Ben Cousins

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Ben Cousins

Personal information
Birth	June 30, 1978 (1978-06-30) (age 29), Geelong
Recruited from	East Fremantle Football Club (WAFL)
Height and weight	179cm /87kg
Playing career¹
Debut	Round 4, April 21, 1996, West Coast vs. Geelong, at Subiaco Oval
Team(s)	West Coast Eagles (1996-2007) 238 games, 205 goals
¹ Statistics to end of 2007 season
Career highlights
AFL Premiership Player (2006) Brownlow Medal (2005) Leigh Matthews Trophy as League MVP (2005) 6-time All-Australian (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006) 4-time West Coast Eagles Best and Fairest Winner (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005) West Coast Eagles Captain (2001-2005) International Rules Series (1999) AFL Rising Star Award (1996)

Benjamin Luke Cousins (born 30 June 1978 in Geelong, Victoria)^[1] is a former professional Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League. He played over 200 games for West Coast, with a reputation as one of the most decorated midfielders over the last decade, where he won a Brownlow Medal, a Leigh Matthews Trophy as MVP, four club Best & Fairest's, and six selections in the All-Australian team. He currently has just signed for Port Melbourne in the VFL.^{[citation needed]}

Cousins' football career has been marred by several off-field incidents which have attracted considerable negative publicity. These incidents involved recreational drug use, requiring drug rehabilitation before he could take the field, a traffic conviction for avoiding a booze bus and associations with criminal elements which saw him several times almost expelled as a player by the club and league. The West Coast Eagles terminated his contract on October 17, 2007 after he had been arrested for alleged drug possession.^[2]

Early Life

Cousins was born in Geelong but was raised in Perth as an Anglican with his parents Stephanie and Bryan, a former star footballer himself, and siblings Matthew, Sophie and Melanie. He played junior football for the Bullcreek-Leeming Junior Football Club, before being recruited to the WAFL to play for East Fremantle (because Bullcreek-Leeming was in the East Fremantle zone). He was educated at Wesley College where he was vice-captain of the schools team.

Football career

Cousins was drafted in 1995 by the West Coast Eagles under the father-son rule, as his father Bryan (a star player himself in the local West Australian Football League competition) had played 67 games for the Geelong Football Club in the then-VFL. This clause allowed him to choose between playing for the Geelong Cats, the newly formed Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles. The prospect of remaining in his hometown of Perth led Cousins to opt for the Eagles.

Cousins made his debut in the AFL in 1996 at the age of 17 - coincidentally against Geelong - and won the AFL's Rising Star award in his first season. Cousins has developed into one of the leading players in the league, winning four West Coast Best and Fairest Awards (2001, 2002, 2003 & 2005) and being selected in six All Australian Teams (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006). Cousins played for Australia in the 1999 International Rules series in Australia. In 2005, he became the second West Coast player to receive the Brownlow Medal, and also the first West Coast player to win the Leigh Matthews Trophy, thereby sweeping the two major individual honours in the AFL.

Ben Cousins was the captain of West Coast from 2001 until 2005, and played his 200th AFL game during the 2005 season. Cousins was a dominant player in the 2005 season, leading most AFL media awards for best player as the Eagles secured a second place finish in the regular season. The season culminated in him winning the 2005 Brownlow Medal by one vote from teammate Daniel Kerr. He also led the West Coast Eagles to the 2005 AFL Grand Final which the team lost to the Sydney Swans by four points.

In February 2006 Cousins resigned his captaincy following an off-field incident where he ran away from a booze-bus (see below) with vice-captain Chris Judd taking over the position. Nevertheless, Cousins helped carry the team to their first premiership in 12 years to become the 2006 AFL Premiers. He played a key role in the 2006 Grand Final, achieving 18 possessions and kicking two of West Coast's 12 goals.

