Ben Cousins wants a coaching role.

[bluemarq]

. He has a long way to go but might need someone to take a chance on him so that he can find a meaning to his life now that he can't play any more. Here's hoping it happens.

Well, yeah, but what you have to understand is that football clubs are not rehab organisations that exist for Cousins's benefit.

They are multi-million dollar operations which are focused on football and thus are extremely unlikely to look kindly on having to devote time and money to deal with personal issues of staff- particularly when those issues are self-inflicted, and the person suffering them has already been given ample opportuity to redeem himself, and has let those around him down, again and again.

Cousins is rich, has a high profile, a loving supportive family, the goodwill of the community and plenty of connections (legit ones I mean - not his worthless underworld "mates"). Those are advantages that very, very few people struggling with addiction have. If he can't find it within himself to get his act together with that sort of support, it is unlikely a club would consider him a suitable choice to lead impressionable young blokes.

 

[NarklesHelmet]

Well, yeah, but what you have to understand is that football clubs are not rehab organisations that exist for Cousins's benefit.

They are multi-million dollar operations which are focused on football and thus are extremely unlikely to look kindly on having to devote time and money to deal with personal issues of staff- particularly when those issues are self-inflicted, and the person suffering them has already been given ample opportuity to redeem himself, and has let those around him down, again and again.

Cousins is rich, has a high profile, a loving supportive family, the goodwill of the community and plenty of connections (legit ones I mean - not his worthless underworld "mates"). Those are advantages that very, very few people struggling with addiction have. If he can't find it within himself to get his act together with that sort of support, it is unlikely a club would consider him a suitable choice to lead impressionable young blokes.

The thing is, I am not saying that he needs to be supported by an AFL club. He is an addict: rich or not, it doesn't matter. Whoever takes him on will be taken a risk by doing so. I mentioned the basketballer Chris Herren in my post. He got involved with basketball again by coaching young players and found he loved it and it gave him something. He also discovered he was a great coach with juniors. From there he was able to do motivational talks to prisoners, schoolkids about avoiding temptations. It had to start somewhere and from that first step and due to him being a good speaker that laid his cards on the table he found that his story spoke to many people from different walks of life. Cousins is a good speaker, with effort he could end up doing similar things.

My point is that there is going to have to be someone to give him a chance somewhere along the line. If people don't think he deserves a chance well, that is your opinion, but I think everyone is capable of redemption and no one, you or I addict or not, should feel that we are no better than the worst thing we have done.

 

[the_interloper]

Wouldn't mind some coaching from Cuzzy: how to slay the birds and how to score some gear!