BEN COUSINS [merged]

[one-eyed]

Ben Cousins comfortable in his new home at Richmond
By Glenn McFarlane | June 14, 2009

On a night in which the latest West Coast No. 9 made his much-hyped AFL debut, the man who made the number famous gave a stunning reminder of what he still has left in the petrol tank.

Ben Cousins, who won a Brownlow and a premiership medal in the number during his days with West Coast, was one of the architects of Richmond's third win of 2009, the first under new coach Jade Rawlings.

While Nic Naitanui, sporting Cousins's old jumper, played his first game for the Eagles, and another teenager in Tyrone Vickery debuted for the Tigers, it was the oldest man on the field who seemed to have everyone talking.

Cousins had a season-high 28 touches for the Tigers in his first match against his former team, including 10 in the first term and another eight in the critical last half hour.

He may not have won best afield honours - that could have been raffled among the likes of Richard Tambling and Mitch Morton - but he was, at stages, the most influential player on the field.

His former teammate and coach John Worsfold opted to use a tight tag on him, with Scott Selwood trying to curb his effectiveness, but it was to little avail.

The 30-year-old provided the example for his young Tiger teammates with some of his trademark gut-running and with some work off the ball that may have gone unnoticed by some, but not by Rawlings.

Daniel Jackson, who restricted Cousins's old mate Daniel Kerr, said the former Eagle's impact on and off the field had been profound so far this year, not only last night.

"Ben has been phenomenal on the field, but it is what he has brought to us off it that has made the biggest difference," Jackson said.

"He doesn't speak for the sake of speaking, but when he says something, everybody tunes in.

"He had a chat to our midfield group on Friday morning and he just spoke about the things that are important to him in footy.

"That is, helping your teammate out whenever you can.

"He just epitomises team first, which is one of the things he has brought to us.

"You would think that it would be us blocking for him because he is the champion player, but he is the first to be in there, trying to block for us.

"He said if we can get that right, then we are going places."

Jackson said there was little doubt in his mind that the Cousins could play on again next year, given his form from his six games with the Tigers so far.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25633450-23211,00.html

[Ox]

should be an automatic selction in the leadership group next year.
whats more important, he has embraced the club

lmao

we joked he should be captain/coach.

[Jackstar is back]

should be an automatic selction in the leadership group next year.
whats more important, he has embraced the club

lmao

we joked he should be captain/coach.

well if you go and watch the game, he is extremely important to the younger players at stoppages,
Get a life brackets

[Ox]

u idiot!

I'm serious.

[Mr Magic]

Hope he holds together for a while yet.

[WilliamPowell]

Sign him now Tigers 

Agree Jack, he has certainly embraced the club. And gives the young guys so much more footy knowledge wise (R Walls pay attenion you knob)

We was fantastic last night

[cub]

Got a seat on the wing behind the bench after the nazi's left at 1/2 time.
In the last qtr at the changes the look on Cousins face was one of pure excitement, it just spoke volumes of how much the bloke loves his footy and moreso of being at Richmond and helping this team out. It was a delight to see.
The man was truly pumped 

[Infamy]

The thing I do wonder though is if we should trade Ben. We could possibly get a late first rounder from one of the contenders for next year, or at worst a 2nd rounder. He'd be able to play at a successful team and we'd get the pick we need to get more talent to the club.

He's shown he clearly has a few more years left in him, we took the risk and can now reap the benefits, either in his leadership and teaching capacity, or as trade bait.

I must admit, it's not an idea I'm completely comfortable with, but possibly a necessary one if we need to be honest about it.

[Judge Roughneck]

Robert Walls = twit

[Chuck17]

The thing I do wonder though is if we should trade Ben. We could possibly get a late first rounder from one of the contenders for next year, or at worst a 2nd rounder. He'd be able to play at a successful team and we'd get the pick we need to get more talent to the club.

He's shown he clearly has a few more years left in him, we took the risk and can now reap the benefits, either in his leadership and teaching capacity, or as trade bait.

I must admit, it's not an idea I'm completely comfortable with, but possibly a necessary one if we need to be honest about it.

Interesting dilemna, from the pure excitement he provides with his skill and gut running it would be great to see him running around in the Y&B for as long as possible.

Then again we are not likely to be serious final contenders next year or probably the year after that, if the option was there for a late first rounder and with the compromised draft coming up I would probably jump at that deal.

[FooffooValve]

It's no coincidence that players like Jackson and Tambling are much improved players with Cousins around the joint. I don't think they knew what preparation and commitment meant before he turned up.

[one-eyed]

Were we too quick to judge Cousins?
Tim Clarke | June 15, 2009

Maybe the doomsayers were wrong about Ben Cousins - and perhaps many of us were wrong about Daniel Kerr, too.

In the biggest on-field emotional test of his AFL comeback so far, Cousins showed the first real illustration that he could be on the way back to somewhere close to his best against the Eagles.

Early in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line for his new coach Jade Rawlings, Cousins produced a burst of the gut-running that so often got West Coast over the line.

It was a burst many thought was beyond Cousins, not because of the off-field dramas, but because players post 30 with dodgy hamstrings are not supposed to be able to come back after two years out of the game and do that.

By contrast, Kerr fell foul of another heavy tag, this time from the Tigers' much improved Daniel Jackson, and his only real impact on the latter stages was on his mate Cousins which cost the Eagles a 50m penalty.

While Kerr is no doubt copping the brunt of some unfair off-the-ball treatment which is increasingly frustrating player and club, he is also not having the impact his more junior teammates need from him.

Ironically it was Jackson, after restricting Kerr to 18 touches, who talked most glowingly of how Cousins' was impacting on his new team's young group as Kerr is struggling to do.

"Ben has been phenomenal on the field, but it is what he has brought to us off it that has made the biggest difference," Jackson said.

"He doesn't speak for the sake of speaking, but when he says something, everybody tunes in."

No doubt the hordes will continue to tune in to Cousins' comeback, on and off-field.

After seeing what their former midfield leader can do, Eagles fans will be more interested in how Kerr handles the second half of the season, and will desperately hope it is better than the first half against Richmond, which yielded just three touches.

http://blogs.watoday.com.au/lineandlength/2009/06/were_we_too_qui.html

[one-eyed]

Hopefully our cubs are getting this education through the week and every week from Cuz 

Scott Selwood, 19, said his clash with Cousins was the hardest of his fledgling career. He gave a revealing insight into the champion midfielder’s relentless stoppage play, saying the former Eagles captain’s reading of former teammate Dean Cox’s ruckwork was astounding.
   
“Just how he plays around stoppages was a good learning curve and I think I can only go one way from here,” Selwood said.
   
“If he’s not going to get the ball, he still tries to help out in some way and that’s probably one thing I learnt most. Sometimes, if it’s me or another younger guy, maybe sometimes we can get caught having a rest at a stoppage whereas he really taught me something different.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=4&ContentID=148083

[Stripes]

I'm bloody impressed by Cousins midfield leadership.  He should definately be retained next year if just to continue to educate our young players.

[Con65]

Infamy - I wouldnt trade him.

Cuz's value is immeasurable to the young brigade coming through.  His leadership on field is immense.

I watched him in the bulldogs game the previous week shouting out instructions etc to his young team mates...encouraging them...His leadership alone on field should get him another contract for next year.