Cousins media conference today @ 11.45am

[one-eyed]

The full 21 minutes is up on the AFL site

http://bigpondvideo.com/AFL/96562

[Stripes]

The full 21 minutes is up on the AFL site

http://bigpondvideo.com/AFL/96562

Thanks one-eyed tiger. A great view. He is a great speaker and a natural leader. Seemed very honest and genuine. I think we picked up a sensatinal player here for practically nothing. With all the positive media, public support and increased membership/merchanise sales plus sposorship interest, Cousins has already more than justified his inclusion. The other clubs would be questioning there judgement now especially with most of their supporters openly regretful of missing out on him now. A bet their sponsors are also eatting humble pie especially after all the publicity Dick Smith has recieved during this period...

Well done Richmond and Cousins. Looking forward to mentioning those two names together a lot more linked with much more success.

Stripes

[tiga]

Cheers MT  Thanks for the link!

[one-eyed]

Here's all today's (Thursday) press stories quoting Cousins from yesterday...

I must repay the faith, says Ben Cousins
Sam Edmund | December 18, 2008 12:00am

BEN Cousins says he is "clean" of drugs and confident a 12-month absence from the game will not stop him recapturing his best form.

Cousins, who yesterday trained with Richmond for the first time in front of more than 1000 parochial fans at Punt Rd, said he was well placed to repay the Tigers' faith.

"I'm really proud of the time and effort I've put into my rehabilitation," Cousins said.

"I feel more confident now than I ever have that I can contribute on and off the field and lead a normal lifestyle while trying to get the best out of myself without having the use of drugs.

"I understand I'm 30 and I've had 12 months off, but in the time I've been away from the game I've put a lot of time and work into my body.

"I think I can get back to somewhere near my best. The game never stops changing, it's a cut-throat industry and I'm up against it, but I'm confident I can make a healthy contribution."

Cousins also said he:

KNEW accused underworld killer Angelo Venditti, but their association was not of a criminal nature.

HAD been coming to terms with the fact his career might be over after Collingwood, St Kilda and the Brisbane Lions all investigated, but rejected him.

WAS not a walk-up start for Round 1 and would have to earn the right to play in the senior side.

FELT uncomfortable being labelled a role model in his days at West Coast because he was leading a "double life".

REALISED he had been "shot out of the sky" in Perth and wanted to move because he could no longer fly under the radar in his home town.

"I understand that I'd probably run my race there and I'm just looking forward to moving over here, starting at a new footy club with a new bunch of guys and starting fresh," Cousins said.

The 2005 Brownlow medallist and four-time best-and-fairest winner admitted the draining process had started to take its toll in recent weeks.

"There's definitely been moments where I've really questioned whether I was going to get there," he said.

"It became a tough battle to convince football clubs to take me on. I understand that with me it's not just a football decision, there's a lot that comes with it because of the enormity of my issues throughout the last 12 months."

Cousins expressed his gratitude to the Tigers and made special mention of coach Terry Wallace, who gave him the opportunity to present his case and resurrect his career.

"I went from being what I thought in my own mind a really good prospect to probably having to deal with the harsh reality of not getting picked up, and that was probably the most testing time of the last 12 months," he said.

"Then the way I approached it was that I was going to leave no stone unturned in exploring all football options.

"I can't speak highly enough of the reception people have given me . . . I've been humbled, especially over the last 48 hours, by the response from the footy public and, in particular, the Richmond supporters."

But Cousins also moved to tone down the hysteria surrounding his return.

"Putting my rehab back into the public forum is a risk, or is a challenge. It's a big thing," he said. "It's not something most people in my position go through, but I think it's the best chance for me to lead a normal lifestyle and a clean one.

"Part of the last 12 months has been about learning about situations that I've put myself in. Throughout this whole process I'm probably still very early on in my recovery and coming to terms with the changes in my lifestyle.

"It would be nice to dust myself off and leave it in the past, but it is ongoing in what I'm required to do.

"I feel more sorry for friends and family that don't necessarily deserve to have to deal with my issue on a public level.

