Some mongrel nicked a pair of Cuz's footy boots yesterday while he was playing....-------------------------------------------
Ben Cousins, fans off on wrong foot
Terry Brown | February 06, 2009
BEN Cousins found his feet but just as quickly lost his footwear in his first game for 17 months.
Close to 1000 Tigers fans went AWOL from work or wagged school to see the silky skills that were almost lost to the game.
And to Cousins' disgust, one of them souvenired his boots.
Heading off after half a game, the star recruit fruitlessly searched the boundary for his spare boots and muttered expletives about the low-life who took them.
But boot bandits aside, his first game since the 2007 finals was a walk in the park.
Fans ringed Gosch's Paddock, five deep in places, in numbers more common at a finals training session than a intra-club pre-season hit-out.
Cousins was one of the last players to arrive.
He ambled towards the oval with two pairs of boots in hand, banging them together the way you clear spiders out of long disused shoes.
It had been a while since he pulled them on in a game of footy -- 517 days.
"Benny! Go, Benny!" and a burst of applause welcomed Cousins back.
Within minutes of the bounce, he had speared a perfect pinpoint 50m pass into a teammate's arms.
"There he is!" came a cry from the outer, and more Tiger glee followed his every possession.
Supporters illegally parked along Punt Rd from an hour before the match, keen for their first sight of Cousins in combat.
Few fans wore guernseys; at 26C by the Nylex clock before 11am, it wasn't jumper weather.
But Travis Allison, 10, sitting on an Auskick ball, wore his new No. 32 jumper proudly.
The Mooroolbark boy had bought it with Christmas money, giving his former favourites Nathan Brown and Brett Deledio the boot.
"It's great," he said, seeing Cousins finally playing for Richmond, albeit against Richmond.
Mother Tania had given him the morning off school as an early birthday present.
At a trestle table stall, Ben Cousins badges were the top of the Tigers' merchandise list.
Cousins played half a match, then returned alone to Richmond's Punt Rd oval for a running session.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25014332-19742,00.html
