He's 30... He's not going to play the footy he did with WC. And even if he does, it won't be for as long. The advantages, having him show kids how it's done over 2 seasons, are too risky given the fact he could just as easily teach them BAD habits... and the cons far outweigh the pros. If it was the same situation, but our list had 3 more years under their belts and were looking dangerous, then yes... Topping up might make sense. This is the LAST time you could possibly want a 30 year old with baggage. You can argue deails til the cows come home, but these are the simple facts. Benny will not win us a flag next year, or the year after. Simple as that.

He's 30... He's not going to play the footy he did with WC. And even if he does, it won't be for as long. The advantages, having him show kids how it's done over 2 seasons, are too risky given the fact he could just as easily teach them BAD habits... and the cons far outweigh the pros. If it was the same situation, but our list had 3 more years under their belts and were looking dangerous, then yes... Topping up might make sense. This is the LAST time you could possibly want a 30 year old with baggage. You can argue deails til the cows come home, but these are the simple facts. Benny will not win us a flag next year, or the year after. Simple as that.

OK time to take a breather. The term "recreational drugs" is not helpful in determining whether something is or isn't performance enhancing. According to the World Anti Doping Agency. Amphetamine Type Substances (including ICE) and cocaine are classified as "performance enhancing" get caught with them in your system at the Olympics and you get banned just like you do with steroids. If people doubt that they could be effective on match day, just go to your local A&E about 2am on any given night to see just how 'effective' these drugs are in fueling people's strength and aggression.

Call me a sceptic, but I doubt the sincerity of Ben's claims he's now clean and the AFL's policy as a whole in protecting the image of the game. I don't like Ricky Nixon, but I agree with his accusations about the double (triple) standards that the league seems to have on this issue.

Good summary Graz.

Throughout this whole circus where there has been much to be cynical about, Benny's attitude all along has been cynical and in denial of the problem (forget the press release apologies etc).

Its no wonder AFL clubs are highly suspicious of the whole affair.

I keep thinking......

We need to get a winning culture back at the MFC.

..

I don't like Cousins, and deplore the WCE culture which won them a premiership.

I just wonder if we've closed our minds too early.

You have probably answered your problem in those two sentences about culture.

Cousins was front and center of that malignant culture that ultimately destroyed the Clubs opportunity for further success.

Benno and Grazman, you are absolutely correct. My son's friend provides door security at a night club and in 10 years he has never had any problems throwing out even big boddied drunks, but he is terrified of some of these, aggressive, even smaller patrons who may not even drink, go all night, and who it takes 3 guards to hold down while waiting for police to arrive.

These drugs they are using are definitely performance enhancing!! Those of you who argue differently are ill-informed!

No to Cousins! Brick-bats to WCE and John Worsfold!

Take it from someone who has attempted to play under the influence of all of these substances in their younger & much stupider days - NONE of these would enhance your performance, they would only be detrimental.

The closest to performance enhancing would be coke but it gives you tunnel vision & wears off too quickly.

These substances might make you think you can run through a brick wall, but 9 times out of ten you'd stumble before you got to said wall.

Beware, a monster is at large

The only thing Tim gets right is that there is inconsistency in the AFL drug policy. The rest is mumbo jumbo.

True, but i think he highlights how vague the whole drug issue is. There are no clearly defined lines (no pun intended).

In this situation i would prefer Nick Davis on a one year incentive contract. I think he would be a better prospect for our very thin forward line stocks at present. 2-3 years from Davis would be great. He does have immense talent when he wants to use it. Bailey might just sort him out..

I love watching Cousins play and I would not be surprised if he gets back to somewhere near his best in 12 months time. Still, I would not take the risk no matter how much work ethic he may show the kids. Besides, we now have a man named West who can show kids all about work ethic in the midfield albeit from the sidelines.

For what its worth, I reckon Benny was juiced up during the premiership win 2 years ago. He had/has this nervous paranoid look about him and I for one do not think he is clean at this moment. Has there ever been a more ripped player in the AFL than Cousins?? He may well have played on Ice and E who knows, but I would not be at all surprised to find out that he was on the `roid juice at some stage in his career.

Saying that, I truly hope he gets clean and plays well for the Saints. There are not many better opposition players running around that I enjoy watching, with or without substance assistance!!

In this situation i would prefer Nick Davis on a one year incentive contract. I think he would be a better prospect for our very thin forward line stocks at present. 2-3 years from Davis would be great. He does have immense talent when he wants to use it. Bailey might just sort him out..

I dont think it is a choice.

Given our forward line small options and given the culture we are trying to build I cant see a lazy selfish front running forward who has burnt his bridges at two clubs getting a gig here.

Given we are trying to build our midfield I dont see the use in a 1 yr contract on such a receiver being in MFC's interest.

I love watching Cousins play and I would not be surprised if he gets back to somewhere near his best in 12 months time. Still, I would not take the risk no matter how much work ethic he may show the kids. Besides, we now have a man named West who can show kids all about work ethic in the midfield albeit from the sidelines.

For what its worth, I reckon Benny was juiced up during the premiership win 2 years ago. He had/has this nervous paranoid look about him and I for one do not think he is clean at this moment. Has there ever been a more ripped player in the AFL than Cousins?? He may well have played on Ice and E who knows, but I would not be at all surprised to find out that he was on the `roid juice at some stage in his career.