"Dealing with addiction for family and friends is very hard privately, but to deal with it publicly has been very stressful and painful for my family and friends at times, but I'm lucky to have a fantastic network of people who have gone a long way to me being here today."

Asked how long he'd been clean for, Cousins said: "That's not something I want to go into now. I can say that I'm clean and I'm positioned well for the next 12 months."

Cousins trained for about 40 minutes, which included light skill work and run-throughs away from the main group with Matthew Richardson.

It is understood Cousins was not drug-tested yesterday.

[one-eyed]

Drugs, crime … and a little footy
Richard Hinds | December 18, 2008

NEAR the end of a press conference during which Ben Cousins had been cross-examined about his contact with alleged underworld figures, asked when he had last taken illicit drugs and dealt with the associated issues that stemmed from his addiction, Richmond's new recruit aired a wistful thought.

"I would like to think after this week it will get back to being about football," said the former West Coast Eagles star. "Well, at least it might be something of a reasonably normal nature."

As you would expect when one of the AFL's highest-profile players returns from a 12-month ban for bringing the game into disrepute, there was nothing normal about Cousins's first appearance at Punt Road yesterday.

Nothing normal about the 2000 fans who turned up to watch a December training session. Nothing normal about the security guards hired to keep them at arms length. Nothing normal about the helicopters buzzing overhead. Nothing normal about the only normal thing at Richmond yesterday was Cousins himself.

Perhaps not during a 40-minute appearance on the track, where the famously fluid midfielder looked tentative as he kicked and huffed and puffed more than you once would have expected from such a superb athlete - understandable, given his long absence and concerns about his fragile hamstrings.

But later as he faced the media, Cousins was as self-confident and frank as ever. That was evident in the manner he dealt with questions about tape-recorded conversations mentioned in the Victoria Supreme Court linking him with accused killer Angelo Venditti. Rather than duck and weave, he acknowledged a relationship he said had been "nothing of a criminal nature".

"Through the hard times I've found myself in, people love to link me to other people who have found themselves in hard times," he said. "What doesn't get reported is a lot of relationships and associations I've had with those people have been born out of sincere friendship, a common thread that we've found ourselves in hard times.

"A lot of those cases, they've been people who've played pretty significant roles in getting [me] where I am today."

Cousins said contact with other addicts was part of his recovery.

"I am a drug addict and part of my rehabilitation, and the program I am in, is addicts helping other addicts. So it's not like I'm not going to have contact with people that have been in the situation that I have. It is quite the opposite, that is the contact I require to keep myself on a level playing field."

However, rather than attendance at self-help groups, it had been Cousins's association with know criminals that had led other AFL clubs to consider him an unacceptable risk. Perhaps that was why Cousins's manager, Ricky Nixon, who fought a tough battle to have him recruited, seemed more sensitive about the topic than his client.

After Cousins was asked about his friendship with Perth crime figure John Kizon, Nixon sprung to his feet and reprimanded a television reporter: "Have you actually got a footy question, because you are being a nob at the moment? That's pretty consistent for you, mate. Let's get onto a footy question."

The most pertinent of those was whether Cousins's could return to full fitness. "I understand I'm 30 and I've had 12 months off," he said. "But, right the way through, the time I spent away from the game, I've put a lot of work into my body. I'm confident that's it's going to be able to hold up, but I guess the rigors of AFL football, you never really know until you get back into it."

As importantly, Cousins says he is - and can stay - clean. "I'm really proud of the time and effort that I've put into my rehabilitation and I feel more confident now than I ever have that I can contribute both on and off the field and live a normal lifestyle while trying to get the best out of myself without the use of drugs," he said.

The fall-out form his addiction, said Cousins, had been a dark blessing. "Life came along, give [sic] me a slap. If it didn't happen 18 months ago or two years ago, it would have happened at some point. Other than the fact it has been really hard on the people around me, in some ways it has been the best thing because it has given me the opportunity to learn a bit about myself, learn why I am the way I am. Yeah, I think I am a better person for it."

