BEN COUSINS [merged]

[Fishfinger]

"A man's character isn't measured by whether or not he fails but in how he responds to it," Ablett told the Herald Sun .

"As human beings, it's through the valleys of life that we grow - not the mountain tops.

Wax on. Wax off.

[one-eyed]

Ben Cousins father Bryan stunned by fan support
Staff writers | February 27, 2009

BEN Cousins' father last night said he had been stunned by the level of support for his son in his fight back to big-time football.

Bryan Cousins said his son's battle with addiction had struck a chord with many, including the Tuck-Ablett clan.

"I appreciate there's a lot of people who are critical of him and think he shouldn't have been given another chance," Cousins Sr said on 3AW.

"But the support that he has received . . . has surprised me. People just think . . . this person does deserve another chance.

"I know it's not his second chance -- I haven't counted how many chances he's had -- but this is without doubt the most significant opportunity he's been given."

Bryan Cousins and wife Stephanie stayed in Perth last night.

"The match is a big moment, and it's an insignificant moment in the context of him getting back to his profession," Cousins Sr said.

"Obviously it's fantastic for the supporters to see him get back.

"But it's insignificant in the instance that he is on a recovery program and each day in itself is another step forward.

"He's going very well and footy has played a very big part of it."

Cousins Sr said the discipline of AFL football -- and the game's drug-testing regime -- had been crucial.

As had the move east. While Perth was home to family and friends, it was also home to "the high risks for him".

"We're just taking it day by day, week by week, but things are going very well at the moment," said Cousins Sr, a star with Geelong in the 1970s.

One letter of support was sent by members of the Tuck and Ablett families (Hawthorn great Michael Tuck's wife Fay is an Ablett).

"It was signed by about eight Tucks and about seven Abletts," Cousins Sr said.

"I've had that many letters and contacts from people I've never heard of, in support, and so many people in those letters have said, 'I've had a family member going through this issue, and hang in there'."

Cousins Sr said his Brownlow medallist son would undoubtedly suffer setbacks during the year, but that he hoped he could overcome any hurdles.

"I don't have any doubt over his hunger for the game, and to get back and achieve," he said.

Cousins Sr urged parents to act if they had suspicions that one of their children was using drugs.

"Always trust your instincts, because I had suspicions of Ben's problems (but) I didn't follow through with my parental instincts," he said.

"Drug addiction is a totally illogical disease, or problem.

"Addicts act irrationally and often some of the things you do as a parent which you think are right, are actually counterproductive to their issues and their recovery."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,23599,25112456-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

Missing Cousins
Leaping Larry | February 28, 2009

IT SEEMS to me the media is doing a pretty poor job of informing us about Ben Cousins.

Only a couple of newspaper front pages this week — one story about how he, as a footballer, was going to play a game of football, and the other the next day, about him having played in a game of football.

Both riveting exposes in themselves, but this was hardly enough. Whether print, radio or television, there are endless opportunities for improving otherwise run-of-the-mill material by featuring Ben Cousins, if only a little imagination is used. For example, we've all heard plenty about the worldwide economic collapse.

But how has it affected Ben Cousins, would it have been worse without Ben Cousins' return to football, and how can Ben Cousins be used to return the world to financial stability?

The Academy Awards — how would Ben Cousins have fared as host? You could run a poll, ask people in the street, and then interview Bert Newton. Where did Ben Cousins stand on the award for best sound mixing? If the media was doing its job, we'd already know the answer to that hot potato question.

Greenhouse gas emissions is another one. Does Ben Cousins have a greenhouse? Does he have gas? If so, how are his emissions going? The public has a thirst for knowledge that must be slaked. At this delicately balanced juncture in history of the world and Ben Cousins, this is no time to be burying our heads in the sand while time flies, when we could be making hay while the sun shines. A Benny saved is a Benny earned, and the opportunities are endless.

The reduction of Queensland's credit status — would Ben Cousins lend them $50 until payday? The Taliban — is Ben Cousins for, against, or does he think it's some brand of male toiletries? Tiger Woods' comeback from a long lay-off — what advice does Ben have for him, or will he just pass the question on to Gary Ablett snr? Approached carefully, the world's news could offer a Ben Cousins revelation per day, and a couple on weekends, when the papers are bigger. What is Ben Cousins' position on lowland gorillas, innovative ideas with salad greens, and the guy out of the Black Keys' solo album? The world needs to know.


