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

3rd degree · Post by **3rd degree** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:56 pm

Nice one Kickit2me! I think the biggest loser from us not getting Big Ben is Caroswine Wilson as she will be never get to write her " Axis of Evil" double piece on Alan Didak and Ben Cousins.

John Wren · Post by **John Wren** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:22 pm

3rd degree wrote:Nice one Kickit2me! I think the biggest loser from us not getting Big Ben is Caroswine Wilson as she will be never get to write her " Axis of Evil" double piece on Alan Didak and Ben Cousins.

wrong, michael gardiner and ben cousins.

molloymagic · Post by **molloymagic** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:33 pm

Ben was a player who we could have got for nothing,thats what gets me. The way i read it,they asked a police officer and apparently there was a chance that he could submit to the power of drugs again and after what the pies went thru the past years,they thought better off it. That's how i read it anyway.

Whose to say ben will do drugs again, the truth is we need experience players,who know how to play finals. Seemed to good to be true

Alec. J. Hidell · Post by **Alec. J. Hidell** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:43 pm

All this crap about getting Cousins for nothing!!!

A draft pick is not nothing, it could be a 10 year player

bwphantom · Post by **bwphantom** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:59 pm

I have been saying all along that we should pass on him. I am more than happy withn this decision.

On the basis of these three arguments I see him as a big risk.

1. 30 years of age.

2. Has not played a game of Footy for 18 months, last season he experienced hammy prolems.

3. A recovering drug addict that cannot confirm that he has overcome his addiction.

Now take out the name Cousins, would you pick up a player with those credentials?

AN_Inkling · Post by **AN_Inkling** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:06 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?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.

Saints have not picked up Cousins yet. No certainty to do so, or to even want to.

We may have some information the Saints did not have a week or two ago, when they declared interest. There's no doubt the club was interested. The question is what changed their mind? If it's some new information, is it enough for all clubs to turn their backs? We'll have to wait and see, certainly too early to label the decision as terrible.

If the Saints do decide they want him, there are a number of reasons why they may think he's worth the risk, where we don't, the main one being the state of the respective lists:

We are in the process of rebuilding (have been since 2004-2005). The Saints are much older, for them it's "now, or 7-8 years down the track" for premiership contention, for us it's "too young for now, but looking good for 2-4 years on". So, they would see the reward as more tempting than we would. In short, they are more desperate than we are.

Cousins would not have made the difference for us. He would have been a replacement for Burns, with little likelihood of performing significantly better. Do you really rate Burns so lowly, that in: Cousins (with the difficulties he needs to overcome) out: Burns, means Collingwood = premiership contenders? I'm not seeing it.

Post by **David** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:13 pm

Fair point there Inkling, although I don't think we can deny that Cousins is an extremely gifted footballer, and possibly better than Burns, as much as we'd hate to admit it.

Of course though, I get your point. How much better, really?

From my perspective, it's still a bit of a downer. At least Cousins would have been Burns' equal (had all gone well). Now we have nobody to fill that void.

nulla · Post by **nulla** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:27 pm

From my perspective, it's still a bit of a downer. At least Cousins would have been Burns' equal (had all gone well). Now we have nobody to fill that void.

Things can change so much in a year, we dont know who may step up, someone un expected, it may not be a gun type step up but something to show promise... who knows.

I have faith in the youngsters and the current list.

Remember this time last year when we were screaming to Hine to get us a Ruckman... Josh still did not have that great a season due to injury but boy didn't it give Bryan a kick in the right direction.. he still has flaws but be honest did we expect it, for I didnt and thought Wood when drafted would have filled the void.

I think our ruck area is looking much better now.. lets hope the same can be said of an in and under mid next year.

Lazza · Post by **Lazza** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:43 pm

themonk wrote:
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.

THIS is the way I read it dude....

Magpies out of Cousins race
Jake Niall | October 17, 2008
COLLINGWOOD has withdrawn from the race to recruit Ben Cousins, leaving St Kilda as the hot favourite to secure him if the AFL clears him to resume his career.

"To be honest, we're more worried about him being eligible than before anything else.
"Collingwood were up front with us and told us and gave us their reasons. I accept that. They've had their problems this year with behavioural situations and I don't think it would have been in anyone's best interests if there had been a problem next year with Ben, combined with what problems they've had in the last three years."

So Collingwood DOES seem to lack strong leadership on this issue as you say................

pietillidie · Post by **pietillidie** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:44 pm

I'll pass commenting on this. There is simply not enough information to know if it was a good or bad decision.

Pied Piper · Post by **Pied Piper** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:46 pm

I don't think anyone could argue that Collingwood hasn't looked long and hard into both the pros and cons of this. If they've decided the cons outweigh the pros, I accept that.

I also agree with AN_inkling's reasoning in this thread regarding the state of our list. I don't believe we are one player from a premiership, and I doubt even a player as incredibly gifted as Cousins - who is basically an outside midfielder with elite endurance capacity and disposal skills - would deliver one in the short term. (In fact I'm suspicious of anyone who argues for quick-fix solutions.)

Looking on the bright side, we can look forward to the development of our own midfielders currently on the fringe of our side, including Sharrod Wellingham, Danny Stanley, John McCarthy, and maybe even Kevin Dyas. Not to mention pick number 11 in a very deep and talented draft, who may prove good enough to command a place in the 22 immediately. Granted, none of them are likely to be as good as Cousins in his prime, but any and all of them are a better chance than Cousins than being part of our next premiership, IMHO.

JBJ · Post by **JBJ** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:51 pm

Just one (long) question. Can someone tell me who are our Board members and what Companies (spell that - sponsors) do they represent?

Oh, one other question. Did Collingwood Members vote these Board members in?

Piesnchess · Post by **Piesnchess** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:01 pm

Very,very disappointed.Same old story,same old song,we are never EVER going to land a big name under this administration.Betcha Cousins will now end up at the Scum,those bastards will do it to spite us,this is a bitter decision,more rebuilding(YAWN,SIGH,TITTER)

Morrigu · Post by **Morrigu** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:02 pm

^

Our current Board are:

Eddie McGuire, Prez

Jack Kennedy & Alec Waisliz, VPs

Sally Capp, Mark Korda, Ian McMullin & Paul Leeds

Kennedy is a Doctor - that one I know

Alec Waisliz - isn't he married to Pratt's daughter???

Sally Capp is ? a banker ? NAB maybe?

Mark Korda - um wasn't he the bloke who managed the Ansett failure?

Ian McMullin - ?? Spotless maybe

Paul Leeds - no bloody idea!

I haven't voted for so long I feel like an American

Statement from Pert to the members on the website

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/tabid/5 ... wsid=69073

Piesnchess · Post by **Piesnchess** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:09 pm

Incidentally,since when did Police Commish christine Nixon become a Pies recruiter?????Does our top Cop barrack for the Pies,and has she been staking out Benny???

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