Asked what would constitute a successful return, Cousins set no goals. "Just back to playing footy. Just leading a clean lifestyle.

"There are no guarantees in football. I could get injured like anyone else. I don't judge going forward on how many kicks I get or how many games I play. I'll train exceptionally hard, leave no stone unturned and what happens after that is left up to the gods."

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/drugs-crime-8230-and-a-little-footy/2008/12/17/1229189710135.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[one-eyed]

Tiger Cousins kicks off with a promise
Chris Johnston | December 18, 2008

BEN Cousins' extraordinary episode of public catharsis yesterday — tightly controlled, but only just — began with a promise. The recovering drug addict and new Richmond AFL player wanted to be "open and honest", pledged the club's media manager, Judith Donnelly. "Ben wants to be as frank as he possibly can."

On paper it was an announcement of the fallen star's sensational AFL comeback. But it would quickly become so much more. Cousins would take questions on footy, she said, while suggesting that he was willing to consider other issues. She didn't name them but there are two: drugs and gangsters.

The timing was exquisite. Painful, almost. It was like the beginning of another chapter in the drama his life has become.

The morning's news was all about Cousins playing footy again but also about a link, revealed in the Supreme Court, to alleged Melbourne underworld figure Angelo Venditti, who is accused of organising a contract on the life of a gangland drug dealer. Police surveillance showed Cousins and Venditti spoke between May and June this year, the court heard. Venditti is linked to others Cousins has associated with — Perth underworld figure John Kizon and Sydney man Fabian Quaid, charged this year with trafficking 45 kilograms of ecstasy.

So here Cousins was and Channel Nine was televising live. His combative manager, Ricky Nixon, would try in vain to stay out of the spotlight and stay out of people's faces. The mood was intense and expectant.

Cousins came dressed down, which was a new development. Just the Tigers' shirt, plain jeans and runners. Neither was he wearing the self-satisfied smirk that has blighted his often disastrous media appearances until now. He looked confident but he also looked contrite. He looked poised to actually offer something meaningful.

First up, the Brownlow medallist said he felt "resurrected" — risen from the dead. He was grateful to Richmond for that. His year-long suspension from the AFL for drug use had been "humbling". Then the dark stuff began. No matter how wonderful a sportsman he has been or may be again, there's always dirt with Cousins.

He has admitted using drugs. Last year it was alleged he went on a five-day cocaine binge in America. He has been arrested shirtless and grinning in the Perth morning sun and photographed semi-conscious in the dead of night outside Crown Casino. Last month he avoided a hair drug test by arriving at the appointment with no hair.

Right now, he said, he was deep inside rehabilitation. In fact it was still "very early on in my recovery". Rehabilitation, for him, meant "addicts helping other addicts" and "learning about situations I can put myself in and some I can't."

The changes he had made to his lifestyle were things he was still "coming to terms with". He was trying to lead a "normal" lifestyle and escape the "harsh reality of my affliction".

Cousins was inevitably asked about the police surveillance that emerged in the court trial of Venditti. It wasn't as if, at this moment, with the promises of openness and honesty offered from the outset, that he was going to get away with sharing only something of his drug issues and then chatting about his hamstring.

He took the hard question with good grace. It was a "six degrees of separation" thing, he said, and through his "hard times" he had been linked with others who had also fallen on "hard times". What people didn't know, he said, was that some of his associations were "born out of sincere friendship", a common thread between those suffering "hard times".

The same reporter, Peter Morris from Channel Seven, who covers crime stories, then asked Cousins if he knew Venditti. Cousins said he did, like lots of people in footy did, but the relationship was not of a criminal nature.

Morris then asked Cousins if he knew Kizon. At which point Nixon — the manager — emerged from the shadows. "Have you actually got a footy question," he said to Morris. "Because you're being a knob at the moment."

