Cousins on cards for Coburg
Leader News 19 Apr 09 @ 06:19pm by Chris Vernuccio
BOX Hill Hawks are preparing for a record turnout at City Oval this Saturday with the possibility AFL star Ben Cousins will return for Coburg in the Anzac Day blockbuster.
And the Hawks believe Trent Cotchin, the No.2 pick in the 2007 national draft, will also line up for the Tigers in a match that was already expected to attract a bumper crowd.
Coburg general manager Ryan O’Connor confirmed Cousins, who suffered a hamstring injury for Richmond in his AFL comeback against Carlton in Round 1, would play if passed fit by the Richmond medical staff during the week.
“Hopefully he will be making his return in the next week or so,” O’Conner said.
“It may be this week or the week after when we play Casey at home but it depends on how he gets through training.
“He’s trained very well this week but he still has to get through another week.”
Box Hill general manager Andrew Pirchan said he was excited about the prospect of Cousins making his VFL debut and expected the terraces to be filled to capacity.
“That’s been the rumour going around that Cousins, Cotchin and (Mark) Coughlin are all going to feature in a bid to get back in the AFL a week later,’’ Pirchan said.
“We’ve become accustomed to blockbusters over the years.
“We had Nathan Buckley play here a couple of years ago and we had 5200 to 5300 on Anzac Day (in 2007).
“We’re not foreign to it and it will be exciting from a spectacle point of view.”
Cousins’ appearance would be a massive drawcard and financial bonanza much in the same way Nathan Buckley was when he played for Williamstown against Box Hill four years ago.
More than 5000 fans crammed Box Hill City Oval to watch the Brownlow Medallist in his return after surgery to repair a tear in his lower hamstring.
Box Hill officials ordered in twice as much beer but two emergency beer runs still had to be made, and all the pies and hot-dogs were devoured in rapid time.
“We’ve learnt our lesson and we’ll be prepared for anything this time,” Pirchan said.
“I’d say they will be a pretty decent crowd out there.”
Cotchin has not played this season after battling achilles soreness.
Coughlan has played the past two games with Coburg in his comeback from arthroscopic surgery on his reconstructed knee.
http://leader-news.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/cousins-on-cards-for-coburg/
