10,000,000 Cousins threads [Merged]

[momentai]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Bill
In regard to issues concerning players and drug abuse, we have a far more stable admin/playing group than WC. We are therefore in a better position to assist Cousins with his rehab. A football club with its, medical support staff, long hours of physical effort & team related values, is in fact a pretty good environment for a recovering addict. The question I have posed is can we assist him and on a cost benefit is it worth the risk effort, to try to do so? Most of us seem to agree that it is.

It is also the fact that Cousins has worked for most of his life in such an environment and that you may consider that his recovery will be best assisted by his having the opportunity to continue as part of something with which he is familiar.

As far as Pratt is concerned, my point is that while Cousins may have done a great deal of harm to himself, and disappointed a great number of his young supporters, Pratt and his cronies have ripped the community off for as much as $700,000,000. If bringing the game into disrepute has anything to do with socially responsible behaviour, then the AFL may well question Pratts situation.

One of the requirements for a gaming license apparently requires Pratt as President to be a fit and proper person to ....

If you think its stupid to question why a person, who is willing to rip off the community to the extent that he has admitted to.. who also comes with access to limitless funds, should be permitted to buy his way in to a football club, well good for you..

 

[Hayfever]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Totally agree with you Momentai :clap

One valid criticism of Cousins seems to be his outward disdain and apparent lack of remorse for his "sins". Sooner or later this is likely to change as he realises his AFL career is finished.......... unless his attitude changes. The WC Eagles have said "enough", no doubt due mainly to the AFL's threat of retribution against the club for continual embarrassment to the AFL image. The AFL has delisted Cousins. Fair enough but they cannot completely wipe their hands of Cousins and be seen to walk away from his personal disaster. Vlad has swept many things under the carpet during his reign but there is not enough room left for this one to fit there.

There is no bigger social issue facing the AFL than its perceived ineffectiveness in combating the influence of drugs in our game, and player welfare. Images of a superstar "druggie" and families concerned for their sons being drafted to WC Eagles are disastrous.

A I posted earlier on this thread there is an opportunity for RFC/AFL/AFLPA to be proactive here and create a win/win outcome for Cousins and the code http://www.puntroadend.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=29805.msg674193#msg674193

Solution........ Cousins shows remorse, agrees to join RFC under AFL/AFLPA sponsored "New Start" program, we provide support environment for his rehab and training, and if/when he is ready to resume playing he plays for us.

 

[Al Bundy]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

The only thing I have some doubts on the AFL's stance & treatment of his registration.

Say he is not allowed to play next year, goes back to the "WAFL" and proves to be a model player again, then the AFL allows him to register for 2009, then RFC will miss out on a great oppotunity.

I would prefer the RFC be allowed to draft him with an place him on the long term injury list even on minmal wages in his first year contract. If fails to improve, we have not lost too much based hopefully with the player we would delist would have been just taken up space till next year. If he improves then 2009 onwards we can bring him in.

Cousins still has some good years ahead of him IF he gets his head right.

 

[Dyer'ere]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

If Andrew Demetriou charges Ben Cousins for bringing the game into disrepute he will have to do so before Bens case of failing to give a sample comes back to court next Jan. And based on what evidence could he do so?

...

Such a course would leave them open to further civil action, based on malicious prosecution and possibly also based on an allegation of abuse of process.

Just getting back to your earlier point about it being difficult for Boofhead to delay the registration of Cousins- and you're right IMO about it being impossible for the AFL to reject Cousins's application for registration:

All Demetriou has to do is register him and remind clubs that AFL players with convictions for this that or the other may be deregistered.

So there's a deterrent to draft him at the PSD as he may be deregistered in January. Of course Andy might not even make the statement. It might just be understood. Sometimes I wonder how he gets his message through. But it seems to get through.

So in effect the deregistration issue is postponed. No harm done, eh? Nothing to sue here.

 

[Bill James]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Bill
In regard to issues concerning players and drug abuse, we have a far more stable admin/playing group than WC. We are therefore in a better position to assist Cousins with his rehab. A football club with its, medical support staff, long hours of physical effort & team related values, is in fact a pretty good environment for a recovering addict. The question I have posed is can we assist him and on a cost benefit is it worth the risk effort, to try to do so? Most of us seem to agree that it is. Apart from the drugs he is 29, this is ground we have visited before and unsuccessfully, if we are targeting 2011 he will be 33!!!!

It is also the fact that Cousins has worked for most of his life in such an environment and that you may consider that his recovery will be best assisted by his having the opportunity to continue as part of something with which he is familiar. Like hooking up with Gardiner.

As far as Pratt is concerned, my point is that while Cousins may have done a great deal of harm to himself, and disappointed a great number of his young supporters, Pratt and his cronies have ripped the community off for as much as $700,000,000. If bringing the game into disrepute has anything to do with socially responsible behaviour, then the AFL may well question Pratts situation. The AFL may well question it but what else can they do

One of the requirements for a gaming license apparently requires Pratt as President to be a fit and proper person to .... Firstly I doubt that he will hold the license and secondly the AFL certainly won't have jursidiction over the matter if it is called into question.