Colourful protest
I HAVE to take issue with Ben Cousins for his very poor form during the pre-season game against Collingwood. If he wanted to express his opinion on the AFL's approach to the rules of the game, he could have certainly contacted them via a polite, but forcefully phrased letter. Throwing up hugely on the ground the other night was neither the appropriate method of protest, nor the appropriate forum. Where would we be if we all threw up every time the AFL meaninglessly and uselessly piddled about with the rules? Well, I can't say exactly where we'd be, now that I come to think about it. But it would be an extremely uncomfortable situation, the cleaning bill would be astronomical, and you probably couldn't attend the football without wearing a snorkel.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/missing-cousins/2009/02/27/1235237923540.html

[Chuck17]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=763501
Ben Cousins forgot he was a drug addict after being concussed in his long-awaited comeback match in the AFL.

Cousins, who returned to the field with Richmond in the NAB Cup last Thursday, received a heavy knock to the head late in the match.

Though the Tigers confirmed the next morning he'd spent the night in hospital, it was only today that the full extent of the injury scare was revealed.

"It was like a delayed concussion," Cousins said on Melbourne radio station Nova 100.

"I was re-living or I was brought attention to things that happened 18 months ago. "

"I had a couple of crazy calls, a lady was telling me you've spent 12 months out of the game, you're a drug addict and I said, what do you mean I'm a drug addict?"

[mightytiges]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=763501
Ben Cousins forgot he was a drug addict after being concussed in his long-awaited comeback match in the AFL.

Cousins, who returned to the field with Richmond in the NAB Cup last Thursday, received a heavy knock to the head late in the match.

Though the Tigers confirmed the next morning he'd spent the night in hospital, it was only today that the full extent of the injury scare was revealed.

"It was like a delayed concussion," Cousins said on Melbourne radio station Nova 100.

"I was re-living or I was brought attention to things that happened 18 months ago. "

"I had a couple of crazy calls, a lady was telling me you've spent 12 months out of the game, you're a drug addict and I said, what do you mean I'm a drug addict?"

That's bizarre!

Oh well at least he couldn't remember his first experience of playing for Richmond with the number of turnovers and stuff-ups we made lol.

[one-eyed]

Did Ben Cousins call Maylea Tinecheff after forgetting addiction?
Staff writers | March 06, 2009 12:00am

READ here to discover who footy star Ben Cousins is believed to have called to check whether he really was a drug addict.

Could this be the mystery woman (see right)?

Perth-based Maylea Tinecheff, 37, is Cousins' girlfriend and will soon arrive in Melbourne to be by the troubled Tiger's side.

The mother of two said her buffed-up bloke was "brilliant" and needed to play Aussie rules to get through his drug rehabilitation.

"He is a champion footballer and playing the game is what he does best," Tinecheff said. "That is the easy part for Ben."

She described herself as a "normal cruisey girl" and had shied away from the limelight surrounding the famous footballer.

Cousins told Nova FM on Wednesday he forgot he was a drug addict after he received a heavy knock to the head during his comeback match against Collingwood.

He said a Perth girl had to remind him of his past.

"I got on the phone and rang a girl back in Perth, I said, real serious, 'Am I a drug addict'?" Cousins said on air. "I was devastated."

Tinecheff, a former private Catholic school girl, is a naturopath. She has known Cousins for 15 years, but they have only started dating in recent months.

Tinecheff described herself as having conservative political views and Christian beliefs on her Facebook page.

She is believed to have been Cousins' pillar of strength during his struggles to overcome drug addiction and return to playing footy.

"He is brilliant," the Perth WAG said. "He gets through because that's what he does."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25144706-5012974,00.html

[Moi]

Has there been a day gone by that there's been no story on Ben this summer?
Pathetic 

[one-eyed]

Slow news day again...

Cousins' romance revealed
9th March 2009, 6:00 WST
 
The new love in Ben Cousins' life is expected to move to Melbourne shortly to be by her man's side.

Eastern States media reported over the weekend that Perth naturopath Maylea Tinecheff was the recovering drug addict and former West Coast Eagle's new partner.

The 37-year-old mother of two said: "He (Ben) is a champion footballer and playing the game is what he does best.

"That is the easy part for Ben," she said.

Ms Tinecheff told News Limited she was a "normal cruisey girl" and had shied away from the limelight surrounding the famous footballer.

She has reportedly known Cousins for 15 years, but they had started dating recently.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=128891

[one-eyed]

Jonathan Brown on Cousins....

The Lions play Richmond in a trial at Carrara on Friday night, when they will get a sighting of the Tigers' controversial new signing, Ben Cousins.

Brown expects Cousins to be a major force again but concedes it would be asking a lot for him to match the form of his golden years.

"He has been a great player and I am sure he will be able to pick up where he left off," Brown said. "It is a challenge for the opposition. It is another gun midfielder we have to contend with.

"I am glad to see him back. I reckon it's good for the game.

