Play on, Ben Cousins James Hird
Herald Sun
August 12, 2010 8:12PM RICHMOND should re-sign Ben Cousins now for 2011. Cousins' documentary will be confronting, sensational and a must-watch. It is reality TV at its purest.
But the program, and its inevitable fallout, won't - and shouldn't - influence the Tigers' decision on whether to keep Cousins for one more year.His ability to instil 250-plus games of football, and life experience on a young list should sway Tigers coach Damien Hardwick - and outweigh the argument that Cousins is taking the spot of a younger player.
Richmond has several players likely to be cut at the end of the season without worrying about Cousins clogging the list.
And Cousins provides much-needed silk in a midfield that has some stars in the making in Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin, but which can look very blue-collar.
The Tigers' strength is inside players - they also seem well served for key-position players and rucks for the next decade - but they need outside runners, and Cousins definitely fits that bill.
The question for Hardwick is whether having Cousins around for one more year can help develop his young players, or does he make the call that the players have learnt all they can from him and get games into a young player, possibly at the expense of results on the field.
Richmond is one of the youngest teams in the competition and on Saturday will play its 10th first-year player for the season.
Having Cousins this year has not stopped Hardwick getting games into his kids, and there's no reason next year would be any different.
Ben is a leader of men.I do not know Ben at all and have only had minimal contact with him.
But it is obvious that people follow him. At Richmond he has proven to be a positive leader, in contrast to his last few years at the Eagles.
I see two obvious positives that Cousins has brought to Richmond.
Firstly, he makes the young players at Tigerland walk taller. On the ground he is often seen putting an arm around a young player or giving them encouragement.
There was a telling moment in the Tigers' win against Adelaide two weeks ago when first-year midfielder Martin took a breather on the bench after kicking a crucial goal late in the game.
As he walked the boundary line he was joined by Cousins, who talked constantly and motioned with his arms - passing on years of experience that money can't buy.
Every time a Richmond player is asked about Cousins, they talk in glowing terms about how willing he is to pass on that knowledge.
Of course they will always talk positively about a teammate, but these don't seem like throwaway lines to me.
And the evidence on the field backs this up. Cousins' possession numbers may be down on his days at West Coast - although they have been more than handy over the past month - but what doesn't register on the stat sheet is how many times he provides a block at a stoppage to clear a path for Martin and Co.
In football not many people know when to give another man a cuddle.
These touches, impromptu talks and gee-ups are great for players' confidence. Cousins is not the only reason the Tigers are playing with great confidence, but he is a small and vital part.
The other positive is his training intensity.
He is the best track trainer I have seen. When I was playing I made a conscious effort to get around to other clubs and watch them train.
I had my favourites.
North Melbourne was always intense. Under Denis Pagan it trained hard and watching Wayne Carey train when he was fit was almost as good as watching him play. He attacked contests and the ball like he was playing at the MCG on Grand Final day.
Similarly, Nathan Buckley was a freak on the track. He trained at 100 per cent and would berate himself if he missed a target. He was a great kick in games, and you could understand why after watching him train.
Robert Harvey would run himself into the ground, as would Shane Crawford. And it was before a pre-season game in Darwin that I saw Cousins train the house down and show me why he was such a gun.
It was 1999 or 2000 and Essendon was playing West Coast in an Ansett Cup game. The temperature must have been 30C and humidity 95 per cent but Cousins just did everything at 100 per cent.
He was so much better than everyone else on the track that it was like watching one senior player among the reserves.
On current form he is clearly in the club's best 22 players. His apparent enthusiasm for teaching younger teammates and his ability to help the Tigers win games will build confidence vital to a young developing team.
I have interviewed Hardwick twice this year and twice I have been struck by the level of respect he has for Cousins.
Cousins may have hurt many people, including himself, through his addiction, but what he has done at Richmond in the past two years is earned back a lot of respect.
Cousins' video will cause a stir and create some anti-Ben Cousins media.
After it screens some will say he cannot be good for a club. I do not agree with this.
For me, the Tigers' decision comes down to four things:
CAN he still help us win games?
IS HE stopping or helping in the development of our team?
CAN he fit within the systems, structures and values of the the club?
DOES he want to play?
Based on current form, the answer to the first question is a clear yes, and while only the club knows for sure about questions two and three, from what I've seen he appears to tick those boxes as well.
He may have to accept some games at Coburg, but if Ben wants to play on, the Tigers would be shooting themselves in the foot if they deny him one more season.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/play-on-ben-cousins/story-e6frf9ox-1225904625013