If you think its stupid to question why a person, who is willing to rip off the community to the extent that he has admitted to.. who also comes with access to limitless funds, should be permitted to buy his way in to a football club, well good for you.. Its not a stupid question, but that wasn't the comparison, you were discussing the AFL deregistering Cousins and comparing to Pratt, as far as I can see whatever sins have been committed by Pratt and lets assume we are not party to most of them, what power does the AFL have to even consider them let alone act.

 

[momentai]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

If Andrew Demetriou charges Ben Cousins for bringing the game into disrepute he will have to do so before Bens case of failing to give a sample comes back to court next Jan. And based on what evidence could he do so?

...

Such a course would leave them open to further civil action, based on malicious prosecution and possibly also based on an allegation of abuse of process.

Just getting back to your earlier point about it being difficult for Boofhead to delay the registration of Cousins- and you're right IMO about it being impossible for the AFL to reject Cousins's application for registration:

All Demetriou has to do is register him and remind clubs that AFL players with convictions for this that or the other may be deregistered.

So there's a deterrent to draft him at the PSD as he may be deregistered in January. Of course Andy might not even make the statement. It might just be understood. Sometimes I wonder how he gets his message through. But it seems to get through.

So in effect the deregistration issue is postponed. No harm done, eh? Nothing to sue here.

Interesting idea Jack and right up Demi's alley. A bit like telling some clubs and not others that Carlton's 02 draft picks were going to be confiscated, only after the trade period was over, thereby re-writing the value of our pick 4..
But gee the lawyers would have a field day. If Ben was registered to allow for him to be drafted in Dec and then deregistered in Jan, with no intervening 'incidents.'
What sort of deception is that?

 

[momentai]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Bill
We could go over old ground but I have nothing further to add to what I have already said, with one exception. Cousins is possibly the fittest 29 year old in the game. He has had no major injuries to speak of and to my knowledge only the one recent significant soft tissue injury, which is explainable.

If it is decided to take him on it would not be unreasonable to expect him to play for 5 more seasons.

 

[checkside]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

With all the news of alot of players like Cox and Kerr being unhappy at West Coast any chance that we might have if one wanted to be traded(Which is not much of a chance at all) would be gone if we took Cousins.

I had decided i wanted him but now i dont know.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Cousins is possibly the fittest 29 year old in the game. He has had no major injuries to speak of and to my knowledge only the one recent significant soft tissue injury, which is explainable.

Explainable?
Getting older? Skipping training sessions? Doing hard drugs?

How is it explainable exactly momentai?

 

[RemoteTiger]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Cousins is possibly the fittest 29 year old in the game. He has had no major injuries to speak of and to my knowledge only the one recent significant soft tissue injury, which is explainable.

Explainable?
Getting older? Skipping training sessions? Doing hard drugs?

How is it explainable exactly momentai?

And still single handedly beating the oppositon through 35+ pocessions a game......

Put a Tiger in his tank - that will *smile* on any drugs he thinks about taking......... :hihi :hihi

 

[momentai]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Tiger of old,
I think he came back into football without building up his match fitness in the WAFL and that that contributed to his season ending pulled hamstring against Collingwood.

 

[checkside]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

I think it it explainable because he had only strained it a few weeks or so earlier but he wanted to play.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

The injury no doubt wasn't helped by lack of early season commitment due to his 'issues'.
If he was missing training sessions as reported by the Weagles which led to his 12 week suspension, then you'd have to suspect he didn't have the work behind him that he has previously.

 

[Bill James]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Bill
We could go over old ground but I have nothing further to add to what I have already said, with one exception. Cousins is possibly the fittest 29 year old in the game. He has had no major injuries to speak of and to my knowledge only the one recent significant soft tissue injury, which is explainable.

If it is decided to take him on it would not be unreasonable to expect him to play for 5 more seasons.

And it would not be unreasonable to expect to him to go into rehab again next year.

 

[glantone]

Deleted

 

[btoz_01]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

On Sports Tonite Freho may be throwing Cuz a lifeline as Freho coach Harvey hinted he may pick up Cuz.
For ullhair sake Miller Cuz would easily be our best player if we picked him up.
RFC is a Guy Richards FREE ZONE!

 

[momentai]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Bill
We could go over old ground but I have nothing further to add to what I have already said, with one exception. Cousins is possibly the fittest 29 year old in the game. He has had no major injuries to speak of and to my knowledge only the one recent significant soft tissue injury, which is explainable.

If it is decided to take him on it would not be unreasonable to expect him to play for 5 more seasons.

And it would not be unreasonable to expect to him to go into rehab again next year.

Trite but yes Bill there can be no guarantees. If there were, one of the top 1/2 dozen over the last decade wouldn't be looking to enter the draft and in case you don't get it, come to us for nothing.

 

[shanep753]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

i am in strong favour of getting cousins. Maybe the change from west coast to a fresh start maybe the motivation.Cant believe miller is showing such little interest.From what i see there is not a great deal of talent in the december draft now that brennan is signing up again.
Cheers shane

 

[Rosy]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Welcome to PRE shane.

 

[GR]

Re: Cousins: The poll. Do you want the Tigers to draft Ben Cousins?

Terry's all for someone who can teach the young players responsible drug use, he backed Browny druring the No-Doze days, so he should have no trouble with Benny.

Safe bet, look at Sly... drugs have done him no harm. Come to think of it, is he available? He could be the new (old) Rene Kink!