 "There is no doubt age would catch up with any 30-year-old. But he has had 12 months out of the game and has been able to freshen his body up."

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25168510-10389,00.html

[one-eyed]

Caro in the Age today about the RFC and Nixon...

The Richmond Football Club and Nixon have engaged in some tense conversations since Cousins became a Tiger, not least when Cousins was photographed at St Kilda's Riva nightclub. When the Richmond hierarchy told Nixon the establishment was not one that should be frequented by a recovering drug addict, Nixon confessed he had escorted him there.

And yet Nixon's honesty regarding Cousins' condition probably helped the player's cause at Tigerland. No one had been more shattered than Nixon when Cousins arrived in Melbourne for a drug test last October having rid his entire body of the hair required.

He will hate reading this again, but the prevailing view is that Nixon did Cousins no favours when the AFL lifted its suspension on the player but imposed tough conditions and a story was leaked to the media claiming Cousins was considering abandoning his comeback. St Kilda, considering recruiting the player at the time, believed the story was leaked by Nixon and became increasingly lukewarm on the Cousins deal.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/nixon-in-strife/2009/03/12/1236447397682.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[Infamy]

Since when was Riva a nightclub?
It's a restaurant and bar

[Chuck17]

Since when was Riva a nightclub?
It's a restaurant and bar

Cant let the facts get in the way of a good story

[one-eyed]

Positive Cousins great for Demons: Jarman
West Australian | 15th March 2009, 12:15 WST

New Perth coach Andrew Jarman has revealed that the positive influence of Ben Cousins still permeates through the WAFL club months after the recovering drug addict began his bid to return to football at EFTel Oval.
 
Cousins spent August and September last year training with the Demons, for whom his father Bryan played in the 70s and 80s, sparking a media and fan frenzy not seen at the Lathlain ground since the WAFL was relegated to its position as a second-tier competition under the AFL.
 
Cousins also trained with his old club East Fremantle, choosing to remain in WA despite registering with the Gary Ayers-coached VFL side Port Melbourne.
 
Jarman, who signed a two-year deal with the Demons in October, was coaching North Adelaide in the SANFL when Cousins trained under former Perth boss Simon Eastaugh, but can tell that the 2005 Brownlow Medallist had an impact on the younger players at the club.
 
“Just talking to some of the players, they loved it,” Jarman said.
 
“They said he was outstanding the way he gave his time to these younger players. The way he spoke to them about their work ethic, they’ve got to work harder and train harder. He was a real professional and just a classy individual.”
 
Cousins’ words of wisdom resonated with Perth’s colts side, which went on to make the 2008 grand final before falling at the final hurdle to a star-studded Swan Districts side in atrocious conditions at Subiaco Oval.
 
Jarman believes that had the former West Coast Eagles captain not been selected by Richmond for the 2009 AFL season, he may have been carving out a new name for himself on his old man’s former stomping ground.
 
“We’re rapt that he got picked up by an AFL club, but if he didn’t he’d probably be wearing the number seven here at Perth,” Jarman said.
 
Cousins and Perth will kick off their 2009 seasons over the next fortnight. Cousins’ Tigers tackle Carlton in the AFL season opener on March 26 before Perth open their WAFL campaign with a round two fixture against Peel Thunder at Rushton Park on March 28.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=4&ContentID=130108

[mightytiges]

“They said he was outstanding the way he gave his time to these younger players. The way he spoke to them about their work ethic, they’ve got to work harder and train harder. He was a real professional and just a classy individual.”

Even if this was all that Cuz left as a legacy at Richmond as well it would be still be a win-win to have drafted him. Anything he does on the field which helps us win games should be seen as a bonus.

[one-eyed]

Another Cousins off-field story.....

Mum-of-two moves in with Cousins
March 16, 2009

CONTROVERSIAL Tiger recruit Ben Cousins has been joined in Melbourne by his girlfriend, Maylea Tinecheff.

Neighbours in the quiet bayside suburb that the former Perth party boy calls home noticed removal trucks pulling up outside his rental last week, with various items including whitegoods and children's toys being off-loaded.

Tinecheff, who has two children from a previous relationship, has been busy turning the house into a comfortable family home since her arrival from Perth last week.

She has settled quickly into the area and, according to a local, did not care who saw her when she wandered out of the house, barefoot, in a fetching baby blue spotted dressing gown to shift Cousins' car one morning late last week.

Tinecheff, a naturopath, has known Cousins for 15 years, but they have only started dating in recent months.

She describes herself as a "normal cruisy girl".

Tinecheff, 37, is believed to have been the wayward sportsman's pillar of strength during his struggles to overcome drug addiction.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25190236-5012974,00.html