Ben Cousins: an enigma until the endBy Gerard WhateleyIt was a triumph insofar as Ben Cousins left football on his terms with the goodwill of the community largely at his back. For sustained periods that notion seemed beyond improbable to the point of downright fanciful.
It was said by way of preview by Greg Baum in The Age that Cousins was the man who "had it all and threw it away, but in the end got enough of it back to be able to announce his retirement with dignity." That is precisely how the event panned out.
Cousins spoke candidly, emotionally and likeably in announcing his career would end at completion of the 2010 regular season in a fortnight.
He spoke of football residing in the marrow of his being. Of the contradiction his drug addiction was to his core desire to achieve team success.
He revealed the restoration of self worth and credibility the lifeline at Richmond had afforded him.
He faltered only when speaking of his father. His biggest influence and best mate. The person who will likely be revealed to have saved Ben's life.
Until recently Cousins was criticised for failing to share his story. He sought a lot from football but carried himself with a perceived arrogance that he owed nothing in return.
Hindsight will dictate he didn't tell of his circumstance and battle largely because he couldn't. Perhaps he didn't understand them himself and he certainly wasn't in control of them.
That wasn't the Ben Cousins of today.
He shared all he could and sought to excuse himself from nothing. It was an encapsulation of how far he's come.
Cousins left his first club West Coast in disgrace. After initially being suspended for his off-field excesses he made a fraudulent heroes return. He hadn't dealt with his addiction but assumed his place back in the game with a sense of entitlement.
That ended inevitably and sadly. The AFL stepped in and did what had to be done. Having never caught Cousins under its drug code, the League deregistered him for 12 months.
Revisionist history is in full swing as to how Cousins came to Richmond after every other club had knocked his services back. It was no sweeping act of humanitarianism. A coach trying to save his bacon by making the finals saw some worth in a Brownlow Medallist.
It didn't save Terry Wallace. What ensued though might've saved Ben Cousins.
It's reasonable to assume club and player got much more than they banked on. The relationship stands as a remarkable success far beyond the 32 matches Cousins will finally be credited with having played for the Tigers.
He gave his version of the essence of football as it occurred to him: "The things I'll miss most about playing at the club is game day. Rocking up in anticipation of the contest, running out that race and walking taller because of the blokes standing next to me."
There'll be no pretending to know Cousins's state of mind or the extent of his experiences with drugs. But ultimately there is a level of understanding to be taken from his story.
And yet there are pieces that remain utterly gob smacking. His place on the media landscape as a subject of fascination was evidenced in the coverage his retirement press conference commanded.
Six television stations broke from regular programming to carry his retirement press conference live.
Channel Seven interrupted The Morning Show. Kerri-Anne gave way on Channel Nine. ABC News 24, Fox Sports News, Sky News and One HD broadcast the entirety of the 20-minute session from Punt Road.
In addition Melbourne radio stations 774 ABC, 3AW, MTR, SEN and Triple M took the announcement live.
There is no sporting precedent for such blanket coverage. No moment in this election campaign has been afforded such precedence. Like much in the Cousins saga I doubt that's healthy.
Cousins will remain an enigma. He has the CV of a Hall of Fame footballer, the wrap sheet of man who threatened permanent damage to himself and the game he professed to love, all combined with the modern celebrity of a rebel idol.
But there was comfort at the end. The embrace for Cousins in his final game will be warm and genuine. Hopefully it will prove sustaining.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/17/2985693.htm?site=thedrum