Morris let others take over. There was a sense that it was getting edgy and that Nixon was the type of minder who would pull the plug on an important news conference. But there was also a nagging sense that Cousins, if given the opportunity, would have answered the Kizon question. There was a nagging sense that he would have answered anything, if there was the time and the place to ask.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/cousins-promise/2008/12/17/1229189712703.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[one-eyed]

Cousins the Tiger speaks
Mex Cooper | December 17, 2008

Richmond recruit Ben Cousins hopes he can become a role model now he is no longer living a double life as drug addict.
Cousins told a pac ked press conference he was still recovering but felt more confident than ever about what he could contribute on and off the footy field.

"I think in the early part of my career I resented the fact that people expected me to be a role model and it probably didn't sit well with me because I was leading a bit of a double life," he said. "It just sits better with me now ... and I think my ability to relate to other kids that find themselves in hard times is probably bet ter."

The former West Coast champion said he wanted to put the past behind him but controversy wasn't about to let go that easily.

The Supreme Court heard yesterday that Cousins was among a number of high-profile identities who had tele phone conversations with Angelo Venditti, an accused murderer.

In his first media appearance as a Tiger, Cousins admitted he knew the alleged underworld figure.

"I know him reason ably well, along with a number of people in footy industry," Cousins said.

"My association or friendship or contact with him has been nothing to do with any thing of a criminal nature.

"I was hopefully looking forward to today being about put ting the past in the past and moving on and hopefully it won't be long before things get spoken about me are more related to football and less about stuff like that."

Cousins also said as part of his rehabilitation, he comes into contact with other former drug addicts because he is in a program that involves "addicts helping addicts".

When questions continued about his relationships with well-known underworld figures, Cousins' man ager Ricky Nixon stepped in and told one journalist he was being a 'nob' and to focus on football questions.

It was the only time during 20-minutes of questioning that Cousins, whose initial nerves seemed to ease throughout the conference, appeared rattled.

Appearing fit, and smiling widely, the 2005 Brownlow Medallist took two sips of water, and several deep breaths before answering the barrage of ques tions.

He said the darkest moment he had faced in the past 12 months was when his dream of returning to football began to fade as clubs knocked back the chance to recruit him.

The 30-year-old midfielder said he had been more worried about being cleared to play by the AFL Commission than finding a new football home but bore no grudges towards the clubs that had snubbed him.

"I understand that with me it's not just a ... football decision there's a lot more that comes with it because of the enormity of my issue throughout the last 12 months, it's a lot for a footy club to take on and I'm grateful that the Richmond footy club's been able to do that," he said.

Cousins said while he wasn't "out of the woods" he was clean and ready to fight for a position on the Tigers' seniors side.

"I have a lot to prove in a football sense but putting my rehabili tation or recovery back into the public forum is a risk or a challenge ... it's not something that most people in my position go through but I think it's the best chance for me to lead a normal lifestyle and a clean one," he said.

Cousins said part of his recovery had been learning what situations he could and couldn't put himself in.

"I'm still early on in my recovery," he said.

"I'm confident that I can fulfil my end of the bargain.

"I can say that I'm clean and I'm positioned well for kick ing off the next 12 months."

"The last 12 months have been long, have been humbling but to be given the oppor tunity (to play for Richmond) is fantastic," he told reporters.

The former Eagles champion, picked up with the final selection in the pre-season draft, trained for the first time with his new club this morning, watched by up to 2,000 excited Tigers fans.

He said the response from the football fans, especially Richmond supporters, had been "sensational".

"I believe that I have earned the right to come back and play football. I think I've copped my fair whack ... now's probably the time that I can move on," he said.

Ben Cousins on:

Moving to Melbourne:

"I'm looking forward to moving over here, starting with a new footy club, a new bunch of guys and start afresh.

"I'm up against it but I'm confident that I can certainly make a healthy contribution."

"From a body point of view I've never been in better shape."

The future:

"Two days ago I didn't have a footy club so we'll just focus on this year.

"I'd like to think after this week it will just go back to being about football."

"Just getting back to playing footy, back leading a clean ... life style.

"There's no guaran tees in football, I could get injured just like any body else ...

