Revealed: Tigers tell Cousins to cut heavy drinking CAROLINE WILSON
March 16, 2010RICHMOND has warned its troubled midfielder Ben Cousins to curb his drinking. Revelations that the recovering drug addict has overindulged in alcohol over the past year came as he was readmitted to hospital at midnight on Sunday with stomach illness.
The club fears that Cousins, 31, could further shorten his already diminished career as a result of binge drinking. The former West Coast champion, who has been regularly drug-tested by the AFL since being given a second chance at elite football by the Tigers, is now unlikely to play in Richmond's season-opener against Carlton on March 25.
Cousins returned to Epworth Hospital for further tests after being in acute pain. He remained there last night. Although there is no suggestion Cousins' illness is directly related to alcohol abuse, no one at Richmond could deny that his health issues could be linked to the footballer's long-term drug addiction and occasionally savage lifestyle.
Football operations manager Craig Cameron vehemently denied the drug rumours that have haunted Cousins since he was first admitted to hospital five days ago, pointing out that the player had had a blood test last week. Club president Gary March said he was unaware alcohol had become an issue for Cousins.
However, The Age can confirm that senior Richmond personnel raised the drinking issue with Cousins several times last year. Cousins was re-signed at the end of last season after playing a solid 15 games and finishing in the top five of Richmond's best and fairest.
Cousins, who came to Richmond at a bargain basement price, is believed to have doubled his wage in 2010 but has been advised that to extend his career he must cut down on drinking. He was also admonished shortly before Christmas for a relative lack of fitness, which was blamed on a personal issue not related to drugs.
Cousins' former manager, Ricky Nixon, has told friends in recent weeks that he has been concerned about Cousins' lifestyle and mentioned alcohol abuse. Nixon and the player split last month.
Until last week's illness, which was described by doctors as gastroenteritis, the Tigers had been satisfied with Cousins' response to his pre-Christmas rocket, his improved fitness and well-known work ethic on the track.
The club has been forced to keep a close watch on the player's off-field activities as a result of the massive risk involved in taking on the game's first admitted drug addict.
''Ben is under the care of a gastroenterologist and at this stage it looks as if he will stay overnight,'' said Greg Hickey, Richmond's club doctor.
''Unfortunately Ben's symptoms from last week have not yet fully resolved so we have asked for some more tests to be performed,'' Dr Hickey said.
Cousins' long-term drug addiction has left him with a legacy of a high resistance to painkillers and he reportedly has been in acute pain in recent days.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/hard-living-undercuts-cousins-hard-work-20100315-q9pd.html