Saying that, I truly hope he gets clean and plays well for the Saints. There are not many better opposition players running around that I enjoy watching, with or without substance assistance!!

You're an idiot.

Excerpt: "Under the AFL's illicit drugs code, a mid-week positive test to drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines result in a "strike". But on match days those drugs and ecstasy are deemed stimulants and therefore performance enhancing".

a player on some of those drugs on match day would definately be performance enhanced... cocaine especially...

a player on some of those drugs on match day would definately be performance enhanced... cocaine especially...

I read somewhere today, that Viagra is now being looked at as a performance enhancing drug. Searching for link...

edit: -

ANTI DOPE LOOKS AT VIAGRA LINK

I read somewhere today, that Viagra is now being looked at as a performance enhancing drug. Searching for link...

edit: -

ANTI DOPE LOOKS AT VIAGRA LINK

Taking Viagra!...is this some cunning new ploy defenders are going to use to get around the strict interpretation of the "hands in the back" rule?

Taking Viagra!...is this some cunning new ploy defenders are going to use to get around the strict interpretation of the "hands in the back" rule?

You'd be pretty "stiff" to get pinged if you were a backman.

I wouldn't get him only because of how far we are from contending.

If we within 2-3 years I'd definately get him. To be honest even if we within 4-5 years I would go after him because he's going to set a new standard at training and he'll be the cleanest bloke in the league.

Taking Viagra!...is this some cunning new ploy defenders are going to use to get around the strict interpretation of the "hands in the back" rule?

Puts a new spin on the term "hard man".

Announced on TV that the St Kilda board voted againt pursuing Cousins.

Announced on TV that the St Kilda board voted againt pursuing Cousins.

Gled we didn't have to make the decision after such a long and protracted period of speculation.

Their supporters are going to be wiping the floor with that Board over the next few days.

After much deliberation, the St Kilda Football Club Board and executive met today and made the decision not to proceed with pursuing Ben Cousins.

The Club conducted a complex five month review on Ben Cousins and its own playing group, resulting in a list management blueprint with a long term and strategic approach.

Saints CEO, Archie Fraser said, "We owed it to ourselves to undertake a rigorous and thorough review and have now made our decision. This is a decision that we didn't take lightly and we still believe that for the right Club, Ben could well be a great opportunity."

The Club would like to thank Ben and his management for the professional manner in which they have conducted discussions during this period.

The Club's internal review remains the property of the Club and is therefore confidential.

There will be no further comment made on the matter.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl...7-19742,00.html

I don't care what his experience is like or how good he is. I don't want a current/ex drug addict at my club. Even if he is recovered. How any of you can say that he is a good candidate for leadership is moronic. He's been mentioned alongside underworld figures, has a gang-style tat across his stomach, has admitted to taking coke/ice/whatever. I'm honestly sick of all these people feeling sorry for him and other addicts. He recovered (or say he says). So good luck to him. But don't praise him. Condemn him for having to recover in the first place.

Maybe take your sheltered, uneducated prejudice's somewhere else mate???

Still reckon someone will pick him up

Over at saintsational they're actually taking it out on Nathan Carroll.

WTF, by comparison Carroll's a model citizen and comes a lot cheaper.

As we have the first psd choice does that mean that if cousins nominates for it we can get him? (salary cap being ok) I am not suggesting I want him, but what does Collingwood and St kilda know?

Maybe take your sheltered, uneducated prejudice's somewhere else mate???

Sheltered? Maybe... Uneducated? Quite possibly.... Wrong? Absolutely not.

The guy took drugs, kept taking drugs, and while you can feel for him and wish him the best all you like, there still shouldn't be a place for men of his moral character in footy. Talk about sheltered and uneducated? There is a LOT to be said about reintroducing him to a league where he's going to be hero-worshipped by kids. If he plays again, he'll likely play pretty well, simply because he's a quality footballer (though not for ALL that much longer), so kids will get behind him... and I tell you what, if you don't think that'll make drugs seem like less of an evil to impressionable minds, then you have some thinking to do.

The caveat here is that if he returns, and remains clean, renounces his past alignments with criminal elements, and IMMEDIATELY and permanently jumps on the anti-drug bandwagon, then he could resume his place as a role-model to kids. In fact it's conceivable that he could be an even more powerful anti-drug message if that were the case, but I don't see him doing any of that. If anything, he smugly smiles and nods and avoids the attention. And how much more impact can he have in the media with only a couple of good years left in him anyway?

None of this is intended to assassinate his character... I DO hope the guy can find some peace, and recover fully. But unless there's a dramatic shift in his public persona, there shouldn't be a place for Ben in the public eye.

I still strongly believe he will be playing next year. If he goes into the PSD someone will see the value of the risk of drafting ben vs the risk of drafting a nobody who will never cut it. Geeze I hope it is MFC that is bold. Which ever way it goes it will be good PR. If he turns out good we were the ones that gave him a chance when no one else would have. Worst case if he re-offends then he is gone and we are still seen as the good guys for giving the bloke a chance.

WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOOSE, ONLY GAIN BY DRAFTING BEN.