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Cousins retires from AFL

By Mr Dandalooa

Ben Cousins has retired from AFL football.

While many Richmond supporters will undoubtedly be disappointed the 2005 Brownlow medallist is moving on it appears he come to end of a very winding road.

West Coast dual premiership player Glen Jakovich said Cousins made the right decision but comes just a week after he publicly suggested he should play for West Coast and could save Woosha’s job.

Cousin’s has played 30 games for the Tigers since getting picked up in the 2008 pre-season draft and play his last game at Richmond’s round 22 game against Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium.

Cousins at 32 isn’t seemingly old but he reportedly believes the time is right for himself and the club that threw him that lifeline.

Before heading to Richmond, Cousins played 238 games for the Eagles, he was skipper the side from 2002-06 and played in a premiership, got six All-Australian jumpers and four club best and fairest awards to make him one of the club’s all time greats.

Cousins was sacked at the end of the 2007 season when the Eagles bowed out in its premiership defence.

The troubled star was deregistered by the league for a year for bringing the game into disrepute after details of his drug addiction were revealed.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said football has been Cousins’ “saving grace” in his bid to overcome his demons and drug addiction.

A soon-to-be-released documentary detailing the fallen star’s drug abuse and rehabilitation will be aired on Channel 7 in six weeks’ time.

Hardwick has endorsed its broadcasting.

“From what I’ve heard, it in no way glorifies it (drug use). This is a guy who has come back from the brink,” Hardwick said on the club’s website.

“Without AFL football and without the Richmond footy club, there is a fair chance that Ben wouldn’t have made it.

“So I think the program in no way glorifies drug use, I think it is an enormous educational tool for parents to sit down with their kids with the classification in mind and say, ‘Listen, this is what happens.’

“Ben has been very lucky but there are a lot of people who aren’t.”

Hardwick said drugs nearly killed Cousins and that it was a great opportunity for people to sit down, have a really good look at it and understand it.

Although he hasn’t seen it, he said it was very confronting by all accounts and it is an enormous opportunity for people to have a look at it and say listen this is what happens when you take drugs.

“Ben’s come out of the other side, a lot of people don’t. It’s a great story and one that I think is worth everyone having a look at,” he said.