Traps for Ben Cousins' comeback bid
Jay Clark | February 22, 2009
TWO men who have been through comebacks have warned Ben Cousins his return to AFL football on Thursday "won't be easy".
Essendon's Adam Ramanauskas and Tim Watson suggested the reborn Tiger would face a challenging start adapting to a game that will have changed significantly in his season on the sidelines.
While Cousins has impressed in the pre-season, Watson said the Tiger's biggest test would come later in the season when his body fatigued and finals beckoned.
Watson, who, at 32, was two years older than Cousins when he came out of retirement in 1993, suggested the former Eagle might need to be rested at various stages through the season.
"I know that in 1993, by the end of the year, I was absolutely stuffed," Watson said.
"The longer that season went, the harder it was.
"Richmond will understand that, but people outside the club may not.
"So the challenge is how well you can back it up week after week, because it was not easy getting up for each game."
Cousins will emerge from a year in the football wilderness to make his anticipated Richmond debut against Collingwood in the NAB Cup quarter-final at Telstra Dome on Thursday night.
Sacked by West Coast and deregistered by the AFL, the recovering drug addict has been treated to a hero's welcome at Tigerland.
But, beneath the trademark Cousins confidence and cheeky grin, Watson said personal experience had taught him there could be some swirling uncertainty.
Watson, who retired in 1991 after 15 seasons but was cajoled into playing again in '93 and '94, said: "I did feel like I was starting all over again.
"There wasn't the nervousness of playing your first game, like being a wide-eyed youngster.
"But there was some self-doubt about coming back."
Ramanauskas experienced similar feelings about his return from two years out between 2005 and '07.
As the much-loved Bombers' figure overcame cancer - twice - and a full knee reconstruction, the game changed significantly.
So much so Ramanauskas thought many times the AFL mountain was too steep to climb on his second time up, as he struggled to adjust.
"There were lots of times coming back when I honestly wasn't sure where I was going as a player because I just couldn't grasp my position or role in the team," Ramanauskas said.
"Especially rotations - they had come in in a big way and I found that difficult because there were times when I couldn't get into the game.
"I was used to the days when you would just go out there and play a whole game.
"And the speed is the obvious one as well; the game was much faster.
"But no doubt there was a big tactical shift, too.
"Teams were hanging on to the ball differently, zoning had come into it and the skills I found had really improved.
"The game had gone to a new level."
But Ramanauskas, a 2000 premiership midfielder who retired last season after 134 games, was adamant Cousins's supreme fitness conditioning would hold him in good stead.
"He's still been able to train in the meantime, so his body is very sound - we've all seen how fit he is - and Ben Cousins is a true champion," he said.
Cousins was plagued by hamstring problems in his final season at West Coast in 2007, including badly tearing a hamstring muscle in the 2007 qualifying final against Port Adelaide.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25087490-19742,00.html