On his recovery from addiction:

"I don't propose to say I'm out of the woods ... but I'm not the first person that's going to find themselves in hard times."

"I believe that I have earned the right to come back and play football. I think I've copped my fair whack ... now's probably the time that I can move on."

What he has learnt from addiction:

"It's a thousand things that I've learnt along the way.

"For whatever reason I'm someone who had to learn some of life's lessons the hard way.

"I just think I'm a better person for it."

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/cousins-the-tiger-speaks/2008/12/17/1229189673362.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[one-eyed]

Ben Cousins reveals his living hell and shot at redemption
Stephen Rielly | December 18, 2008 | The Australian

BEN Cousins lost friends, trust, his good reputation and, at times, his health to the craving for a drug-fuelled high.

But of all the dark moments his addiction visited on him, Cousins said yesterday none were darker than the recent thought of never playing football again.

It was a fear that arrived, like an intruder at the back window, almost three weeks ago. After the AFL national draft had come and gone without a club calling his name and the six lined up for Monday's pre-season draft crying off him.

Suddenly, Cousins said, all of the assumptions, expectations and ambitions fortifying his recovery were gone and in their place he was left with a dreadful thought: the price for his mistakes might include the game. Forever.

"After the national draft I went from being in my own mind a real good prospect to dealing with the harsh reality of not being picked up," Cousins said. "That was probably the most testing time of the last 12 months."

In 2006, Cousins lost the West Coast captaincy because of increasingly erratic behaviour that everyone now knows was a symptom of a growing drug habit. Then, at the end of last year, he lost his football club and for 12 months the right to play.

Even then, he couldn't conceive of the end. He set about rehabilitating himself, seeking help through a drug recovery program and training with the sort of addictive zealotry that Cousins himself has said can explain some of his problems.

He did so armed with a titanium-tough conviction he deserved to be back and would be.

"The last 12 months, everything I've done has been about giving myself the opportunity to play and a lot of my concern or worry was about getting the clearance from the AFL commission rather than finding a home with a football club," Cousins said. "It turned out to be quite the opposite, that the commission gave us the green light and it became a tough battle to convince football clubs to take me on."

If he couldn't then understand how wrong he had been to assume there was a certain place for him in the AFL, he does now.

"I understand with me it's not just a football situation or football decision," he said. "There's a lot that comes with it and because of the enormity of my issues over the last 12 months it's a lot for a footy club to take on.

"I'm the first person to go through this publicly, in a football forum, and it's a lot for people to comprehend and adjust. I don't hold any grudges or anything against the clubs that have overlooked me, other than to hopefully prove them wrong. They didn't owe me anything and I put myself in this situation."

If he is wiser about the thinking of football clubs and therefore even more grateful to Richmond for cutting away from the herd, Cousins said he has learned so much more about life itself in the time he spent in exile.

He likes to think, for instance, that he would have survived without football if Richmond had not offered him a second chance but isn't sure, either.

"For whatever reason, I'm a person who has had to learn some of life's lessons the hard way," Cousins said.

"Life came along and gave me a slap and if it didn't happen 18 months or two years ago, it was going to happen at some point.

"Other than the fact that it's been really hard on the people around me, in some ways it's been the best thing because it's given me the opportunity to learn a bit about myself. To learn why I am the way I am. I think I'm a better person for it.

He has learned, too, a great deal about addiction and the suffering it inevitably shares.

And where once he defined success in terms of football achievement and the highs, of all description, it can offer, Cousins said his ambitions are now suitably more prosaic.

"Just getting back to playing footy and back leading a clean lifestyle," he said. "I'm not looking too far ahead. Two days ago I didn't have a footy club."

Cousins isn't sure he can be what he was as a player and not at all certain he won't be what he was as a person. The shadow of addiction, he knows, will hover for a lot longer yet.

"I'm clean and I'm positioned well for kicking off over the next 12 months," he said. "I've used the last 12 months the best I can - I'm really proud of the time and the effort I've put into my rehabilitation.

"This is what I've wanted (returning to football). It's not necessarily the easy option.

