http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/magpies-out-of-cousins-race/2008/10/16/1223750232347.html
COLLINGWOOD has withdrawn from the race to recruit Ben Cousins, leaving St Kilda as the hot favourite to secure him if the AFL clears him to resume his career.
Cousins' manager, Ricky Nixon, confirmed last night that the Magpies had informed him that they would not be pursuing Cousins in the draft — a decision believed to based on a raft of reasons, including the club's preference for youth, concerns about injury and his well-documented issues with drugs and even the potential impact on sponsorship in the current environment.