BEN COUSINS [merged]

[one-eyed]

Cousins off the hook
Updated: 19:50, Saturday November 10, 2007

As more details of Ben Cousins' emergency hospitalisation for a suspected drug overdose in Los Angeles are revealed, it appears unlikely he will be prosecuted by American authorities.

Police who attended the emergency call to Cousins' residence in Los Angeles said they were primarily concerned with seeing that he made it into the ambulance, and to hospital, safely.

According to a record of the emergency call, police officers stayed just 14 minutes at the scene, and did not record seeing any drugs.

However, Cousins' chances of resurrecting his football career appear over, with no AFL club prepared to offer him a lifeline.

The sacked West Coast Eagles star is now reportedly back home in Perth, where coach John Worsfold is doing his best to save the name of the struggling AFL club.

http://www2.skynews.com.au/news/article.aspx?id=199826

[one-eyed]

Binge sinks Ben Cousins' hopes
Jon Ralph | November 10, 2007 04:00pm | West Australian

THE AFL hearing into Ben Cousins' disrepute charge will go ahead, as AFL clubs say his latest controversy destroyed any chance of them recruiting him.

Some clubs had been circling the Brownlow medallist and premiership player. Now clubs say they are likely to be scared off by his latest relapse.

"There's just so much unknown about the situation. You don't know what's true, what's not true,'' one official from a Melbourne club said.

"If you go on the speculation, then you just couldn't possibly go down that path.

"You can't afford to do it - it's as simple as that. Everyone would want him on their list, but it's about political correctness.

"Football clubs have to be seen to be doing the right thing for supporters, and sponsors and everyone. It's big business.''

Another highly placed official said clubs had been holding off on ruling Cousins out of draft calculations before this week's development.

"What's the full story? We just don't know. My personal opinion is that it's just too big a risk. He has to get himself right as a person,'' the official said.

"I don't know if they could sell it to the sponsors. There's been a backlash in Perth with some of their sponsors, and they have sponsors lining up. Sponsors just won't be associated with that sort of stuff"

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22736234-5011880,00.html

[one-eyed]

All charges against Cousins have been dropped on a technicality. Apparently the police officer who was asking for the blood test that Cousins refused wasn't allowed to perform it because he didn't witness Cousins being pulled over.

Source: SEN

[blx]

wasnt he sitting in the back seat of the car which is why he refused the test???

[{X}]

wasnt he sitting in the back seat of the car which is why he refused the test???

yep

the police totally screwed up this case

and the afl and wce should be sued for the way they handled it

ben was never driving thus his rights were violated .

only if ben was associated with killers and cop shooters like didak then all would be ok

or ben should have just been involved in fraudulent price fixing behaviour and all would be ok

ben is being used as a scapegoat , sure he needs help, but the afl and wce have continually said than ben is not well, if this is so, i thought it was against the law in australia to sack someone cos they are sick

[Francois Jackson]

ARE YOU KIDDING XXX

was he not driving. man that is screwed i hope he sues the afl and the police thats crap. they have tarnished his name for what.

give the guy a break for christs sake

[{X}]

ARE YOU KIDDING XXX

was he not driving. man that is screwed i hope he sues the afl and the police thats crap. they have tarnished his name for what.

give the guy a break for christs sake

nope ben was not driving

it was his car, but he was in the back seat and a female was driving, thats why he would not give or take the tests.

i hate pigs

[mightytiges]

Very hard to believe it was just a random pull-over by the cops though even given they stuffed it up. 

[Mr Magic]

This technicality changes nothing IMO.

Doesn't hide the fact that he was most likely doing the wrong thing hence his refusal of the blood test.

We know for fact he is using again..

Benny's luck will soon run out.

[one-eyed]

Cousins' team ready to fight
Caroline Wilson | November 14, 2007

ALTHOUGH his mental state remains unpredictable, Ben Cousins will fight to return to football next season in the belief that a one-year suspension by the AFL effectively would end his career, given his age and condition. The Age believes Cousins wants to keep his options open.
 
The prevailing view was that Cousins should face both the commission and the media, admit to his addiction and plead for another chance to rehabilitate himself. With only three weeks between the hearing and Cousins' last chance to nominate for the pre-season draft, his career is in the balance.

The AFL has given Cousins a rap sheet with 11 offences, including his refusal to submit to a drug test by police. It also includes the allegation he was taped talking to underworld connections and the fact that he ran away from a police breath-tester last year.

Cousins looks certain to claim he had not taken illegal drugs between March and October this year should he face the commission. He has claimed he was taking legal drugs for depression and attention deficit disorder, with the ADD medication allegedly commonly prescribed to recovering addicts. While the AFL charged Cousins before his alleged five-day cocaine bender in the US, he could claim his cocaine use was exaggerated and that his hospitalisation came as a result of an emotional breakdown.

Full article at: http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/cousins-team-ready-to-fight/2007/11/13/1194766675876.html

[one-eyed]

Caro also says the AFL inquiry will interview Mitch Morton as a former Eagle.

[julzqld]

This technicality changes nothing IMO.

Doesn't hide the fact that he was most likely doing the wrong thing hence his refusal of the blood test.

We know for fact he is using again..

Benny's luck will soon run out.

Yes that's right.  If Ben was so innocent, he would have had nothing to lose giving a blood test.  I don't drink but I don't refuse a breathaliser.

[wayne]

Yes that's right.  If Ben was so innocent, he would have had nothing to lose giving a blood test.  I don't drink but I don't refuse a breathaliser.

I don't like needles and giving blood when it's for a doctor, there'd be no way i'd give blood to police if I didn't have to.

[mightytiges]

SEN saying Cousins will turn up in person to face the AFL commission.

[Francois Jackson]

with u i hate pigs.

why does he have to do anything if he was sitting in the back seat. stuff em.

imagine if they started doing that all us out there. "sorry guys im breath testing all of you in this car"

wankers