Richmond should not re-sign Cousins CAROLINE WILSON
August 11, 2010 RICHMOND has insisted that Ben Cousins' playing future has not yet been decided and will rest on the shoulders not of the board or the chief executive or even the football operations boss. It will be a matter for coach Damien Hardwick and his match committee and made on football data alone.
Even allowing for some artistic licence regarding the above - surely in a subliminal sense it is impossible to judge Cousins any more on his on-field contribution alone - his time looks to be up.
There is simply no longer a strong enough case to retain a player who will turn 33 during the 2011 season and who will take games and vital development opportunities from the young men who Hardwick hopes will contribute to the club's next premiership.
Cousins will meet the club in the coming weeks and no doubt will be told he faces more than a handful of games for Coburg next season - not a fitting ending compared with the retirement scenario that is panning out for round 22, 2010.
Knowing him, he will back himself as he is doing so valiantly right now as he makes his case for a new one-year contract. His form has been good but not as good as some commentators claim. His kicking has lost its once-daunting penetration and he no longer influences the result of matches.
It is true that the Tigers will continue to rely next season on more than their fair share of first-year and second-year players. Captain Chris Newman is by far the most experienced Tiger, with Daniel Jackson, Shane Tuck and Kelvin Moore the next-most-experienced group.
Much has been made in recent weeks of Cousins' valuable contribution to the younger group, but while he is a formidable presence on match days his leadership and teaching skills have been exaggerated.
He does not discriminate when helping his young teammates - 21-year-old Andrew Collins has benefited from his advice - but as president Gary March pointed out three days ago on 3AW, all young Richmond players. when interviewed, have been asked about Cousins and all have spoken highly of him.
With the possible exception of Jason Akermanis, when was the last time you heard a footballer speak less than positively about a teammate?
This team has a long way to go but it is on a mission and the impression was that the now well-serviced football department was happy to tolerate Cousins - who is popular - and his baggage without being prepared to cover for his issues as they did last year.
Richmond is unrecognisable from the insecure, indecisive and under-resourced unit that took a brave punt on Cousins in December 2008. And Cousins himself, despite his off-field issues over the past year, seems a more balanced, calm, recovering individual. His comeback has been a very good story for which the Tigers deserve much credit.
But Richmond must act upon what is best for the club and not the individual. The Tigers have no obligation to help administer Cousins' recovery by retaining him.
Cousins in 2010 has opened up - for him - to the media for the first time and will soon release his reportedly worthy documentary that is no advertisement for drug addiction. As hard as he is working to back himself for another year of football, perhaps he should back himself to break the football cycle and attempt to live a life more ordinary.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/richmond-should-not-resign-cousins-20100810-11y5d.html
