Come early, see Cousins: WallaceRICHMOND coach Terry Wallace has declared that Ben Cousins will start Thursday night’s NAB Cup match against Collingwood on the ground.
Wallace said he couldn’t see much point in starting the Brownlow Medallist’s career at Richmond from the bench.
“I think there’s probably been enough razzamataz,” he said before training on Tuesday at Victoria Park.
“I think probably get out there and just play would be the best idea [for Cousins].
“Look, we haven’t finalised our side yet, we’ve got to get through training today before we do that, but I’d suggest that we’d be more likely to just throw him out there and let him get on with playing.”
The ‘no mollycoddling’ theme will mean game time for the 30-year-old.
“Certainly he’s looking forward to playing – we haven’t rushed him, and we said that was going to be the case the whole way through.
“He’s just slowly built up his progress over a period of time, and so first game, I think he’d be pretty keen just to get out there and get a kick.
“He’ll play a reasonable amount of game time – how the game’s going will sort of depend on how it goes from there, but certainly I’d see him playing 60-plus per cent.”
Wallace said Cousins, who won a flag with West Coast in 2006, would be expecting more of himself than the club was.
“It’s a practice game where we’re getting ready for round one – it’s his first genuine hit-out, so others are ahead of what he’s done at this stage, so what you’re looking for is him getting through safe and sound, that he gets a kick and just see how he starts to gain a little bit of confidence.”
Young gun Trent Cotchin (achilles) and 2003 Jack Dyer Medallist Mark Coughlin (meniscus tear) are both still unavailable for selection – Coughlin is a couple of weeks away while Cotchin is still in doubt for the start of the season.
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