On 29 June 2007 Cousins was given clearance by the AFL to resume training with the West Coast Eagles, which he did on the following Monday. It had been rumoured that he would may make his return to the side the following weekend against the Brisbane Lions, but Cousins suffered a pulled hamstring in training on the day before the game and missed the next 2 weeks. Cousins made his return to football on the 21 July 2007 in a match against arch-rivals Sydney at Subiaco Oval. He started on the bench but six minutes into the first quarter he was given the green light and received a huge reception from the Eagles' home crowd, giving him a standing ovation. Cousins proceeded to rack up 38 disposals in one of the best matches of his AFL career. Cousins was named man of the match and received a $5000 Plasma TV for his efforts.^[3]

Cousins was officially delisted by the Eagles on 30 November 2007. The Eagles wanted to do so before the National Draft, but due to the uncertainty of possible legal action and/or contract payouts, his delisting was delayed to avoid a possible salary cap breach.[1]

Off-field controversies

2001 Warning to Ken Judge

In 2001 Ken Judge was warned by an unarmed Perth detective that Cousins was using illegal drugs. Judge passed this on to the club administration but no action was taken.^[4]

Assault and broken arm

In September 2002 Cousins was involved in a brawl with team mate Daniel Kerr at a Perth nightclub, in which Kerr punched him in the face during the club's end of season celebrations. Later the same night, Kerr pushed Cousins down a flight of stairs, breaking his arm. The fight was believed to be about Kerr's relationship with Cousins' sister Melanie.^{[5] [6]} Both continued to play for the Eagles.

Association with criminals

In May 2005 Cousins and then West Coast team mate Michael Gardiner were criticised for involvement with a group of alleged Perth underworld figures. According to allegations the two Eagles players received phone calls from gangland figures both before and after a stabbing and shooting at the Metro City nightclub.^[4] Police questioned Cousins and Gardiner about the incident but they refused to co-operate. The club told the pair that they were on their "last warning" and that their off-field behaviour would not be tolerated.^[5]

Booze bus incident, 2006

On February 12, 2006, Cousins avoided a booze bus by running from his car in the middle of a major Perth highway and from police as they ordered him to stop.^[7] His role as captain of the Eagles was quickly put in doubt following the incident, and on February 20 he read out a statement in front of media at Subiaco Oval announcing his resignation as captain.^[8] He was charged on summons on February 27 with one count of obstructing traffic and one count of obstructing police. He pleaded guilty to both charges and was fined $900.^[5] He was fined $5,000 by the Eagles.

Arrest at Crown Casino

In early December 2006 Cousins was arrested in Melbourne and spent four hours in jail after being in a disoriented and uncontrolled state at the Crown Casino. Photographs of Cousins showing him apparently passed out outside the Casino were later printed in newspapers. Cousins did not need to go to court and was not fined, and the club decided not to discipline him, saying the media scrutiny was sufficient punishment.^[5][9]

Diagnosis of drug addiction and rehabilitation (2007)

On 20 March 2007, West Coast club chairman Dalton Gooding announced at a press conference that Cousins had been suspended indefinitely (officially) for his failure to attend two training sessions.^[10] When pressed on the exact reason for the suspension, Gooding would only say that Cousins was facing a "number of personal and professional issues" and that "Over the past few weeks those issues have come to the surface and it's time that Ben was suspended from the club to go away and try to tackle those issues head on." It was also confirmed in the press conference that Cousins underwent an AFL drug test on March 19.^[11]

On 22 March Cousins' father, Bryan, made a prepared statement admitting that his son had a "substance abuse" problem.^[12] To add to his personal issues, Cousins had also recently split with his long-term girlfriend, Samantha Druce.^[12]

On 3 April Ben Cousins was admitted to the exclusive Summit Centre in Malibu, California. This was despite misleading leaks from the Eagles and Cousins' camp that suggested he was heading to Arizona for treatment.^[13]

On 24 April Dalton Gooding said that Cousins would return within the next fortnight.^[14] Cousins arrived back in Perth on the 30 April 2007 and is likely to continue his treatment at an outpatient program there.^[15]