"I've got a lot to prove in a football sense but putting my recovery back into the public forum is a risk, a challenge, a big thing.

"But I think it's the best chance for me to lead a normal lifestyle and a clean one.

"I feel more confident now than I ever have that I can contribute both on and off the field and lead a normal lifestyle, whilst trying to get the best out of myself without using drugs.

"I don't propose to say I'm out of the woods or I've dusted myself off and left it in the past. I think I can get back to somewhere near my best but it remains to be seen. The game never stops changing and it's a cutthroat industry. I'm up against it but I'm confident I can make a contribution.

"I understand I'm 30 and I've had 12 months off, but right the way through the time I've spent away from the game I've put a lot of time and work into my body. I'm confident I'll be able to hold up. But I guess with the rigours of AFL football you never really know until you get back into it."

And yesterday, when Cousins joined his new Richmond team-mates for the first time at Punt Road, he was at least that. Back into it.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24815859-5012432,00.html

[one-eyed]

Cousins’ full press conference transcript
West Australian
17th December 2008, 19:00 WST
 
How do you feel being at an AFL club again?
It's fantastic. I'm very grateful to Terry Wallace and the Richmond Football Club for putting the faith in me and giving me the opportunity to resurrect my football career. The last 12 months have been long. It has been humbling but to be given the opportunity is fantastic.

Do you have to change or does Richmond have to adapt to having you at the club?
It's very much up to me to fit into the playing group and meet the requirements just like every other player.

Where are you at with your drug issues?
I think I've used the last 12 months the best I can. I'm really proud of the time and the effort that I've put into my rehabilitation and I feel more confident now than I ever have that I can contribute both on and off the field and lead a normal lifestyle whilst trying to get the best out of myself without the use of drugs.

Are you still carrying on with that rehab?
Yes. That's the harsh reality of my affliction. It'd be nice to be able to dust myself off and leave it in the past but there's ongoing stuff that I am required to do.

What about the surveillance video that was spoken of in the Supreme Court yesterday. How do you respond to that?
I'm not familiar with it. I haven't read the papers today. I guess it's like the six degrees of separation. Through the hard times that I've found myself in, people love to link me with other people who have found themselves in hard times. What doesn't get reported is that a lot of the relationships or associations that I have with those people have been borne out of sincere friendship - a common thread that we've sort of found ourselves in hard times. In a lot of those cases they have been people that have played pretty significant roles in me getting to where I am today.

Are you friends with Angelo Venditti?
I know Angelo Venditti, yeah.

How well do you know him?
I know him reasonably well, along with a number of people in the footy industry.

Does that cause you a problem or the club a problem if there's an association with someone who has been accused of being in the underworld?
I'm not sure. My association or friendship or contact with him has been nothing to do with anything of a criminal nature. As far as I'm aware I don't think he's been convicted yet. It's not for me to go into. I was hopefully looking forward to today being about putting the past in the past and moving on. Hopefully it won't be long before things that get spoken about me are more related to football and less about stuff like that.

What are your footy goals for next year?
I guess I'll have to sit down and assess that. Right the way through I've had a pretty healthy confidence in my ability. But I come to the footy club with no reputation as a footballer. I have to earn the respect from a training point of view. I'm like every other player. I have to earn the right to play in the seniors. Coming into the club at this stage of the pre-season, I'm behind the eight ball and have a hell of a lot of work to do to fight my way into the side.

When the AFL Commission made their decision on Monday, did you think it was all over?
There's been definitely moments throughout the last six weeks where I've really questioned whether I was going to get there. The last 12 months, everything I've done has been about giving myself the opportunity to play. A lot of my concern or worry was about getting the clearance from the AFL Commission rather than finding a home at a football club. It turned out to be quite the opposite. The Commission gave us the green light and then it became a tough battle to convince football clubs to take me on. I understand that with me it's not just a football situation or a football decision. There's a lot that comes with it. Because of the enormity of my issue throughout the last 12 months, it's a lot for a footy club to take on. I'm grateful that the Richmond footy club have been able to do that.

