Ben Cousins - He's back (now at Richmond) [Merged Threads]

Alec. J. Hidell · Post by **Alec. J. Hidell** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:45 pm

No ronnie, we will just have to accept that the club got it right.
No storming the barricades on this one I'm afraid.

We'll just have to wait til the next 'crisis'

DaVe86 · Post by **DaVe86** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:46 pm

couldnt be more upset at the club.

A champion of the game...we are able to get him for free...but we pass up on him.

Looking forward to another year of finishing 8th.

DaVe86 · Post by **DaVe86** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:48 pm

looking forward to another 8th place finish.

There is no reason why a champion footballer like Ben Cousins should be passed on.

Trezegol · Post by **Trezegol** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:53 pm

Collingwood goes week at the knees when trying to lure big name players. OK, so the Ben Cousins drama is a lot to different to most, but what really is the risk?

Is the risk that he would influence his teamates? I doubt it.

Is the risk he may be injury prone? Yes

Is the risk he gets on the juice again? Yes.

If the answer is no to the first question, then the risk of taking cousins is very little or nothing at all. The advantages in this situation far outweigh the disadvantages.

I think the club really has to ask itself whether it is in the business of winning premierships or in the business of protecting brand image. If it's the latter - which it appears to be - this explains the 1 premiership in 50 years.

John Wren · Post by **John Wren** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:57 pm

Alec. J. Hidell wrote:No ronnie, we will just have to accept that the club got it right.
No storming the barricades on this one I'm afraid.

We'll just have to wait til the next 'crisis'

a good business decision.

Melsa5 · Post by **Melsa5** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:58 pm

Trezegol wrote:Collingwood goes week at the knees when trying to lure big name players. OK, so the Ben Cousins drama is a lot to different to most, but what really is the risk?

Is the risk that he would influence his teamates? I doubt it.

Is the risk he may be injury prone? Yes

Is the risk he gets on the juice again? Yes.

If the answer is no to the first question, then the risk of taking cousins is very little or nothing at all. The advantages in this situation far outweigh the disadvantages.

I think the club really has to ask itself whether it is in the business of winning premierships or in the business of protecting brand image. If it's the latter - which it appears to be - this explains the 1 premiership in 50 years.

Yeah some good points there, but how about this - he gets on the juice again and we have to support him, use resources we could be using for other things and try and calm the disruption and tension amongst the players that may be caused by his actions? Why bring that into the club (even if it may be a 5% risk its still a risk).

I have said before I wanted him...but obviously the risks far out weighed the gains.

Neil Appleby · Post by **Neil Appleby** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:00 pm

I think this is the correct decision all things considered.

Cousins at 27 even 28 would have been worth the risk.
Cousins at 30 after a year out of the game and with chronic injuries?
To risky.

The Club, board, Eddie, MM would have looked very seriously at this. We were obviously the first club to pursue him and we should all be thankful that our board has done due diligence and decided to pass. they wouldn't be sitting back and passing on Cousins if their intelligence proved positive.

Some suggestion that we had a private investigator watching him. Good move.

I'm happy the club did every possible check and decided then to pass.

Good luck to Cousins, but I think our club has done the right thing.

Deja Vu · Post by **Deja Vu** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:10 pm

Exactly which chronic injuries are we talking about? Cousins had played 220+ games by the age of 29.

One serious hamstring injury at 29 does not equal "chronic".

He was worth the risk - nothing ventured nothing gained. What were we going to give up for him? A PSD pick that we won't use anyway.

Cousins will play very good football next year should he be picked up by the Saints. This decision tells me that we did not back our club/coach/culture to keep him on the straight and narrow. Yet the Saints are happy to pick him up...

What is happening to Collingwood?

Alec. J. Hidell · Post by **Alec. J. Hidell** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:10 pm

No reason, you say?

leonmagic · Post by **leonmagic** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:15 pm

Alec. J. Hidell wrote:
Lazza wrote:Geez, YET another lost opportunity to add to the likes of Quinlan, Locket, Gheric, Nick Stevens etc etc etc.

Piss poor effort by the pies. We NEED talented experience after the recent losses of Bucks, Wakes, Clements, Burns, Holland etc etc. The team we have now might qualify for the bloody under 23's soon!!

Oh well, we MIGHT get to see another flag in our time......................!! At least I can treasure 1990!!!
Buckley
Rocca
Licuria
Wakelin
Clement
Medhurst

i think he's talking about recruiting a star player. all of those players bar buckley were average to rubbish at the time of signing with collingwood.

doriswilgus · Post by **doriswilgus** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:20 pm

I don't understand this at all.If Cousins is too much of a risk for Collingwood then why isn't he too much of a risk for St Kilda?And what did we have to lose by recruiting him anyway?We could have picked him for nothing without having to give up a player for him.Where's the risk in that?Even if it hadn't worked out,we still wouldn't have lost anything.Oh,well,it's going to be fun watching him tear our c grade midfield to pieces next year for St KIlda just as its been fun watching Judd tear our team to pieces this year.

themonk · Post by **themonk** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:20 pm

DaVe86 wrote:looking forward to another 8th place finish.

There is no reason why a champion footballer like Ben Cousins should be passed on.

Dave - think you meant "was a champion footballer", Ben's football from now on is an unknown.

I too would have loved Ben at the club and I hope that we haven't passed on him due to the Didak/Shaw turmoil. If this is the case then we lack strong leadership at board level to either rectify these issues or remove the culprits.

On the otherhand, if we have conducted a thorough investigation and come to the conclusion that Ben's head & body is not up to the pressures of AFL then so be it.

Melsa5 · Post by **Melsa5** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:24 pm

lois1 wrote:I don't understand this at all.If Cousins is too much of a risk for Collingwood then why isn't he too much of a risk for St Kilda?:roll:

Because they don't care...they love picking up ex-club players.

kickit2me · Post by **kickit2me** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:31 pm

Once Arizona was named as our pre-season destination, I knew it was all over. Way too high for Cousins...

Post by **RudeBoy** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:37 pm

Podpicken wrote:Well there you go. Was a bit excited about the prospect, but I'm happy to back the Pies' judgment on this. Bit disappointed, but yes, it's obvious it's all about a build. I may have thought we were possibly a player of his calibre away from grabbing a flag, but the powers that be don't agree

Pretty much how I feel too. I would have liked to see Benny in a Collingwood jumper, but I'm happy to see us land another young kid instead.

This is an unofficial Bulletin Board - owned and run by its users. We welcome all fans of the Mighty Collingwood Football Club.

Ben Cousins - He's back (now at Richmond) [Merged Threads]