On 4 May Cousins made a well-scripted public statement. In this statement Cousins apologised to a number of groups including his team mates, his club the West Coast Eagles, the AFL and the community. He said he was continuing his rehabilitation but did not know when he would return to football.^[16]

Chris Mainwaring death

In September, Ben Cousins again reached the media spotlight, as he was one of the last to see an agitated and depressed Chris Mainwaring (former West Coast Eagles dual Premiership player) before he died. Mainwaring died after taking cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, anti-depressants, Roaccutane and alcohol. The West Coast Eagles initially stated that Cousins had tested negative to a drug test the day following Mainwarings death. However, at the press conference to announce Cousins dismissal, club officials stated that the club didn't drug test Cousins and that they had no knowledge of a drug test. His family doctor has since said that Cousins had tested negative to a blood test that he had taken after Mainwaring's death. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

Cousins' 2007 arrest

On October 16, 2007 Cousins was arrested in the Perth suburb of Northbridge.^[20] He came to the attention of Police after Cousins' car was observed driving erratically. Police searched his car and found a small quantity of diazepam, viagra and oxycontin. Cousins was transferred to Major Crime headquarters at Curtin House for questioning by detectives. Cousins was charged with possession of a prohibited drug, and failing to comply with a Police ordered drug assessment. ^[21][22][23]

His playing contract with the West Coast Eagles football was terminated the next day.^[2]

Upon appearing at the initial hearing at the Perth Magistrates Court on October 18 Cousin's lawyer request a 90 day adjournment while Cousins completes his drug rehabilitation program and stated that they would be pleading not guilty. The magistrate remanded the hearing until January 21, 2008.^[24]

The lawyer for Cousins stated on October 19 that the possession of a prohibited drug charge would be withdrawn by police. ^[25] The WA Police have confirmed this and stated that the drug which he was charged with possessing, diazepam, was only a prohibited drug when found in an injectable form. The Police also stated that alprazolam, oxycontin, and viagra were found in Cousin's car, along with a rolled up bank note (found on the person of one of his female passengers) bearing traces of cocaine and ecstasy, however he was not charged in relation to these drugs.^[26]

Los Angeles

Cousins flew to Los Angeles on 27 October, apparently with the intention of continuing his drug rehabilitation at the Summit Center clinic. He was reported to have failed to attend and several days later was was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital following an alleged cocaine binge.^[27][28] Los Angeles police decided not to lay any charges relating to the incident.^[29]

12-month ban

In an unprecedented move, the AFL requested Cousins to appear before them to consider his behaviour and whether he had brought the game into disrepute.^[30] After a seven-hour hearing before the Commission of Conduct on 19 November, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou announced the League's decision that he was "found guilty of conduct unbecoming and likely to prejudice the interest of the AFL and [of] bringing the game into disrepute"^[31] and that he was banned from playing for 12 months^[32] At the press conference, Cousins stated: "I would like to apologise to the AFL players and supporters for the embarrassment that my conduct has brought to the game". He also acknowledged that he was fighting a drug addiction and was on track to beat it.

2008

In February 2008, Ben Cousins spoke about his drug addiction for the first time since he went into hiding last year.

Speaking at an anti-drugs forum, hosted by boxer Anthony Mundine, Cousins described himself as an educated man who learned at school that drugs could be bad. "At the end of the day, I ran the gauntlet," he said. "I really don’t think I had a choice ... I am someone who has lost my livelihood. I hurt ... my family and friends."

But when asked about how he was coping with addiction, Cousins said: "Life's good - I'm in a good place."^[33]

See also

• List of Australian rules football incidents

References

External links

• Ben Cousins profile on the Official AFL Website of the West Coast Eagles Football Club
• Ben Cousins's statistics from AFL Tables

• Analysis of Bens Game style
• Booze is where drug problem starts Article in The Australian about alcohol/drug problems among AFL players