When Terry Wallace rang you on Monday, did you have to convince him?
Oh yeah. I made contact with Terry a couple of weeks ago. I'd dusted myself off after the national draft. I'd went from being what I thought in my own mind a real good prospect to probably having to deal with the harsh reality of maybe not getting picked up. That was probably the most testing time of the last 12 months. Then, the way I approached it was, I was going to leave no stone unturned in exploring all my football options. If anything came from it from then on, it was a bonus. Fortunately I got the opportunity to sit before Terry and the football people at this footy club and convince them to give us a shot.

Are you confident your body can hold up after a year out given your hamstring problems?
I understand I'm 30 and have had 12 months off. But right the way through the time I've spent out of the game, I've put a lot of time and work into my body. I'm confident it's going to be able to hold up. But I guess the rigours of AFL football, you never really know until you get back into it.

Do you now have to leave some of the errors of our past behind?
I would have thought. Part of the last 12 months has been about learning about the situations I can put myself in and some I can't. Throughout this whole process, I'm still very early on in my recovery and coming to terms with the changes in my lifestyle. Contrary to public opinion or what the press like to say, a lot of my associations that people think are untoward or have caused me to be in this situation couldn't be further from the truth. I am a drug addict. Part of my rehabilitation and the program I'm in is addicts helping other addicts. So it's not like I'm not going to have contact with people who have been in the situation that I have. It's probably quite the opposite. That's the contact that I require to keep myself on a level playing field.

If you hadn't have been picked up would you have played again?
I think it probably would have been over. If clubs overlooked me, I'm 30 and another 12 months down the track wouldn't have made it any easier. I'm not sure how I would have responded in a football sense. I hadn't got too far ahead with that. I may have gone back and played half a dozen games in the WAFL just to get back to playing footy, which is what I love doing. I guess it was only a month ago that I started thinking about the prospect of never playing again. You're a long time retired and football has been a huge part of my life. It's played a huge positive role in my life. It's brought all the good things into my life and I'm just rapt to get back into it.

What assurances have you given Richmond?
I sat down and spoke to them honestly about where I'm at, what I'm going through and the nature of my affliction. I'm confident I can fulfil my end of the bargain.

Are you happy with where you're at right now?
Yeah.

How long have you been clean for?
That's not something I want to go into now. But I can say that I'm clean and am positioned well for kicking off the next 12 months.

Are you worried about the effect that the documentary may have?
No, I'm not worried about it.

Can you notice any difference in your fitness?
No.

Will you not go out or have you spoken to the club about that?
No I haven't spoken to them about that.

Have they put any restrictions on you?
Not as yet, no.

How important is footy to your recovery?
I think it's very important. I would like to think that had I not been given an opportunity I would have responded in the right way. It wouldn't have been an excuse to go back to my old ways. But this is what I've wanted. It's not necessarily the easy option. I have a lot to prove in a football sense. I guess putting rehabilitation or recovery back into the public forum is a risk or is a challenge. It's a big thing. It's not something that most people in my position go through. But I think it's the best chance for me to lead a normal lifestyle and a clean one.

Was there a point when you thought this was all too hard?
Not really. I understand I'm the first person to go through this publicly in a football forum. It's a lot for people to comprehend or adjust. I don't hold any grudges against the clubs that have overlooked me, other than to hopefully to prove them wrong. They didn't owe me anything and I put myself in this situation.

Have you been surprised by the reaction to your drafting?
I can't speak highly enough of the reception people have given us right throughout the year. I've been humbled, especially over the last 48 hours. The response from the footy public, and in particular the Richmond supporters, the average person on the street has been sensational. It would be very easy for people to make things hard for us, but I couldn't ask for a better leg up from people.

Have you thought about round one next year and playing against Juddy?
I haven't had time. Round one is a while off and I've still got a hell of a lot of work to do. I still have to prove myself. I'm not a walk up start into this side. I've got to fight my way back into it just like everybody else has to.

