Cousins on track for round 1 blockbuster / Cuz laces up for first match as Tiger

[one-eyed]

Cousins on track for round-one blockbuster
Caroline Wilson | February 3, 2009

BEN Cousins has taken a significant step towards a place on centre stage at the 2009 season opener following his first genuine football hit-out since joining Richmond late last year.

Coach Terry Wallace confirmed that Cousins had performed well at a modified intra-club practice game four days ago and would be given a bigger role at Thursday's intra-club clash at Gosch's Paddock.

"He went well," said a cautiously optimistic Wallace last night. "He probably played the equivalent of one quarter of footy and he'll do a bit more this week. The issue is about him doing it right, not doing more. He's got to continue to tick the boxes but he has ticked another one."

The Tigers remain quietly confident that Cousins will play in one of the most hotly anticipated season openers in league history, against Carlton at the MCG on Thursday, March 26. Although Wallace remained adamant Cousins would not contest round-one of the pre-season competition he conceded he was hopeful of fielding him in either week two or three of the NAB series.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/cousins-on-track-for-roundone/2009/02/02/1233423135626.html

[one-eyed]

Cousins laces up for first match as Tiger
Sam Edmund | February 03, 2009

BEN Cousins will play his first game in 18 months this week with Richmond saying the Brownlow medallist is on track for Round 1 against Carlton.

Cousins, who has not played since ripping his hamstring in West Coast's 2007 qualifying final loss to Port Adelaide, will play in the Tigers' intra-club match at Gosch's Paddock on Thursday morning.

Richmond elite performance manager Matt Hornsby vowed the 30-year-old would be ready for the start of the season.

"The way he's going, he'll certainly be available for selection," he said.

"I don't want to take the coach's hat there, putting him in the 22 already, but he's probably exactly where you need him to be at this stage."

Hornsby said Cousins, barring injury, would adapt to the intensity of gameplay in the coming weeks after building a solid fitness base since his arrival at Punt Rd.

"He knows that there's still a fair bit more to go before he's absolutely cherry-ripe for playing AFL footy, but we have time to prepare for that," he said.

"We don't play until near on April - the very end of March - so he's got a really good opportunity to be able to get some great continuity in the next month and then get three or four games of footy under his belt before Round 1.

"That's the plan we're going with and hopefully he doesn't have any hiccups."

Hornsby said the club was confident Cousins' ongoing hamstring issues would not be a problem.

"We're being careful with his progressions so that his body adapts to it, but not too conservative to the point where you don't get the sort of work into him that he needs as well," he said.

Forgotten defender Andrew Raines is also expected to play after overcoming knee, hamstring and leg injuries.

Mark Coughlan will take another step in putting his chronic hamstring problems behind him after revolutionary surgery in Germany last year.

Richmond will start its NAB Cup campaign on the road against Fremantle at Subiaco on February 15.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,24999878-19742,00.html

[mightytiges]

Jade Rawlings today said Cuz had a 10 minute run in that scratch match last week but didn't say much else other than he did well.