players on the list and you want to win games, you have to play the best - you don't want to get into a losing sort of culture."
There is growing sentiment among some Richmond fans that the club would be better off without Cousins.
"Sack the guy now, Damien (Hardwick)," Kev, of Surrey Hills, told superfooty.com.au.
"After all he has been through the last four or five years, you would think he would be on his absolute best behaviour. Just like Wayne Carey, this guy will never change."
But Tony Jewell, coach of the club's most recent flag in 1980, said Cousins had a crucial role to play in a Richmond revival.
"From what I've been told, his leadership around the club has been terrific," Jewell said.
"And when you have a look at the young list, there's really no one else there. You can't just cast young blokes adrift with no-one to show the way.
"He's a Brownlow medallist and a premiership player. If he is the way they say he is around the club I would certainly play him."
Jewell said he had heard high praise for Cousins in conversations with Tiger legend Dale Weightman, and recently departed player Andrew Raines.
"They said you couldn't fault him in the way he trained and prepared himself and spoke to the young blokes," Jewell said.
"But when I took over as coach at Richmond we still had Francis Bourke, Kevin Bartlett and Sheeds playing. It made a huge difference to have senior players around to show them (kids) the way."
- with Michael Warner
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-greats-back-ben-cousins/story-e6frf9jf-1225853380266