What are your thoughts on Richmond fans thinking you'll make the difference to this team?
I put a fair bit of expectation on myself. I like to consider myself a pretty hard trainer and they're the expectations I'm looking forward to having to live up to.

How big an influence has Kevin Sheedy had on you?
I've been fortunate to have been able to seek him out for some advice. Obviously he's a hugely influential person in the football industry and has a lot of wisdom. He's certainly played a role.

Do you hope to be a role model?
In the early part of my career I resented the fact that people expected me to be a role model. It probably didn't sit well with me because I was leading a bit of a double life. I think my ability now to be a role model, it sits better with me than it has before. I think my ability to relate to other kids who find themselves in hard times is probably better now than it has done before. Having said that, I don't propose to say that I'm out of the woods or I've dusted myself off and left it in the past. But I'm not the first person that's going to find themselves in hard times and I'm sure there's going to be a lot of people in the community that, growing up, find themselves in a similar situation.

Do you deserve a second chance? A lot of people say you don't.
They're entitled to that opinion. People aren't privileged to all the information. I believe that I have earned the right to come back and play football. I think I got my fair whack. I'm not complaining. I'm not saying I'm hard done by. But I think now is probably a time where I can move on.

How do you keep yourself on the straight and narrow?
It's a complex thing. There's a thousand things that I've learnt along the way. For whatever reason, I'm somebody that's had to learn a few of life's lessons the hard way. Life came along and gave me a slap. If it didn't happen 18 months ago or two years ago, it was going to happen at some point. Other than the fact that it's been really hard on the people around me, in some ways it's been the best thing because it's given me the opportunity to learn a bit about myself, learn why I am the way I am and I think I'm a better person for it.

Was it best for you to relocate to Melbourne?
Yeah. I was really looking forward to making the move. West Coast have been a fantastic footy club. Perth has been great to me. I've been shot out of the sky. They say those that fly the lowest fly the longest so I understand that I've run my race there. I'm just looking forward to moving over here, starting with a new footy club, a new bunch of guys and starting fresh.

Can you get back to your best?
I think I can get back to somewhere near my best. It remains to be seen. The game never stops changing and it's a cut throat industry. I'm up against it but I'm confident I can certainly make a healthy contribution.

Have you had any injuries in the last 12 months?
No. I've had the luxury of removing myself from the rigours of the contact sport. I haven't stopped training so from the body point of view, I've never been in better shape.

How long have you got left?
I'm not looking too far ahead. Two days ago I didn't have a footy club. I'm just focused on this year.

What's your mindset on dealing with the circus that this has become?
Whether you like it or not, it's something I've had to deal with. I guess part of playing AFL football is you sign up for that. I feel more sorry for friends and family that don't necessarily deserve to have to deal with my issue on a public level. Dealing with addiction for families or friends is very hard privately, but to deal with it publicly has been very stressful and painful for my family and friends at times. I'm lucky that I do have a fantastic network of people around us that have gone a long way to me being here today.

Are you conscious of the potential for distraction?
I'd like to think that after this week it goes back to just being about football. Obviously there's going to be slightly more hype about it at different stages during the year. I think it won't be long before it goes back to something of a reasonably normal nature.

Do you know your teammates?
I've come into contact with them in football circles over the years. Essentially it's a fresh start. I know a few of the guys but I couldn't have asked for a better reception from the players. The support behind us has been very much appreciated. Football clubs are all the same. They're full of great people and I'm just rapt to get back involved.

What do you consider to be a success from here?
I think just getting back to playing footy. Back leading a clean lifestyle. There's (sic) no guarantees in football. I could get injured just like anyone else. I don't necessarily judge going forward on how many kicks I get or how many games I play. I'll train exceptionally hard, leave no stone unturned and what happens after that is left up to the gods.

Are you prepared for the drug testing regime you'll have to follow?
I'd want to be.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=12&ContentID=113773

[Chuck17]

Are you prepared for the drug testing regime you'll have to follow?
I'd want to be.

Great well thought out question that last one, what did he think he was going to answer.

Thanks for the hectic article posting over the last couple of days OE