Cuz and the all-in-brawl leads the news tonight

[mightytiges]

So what was the leading news story tonight on the various news services?

Swine flu pandemic spreading ....
Global financial crisis ....
May Day clashes between protestors and police .....

Nup it was Cuz and the journos desperately trying to link him to the meelee today - "Oh yes Cuz was in the brawl ........ well actually the brawl had already started and he got caught up in it .......... well actually he was on the outskirts and only went in to fly the flag for his side ..... well actually the crowd on the field were more caught up in it than Cuz was ........ we've got nothing" 

The Herald-Sun is in on the act too


Tiger Ben Cousins caught in VFL footy brawl
Liam Houlihan | May 02, 2009 03:05pm

BREAKING NEWS: DRAMA has followed Ben Cousins to the suburbs, with the controversial Tiger caught in a VFL footy brawl.

Cousins, playing his comeback match for the Coburg Tigers after a hamstring injury forced him out of the AFL five weeks ago, was stuck in the middle of an on-field melee, but did not throw any punches.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25418208-661,00.html

[Jackstar is back]

There will be one player a bit nervous I reckon.

[mightytiges]

There will be one player a bit nervous I reckon.

The big burly man decked a few who came too close to Cuz

The VFL will be rubbing their hands with glee knowing the $$$ coming their way from the fines.

[one-eyed]

Brawl mars Ben Cousins's return
Liam Houlihan | May 03, 2009

DRAMA followed Ben Cousins to the suburbs yesterday, as the controversial Tiger became caught in a VFL footy brawl.

Cousins, playing his comeback match for the Coburg Tigers after a hamstring injury forced him out of the AFL five weeks ago, was caught in the middle of an on-field melee.

But he did not throw any punches.

At the end of the third quarter, a fist fight started between players from the Tigers and the Casey Scorpions.

As more players swarmed towards the fight, Cousins kept to the edges of the pack.

But in the final quarter, as hostilities broke again, he got involved and dragged an opposing player off a teammate.

Fans said brawls were unusual at VFL matches these days.

Cousins failed to save the Tigers from defeat, with Casey winning comfortably (Casey 17.13.115 to Coburg 11.7.73).

He did not appear to suffer any injuries, but got a rub-down at the three-quarter break.

After the match, he had ice packs taped to his legs.

There was no heckling of Cousins, who has had a public battle with drugs and links to crime figures. Instead, the faithful Coburg home crowd got behind their superstar ring-in.

Cousins, who had covered his closely-cropped head with zinc cream, tried to inspire his teammates at the three-quarter break.

"We've got to take the game on. We've got nothing to f------ing lose," he said.

"That's it, Benny," a fan shouted as Cousins set up a Coburg goal in the final quarter.

Spectators said the crowd of about 2000 was three times the usual turnout.

But Coburg fan Ray Borg was underwhelmed by Cousins' performance.

"He's a little bit underdone at the moment," Mr Borg said.

"He seems to be running out of breath."

Rob Paterson was among a group supporting Casey Scorpions.

"I think he (Cousins) gets too many easy kicks, he doesn't get the hard ball -- but he has brought a lot of people here today," Mr Paterson said.

After the game, four security men ushered Cousins out of the club rooms and into his waiting car and he drove off.

"I'm just happy to get through in one piece," Cousins said later.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25420142-661,00.html