Moore can't wait for Cousins debut / Tigers marvel at Cousins' skills

[one-eyed]

Moore can't wait for Cousins debut
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
6:58 PM Thu 19 February, 2009

THE BEN Cousins train is rolling on and is expected to pull in at Telstra Dome next Thursday night for the pre-season blockbuster against the Pies.

A cousin travelled to Perth on the weekend, but was never going to play, instead being the star attraction at a club fund-raising cocktail function.

But if all goes well, the 30-year-old will have his first competitive run in the yellow-and-black in next Thursday night's NAB Cup quarter-final clash.

Tigers defender Kel Moore said just seeing Cousins do his stuff on the training track was an experience.

"Ben's fit and well, and he's training really well, and I don't see why he won't play," Moore said on Thursday.

"The team will be selected early next week, and until then we don't know who's playing.

"Everyone's just learning everything off him – he's won premierships, Brownlows, everything.

"So the more we can learn off him the better, I think, and a lot of the young guys, including myself, just like watching the way he goes about his footy.

"During the intraclub games, I have to admit sometimes you just stand there watching him play.

"He hasn't lost it – he still gets his hands on the ball.

"I can't wait to see him in the black-and-yellow in round one."

The clash with the Pies has been moved to Thursday because Melbourne Victory is playing the A-League grand final at Telstra Dome on the Saturday night, when the AFL clash was originally scheduled, but Moore said the team didn't care where or when the game was played.

"I think everyone's just very excited – I think we should get a few people there.

"We've got most people up and running, so it's going to be hard to pick the side.

"Tell us when to play and we'll play. It doesn't really matter when."

http://afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=72333

[one-eyed]

Tigers marvel at Cousins' skills
Andrea Petrie | February 20, 2009

BEN Cousins will line up against Collingwood in Richmond's NAB Cup clash next Thursday if his teammates have anything to do with it.

Tigers defender Kelvin Moore said yesterday that Cousins was fit and ready, like most of the team who were looking forward to the second-round match.

"He's training really well and I don't see why he won't play," Moore said.

"Everyone's just learning everything off him. He's won premierships, Brownlow and everything so the more we can learn off him, the better.

"A lot of the young guys including myself just like watching the way he goes about his footy."

Either way, the players were all looking forward to Cousins' debut in the home-and-away season, Moore said.

"During a few of the pre-season games and intra-club games, I have to admit, sometimes you just stand there and watch him play, and he hasn't lost it.

"He still gets his hands on the ball and I can't wait to see him in the black and yellow playing round one."

Several rookies — including Robin Nahas — also continued to stand out, he said. "We do have a lot of young guys that have just come in that are very exciting for the club," Moore said.

"Little Nahas is something that the club hasn't had much of in the past and when he gets his hands on the ball, nine times out of 10 it's probably a goal."

Asked if Graham Polak was likely to be put on the long-term injury list so Nahas could be elevated, Moore said: "(Polak's) been training really well and everyone's amazed at how he has recovered and hopefully he'll be playing footy again really soon."

The scheduling clash that forced the Richmond-Collingwood pre-season cup match to be brought forward two days so the A-League grand final could be played at the Docklands stadium was far from the players' minds, he said.

"Tell me when to play and we'll play. It doesn't really matter when."

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/tigers-marvel-at-cousins-skills/2009/02/19/1234632976206.html

[tiogar]

What'll the attendance at the game V the Pies be?