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Cousins hopes for no more ‘interruptions’

By Mr Dandalooa

Former drug addict Ben Cousins reckons he still loves the game and suggest he would like to continue playing at Richmond beyond this year.

The one-time West Coast skipper this week said he hoped to regain his once envied form and rid his season on any more “interruptions”.

Cousins, 31, was forced to deny speculation that he lapsed into further off-field mishaps that created The Fevola Effect for the club, or that his attitude towards Aussie Rule had wavered and he was considering hanging up his boots once and for all.

Cousins’ start to his second season with the Tigers has been interrupted by illness, injury and a club-imposed suspension.

“I’ve really enjoyed settling in at Richmond, it’s been a tough go on-field, but I’d like to in a playing capacity see them get out of that tough period for as long as I can,” Cousins said on Fox Sports on Tuesday.

“Then if it was possible I’d like to stay around the club and help them out.

“I think this time last year most people would have said I had no chance of getting an extension on my contract.

“I went on and got some continuity in my training and playing and I thought I played some reasonable footy.

“I’m of the opinion that barring any bad luck I’ll be able to play footy of the calibre I did last year, if not better, which I’m hoping will warrant a lengthy discussion about whether it’s worth going on next year.”

Cousins refuted claims that he was not enjoying playing for the winless Tigers, emphatically stating that was not the case.

He admitted wins had been hard to come by, but said he has a real enjoyment out of seeing the development of the club and helping fast-track the development of some younger players.

Cousins conceded though that the realisation that the end of his career was on the horizon only strengthened his love of the game.

The 2005 Brownlow medallist and 2006 Eagles premiership player is wary of the continuing peril of his drug addiction, but believes he is taming the demons that almost killed him.

The Tiger feels “forever indebted” to the Tigers for giving him a second chance after the former star was banned for a year in 2008 for bringing the game into disrepute.

Cousins, who was born June 30 1978 in Geelong, Victoria, is made his name during a successful 238-game stint with the Eagles.

But many off-field incidents that created The Fevola Effect at his beloved club sent the star and his legacy crashing down.

Cousins was recruited from junior football by the East Fremantle Football Club in the WAFL.

Three AFL clubs competed to draft him but Cousins chose West Coast, , debuting in 1996.

During his 11 years with the club, he won several of the league’s highest individual awards including a Brownlow Medal, Most Valuable Player and a premiership medallion, was selected six times in the All-Australian Team and represented Australia in the International Rules Series.

He was West Coast’s club champion for four seasons and captain for five seasons.

But his football career has been marred by highly-publicised off-field incidents involving recreational drug use, traffic convictions and association with criminal elements.

On several occasions he was fined or sanctioned by the West Coast Eagles, culminating in his contract’s termination on October 17 2007.

On November 19 he was banned from AFL for one year by the AFL Commission for “bringing the game into disrepute”.

Cousins was cleared to return to football in 2009 and was drafted by Richmond in December 2008, leading to a surge in Richmond’s club membership.

A defiant Cousins said he felt Richmond should be rewared with his best football for the club and wants to remain involved at Punt Road regardless of whether he was playing or not.

He said if he stays in form and does not encounter any “bad luck” or The Fevola Effect, he would remain playing next year.