10,000,000 Cousins threads [Merged] | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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10,000,000 Cousins threads [Merged]

Will Ben Cousins Be Playing In The AFL Next Year?

  • Yes, At The Eagles

    Votes: 9 3.4%

  • Yes, At Another Club

    Votes: 92 35.0%

  • No

    Votes: 136 51.7%

  • Unsure

    Votes: 26 9.9%
  • Total voters
    263
tigerlove said:
It just postponed the inevitable. He still had severe issues whilst at Richmond. Remember a particular rushed hospital visit? I don't believe his time at Richmond was productive for him at all and it certainly didn't do anything for the Tigers (contrary to what was being said at the time). It was this environment originally that contributed to his habit. If you read his book it becomes pretty clear to me that his traits were not going to be aided by remaining in football. It's an illness and a very sad progression for a super talented footballer.
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The environment in WA was and still is way more toxic than Melbourne. Whether or not he was still taking is something only Ben can answer but if his family are on record as stating he appeared functional and coherent then that's a sure sign he wasn't facing the same sort of social pressures.
 
I'm a bit sick of Cousins. He's a drug addled individual and he's had enough chances. I doubt he,ll ever be clean. To read his lawyers claim "It is the first time that he is willing to grab the hand and say "yep, I have got to change"" is fairly galling.
 
bullus_hit said:
I've heard the complete opposite and that comes from his family who have thanked Richmond for temporarily bringing their son back.
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Very nieve, unfortunately in most cases families are the biggest enablers of addicts. Temporarily the appropriate word - addiction isn't something you magically cure.

Ultimately addiction can only be arrested by the addict themselves.
 
MD Jazz said:
Very nieve, unfortunately in most cases families are the biggest enablers of addicts. Temporarily the appropriate word - addiction isn't something you magically cure.

Ultimately addiction can only be arrested by the addict themselves.
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Actually most addicts of ice/meth would be enabled by their friends and other drug associates that they buy and consume the drugs with. Family might play a role depending on circumstances. Given his family are in WA (I assume) in his time at Richmond it would be hard to see them as enablers. And when he was at the Eagles it is clear it was the culture of the WCE football club and the other players who enabled him, not his family.

TL:DR - every case is different, we don't know the ins and outs so its hard to judge if his time at Richmond made things better or worse. No doubt discipline, training and having something to do would have helped, but not permanently as we can see.
 
bullus_hit said:
The environment in WA was and still is way more toxic than Melbourne. Whether or not he was still taking is something only Ben can answer but if his family are on record as stating he appeared functional and coherent then that's a sure sign he wasn't facing the same sort of social pressures.
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Cousins often appeared functional and coherent when under the influence. He spent his whole life perfecting it. How his family perceived it doesn't really prove anything in my view. I'm not saying WA wasn't more toxic than Melbourne, of course it was, but the basic environment was the same, a player at a footy club. He needed to get away from that all together imo.
 
antman said:
Actually most addicts of ice/meth would be enabled by their friends and other drug associates that they buy and consume the drugs with. Family might play a role depending on circumstances. Given his family are in WA (I assume) in his time at Richmond it would be hard to see them as enablers. And when he was at the Eagles it is clear it was the culture of the WCE football club and the other players who enabled him, not his family.

TL:DR - every case is different, we don't know the ins and outs so its hard to judge if his time at Richmond made things better or worse. No doubt discipline, training and having something to do would have helped, but not permanently as we can see.
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Enabling means providing money, food, housing etc. pretty confident if Ben was doing the right thing he wouldn't be using.
Unfortunately most have to lose money, friends, family before taking action. And then you have to take ongoing action to manage your addiction. Ben clearly is not ready to accept the facts of his addiction.

Obviously this is all just my opinion based on observation and experience. But loving family are often unable to provide the tough love needed.
 
MD Jazz said:
Enabling means providing money, food, housing etc. pretty confident if Ben was doing the right thing he wouldn't be using.
Unfortunately most have to lose money, friends, family before taking action. And then you have to take ongoing action to manage your addiction. Ben clearly is not ready to accept the facts of his addiction.

Obviously this is all just my opinion based on observation and experience. But loving family are often unable to provide the tough love needed.
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Understand that, but given the money Ben would have been earning as an AFL footballer it wasn't his family providing this, or the money to buy ice etc. Post-career, I don't know who is enabling him and who isn't.
 
tigerlove said:
Cousins often appeared functional and coherent when under the influence. He spent his whole life perfecting it. How his family perceived it doesn't really prove anything in my view. I'm not saying WA wasn't more toxic than Melbourne, of course it was, but the basic environment was the same, a player at a footy club. He needed to get away from that all together imo.
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Don't forget circa 2005/6 there were reports of Eagles players associating with bikie gang members and prominent Perth underworld figures. So there would've been external destructive influences on the club.
In a 2 club town like Perth the effects of those types of influences are magnified threefold.
 
TV crew caught up with Ben today near his parents home in Bicton. Ben never replied to their questions. His appearance left a lot to be desired as well. Ben is now in a world of his own. It is sad to see such a talented individual in the state he is in now. No words of condemnation or advice will change his destiny.
 
Tigaman said:
TV crew caught up with Ben today near his parents home in Bicton. Ben never replied to their questions. His appearance left a lot to be desired as well. Ben is now in a world of his own. It is sad to see such a talented individual in the state he is in now. No words of condemnation or advice will change his destiny.
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He's not in a good spot and looks terrible. His family must feel so helpless as I'm sure they've tried everything they can to get him straight.

I hope the media give him some space though. We dont need to see him and he doesn't need to be seen in his current state. It will only push him further off the cliff
 
Ben neefs to be put on an lsland some place where he can dry out fend for himself and become a man again.
 
Ian4 said:
yeah because that's gonna cure him of his addiction.
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Unfortunately Cous is not facing his addiction. He would know what he has to do, he has been in multiple programs so would have been offered the right advice. His brain might to to far *smile* to take the right actions.

I have empathy for him but he would have been provided all the tools to control his addiction. He just doesn't want to do the right thing.
 
MD Jazz said:
I have empathy for him but he would have been provided all the tools to control his addiction. He just doesn't want to do the right thing.
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He "wants" to free from his addiction.

He is an addict.

Understanding the nature of addiction, genetic programming and the way brain's Synapses form Neural Pathways can help when understanding why people can not easily change behaviours.
 
It's a bloody sad case. The way he's going he won't see 50.

How far would you go to save a loved one from themselves? Lock them in a room for a year?
 
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