Cousins: The Thread We Had To Have

[Gunnar Longshanks]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

do you reckon we'll leave any open spots for us to participate in the PSD gunnar?

i would've thought we'd use up all our list space in the ND.

We've got pick 2.

Surely we'll give ourselves the option of using it.

It would be a bad outcome if the PSD starts, with a couple of good players in it, and we find ourselves unable to participate.

That would be embarrassing.

It may turn out that there's no-one we want, but surely we'd give ourselves the option.

 

[maccles_23]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

Firstly, Barnaba is heading up the company, so of course he has more power than Cousins (no longer a listed player), and Jakovich (hasn't been part of the club for a long time and has just declined a coaching position with West Coast). Why would those two have any say in what goes on at the club?

Secondly it is very easy for Sumich to say he would have him back, knowing full well it will never happen. He gets to look like the good guy, without ever having to back up his claim that he would have him back.

Thirdly he says this "I think the players have done a big turnaround on that side of things … but it would come down to a board decision, and there is no chance," Sumich said. That is a comment that indicates to me that Cousins wasn't welcome in the group not long ago, time may heal all wounds, but what is to say that they wouldn't fester again if he returned to the club? Remember the time, effort and humiliation the rest of the group had to put in/up with because of the antics of players like Cousins!

Fourthly, Cousins has stated that he needs to get out of WA, so to just assume that he would want to come back to West Coast is maybe jumping to conclusions. He has never expressed a desire to play for West Coast again.

Lastly, although a favourite son, Cousins is now 30 and has missed the best part of two seasons of football. If the club that picked him up got one good season out of him, they would be doing well. Is it really worth the division of the club for one season of Cousins playing when we should be developing our list and moving on? Cousins will be long gone the next time we challenge for a flag.

He hasn't expressed a desire to play for anyone.

Surely if he was as dedicated to making amends as he says he is he'd want to give something back to the club that, apart from the disgraceful decision to sack him, looked after him and gave him everything he had/has today?

The problem isn't Ben Cousins, the players or the coaches - the problem is Mark Barnaba and his desire to make sure he leaves a footprint on not only WCE but the AFL in general.

I know the buck stops with him and any indiscretion made by any player, not just Cousins, rests in his lap; but surely if the coach and his assistants, with the players support, went to him and the board with a proposal for Cousins to come back it'd get the vote?

I've just watched the Footy Show's interview with him again because I was sure there was mention of the whole "will you play in Perth again" thing. It was mentioned, he said "On the law of averages, yeah you'd probably say, but I haven't looked that far ahead" - hardly a definitive statement.

As for Barnaba and the rest of the board - "You say 'why would they?', well why wouldn't they?" - Ben Cousins, 26-6-08.

 

[Juddy88]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

Have you got a link to that interview maccles?

 

[maccles_23]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

Have you got a link to that interview maccles?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn9bc2U7UsI

 

[Juddy88]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn9bc2U7UsI

Cheers mate

 

[Quinz]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

I said it last year, that he would play for us again. Cuz bleeds blue and gold.

 

[Audacious]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

Ok im starting to get excited about this now. I couldnt care less about the politics. Cousins is our greatest ever player and I dont want to see him in any colours other than blue and gold.

 

[Arecsa]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

I'd welcome Cousins back aswell, in a heartbeat. He's an absolute champion, and he's our champion. **** Collingwood/St Kilda/whoever else wants him and **** Barnaba.

 

[Gunnar Longshanks]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

I said it last year, that he would play for us again.

That's great.

Chances are you're still wrong.

Would be a massive back-flip for us to re-draft him.

 

[Quinz]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

That's great.

Chances are you're still wrong.

On another thread though I said he wouldn't play for us again, so either way i'm covered.

 

[Gunnar Longshanks]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

I would obviously like to see Cousins back at the Eagles. I think it's highly unlikely.

The only twinkle of hope is if it's entirely justified as a footy decision.

If we had to move Heaven and Earth to get Cousins, we wouldn't do it. If we had to forego the chance to pick up a highly-rated kid, we wouldn't do it.

But if Cousins is in the PSD and he's the best available come our pick, surely it would be a mistake not to pick him. Forget about the fact that he's played 234 games for us. That's in the past. It's irrelevant. We have to make a decision on how to use that pick. Get the best available. If that's Cousins, so be it.

If we instead say, "he was the best available, but we didn't pick him," that is a departure from our stated draft strategy.

If we have a choice between Ben Cousins and Rhyce Shaw with the number 2 pick, can we really justify not picking Cousins?

 

[Brewster_]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

On another thread though I said he wouldn't play for us again, so either way i'm covered.

lol
I'm in the camp of wanting him back, but I know it won't happen so I'm starting to psych myself into being able to see him in another club's jumper, without falling into a catatonic state.

 

[amazingjoshy]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

The big moment will come in the PSD.

We've got pick 2.

I wonder who we'll pick.

Some shitty fringe player who won't be in our best 22?

Some untried kid who was overlooked in the national draft?

It's unlikely we'll grab a quality player who can walk straight into our best side.

All the while, Cousins will be sitting there waiting to be selected by another club.

If we truly stuck to the mantra of "select the best available", we'd have to take him.

will be very interesting to see what he says tomorrow in this supposed "big announcement"

If he doesnt make a definitive statement (such as "I wanna play at Collingwood", or "im gonna live in melbourne") the speculation coming into the PSD is gonna be massive, especially if we have one spot remaining on our list.

Ona side note, if he did play for us again....would he be eligible for the veterans list? (just curious)

 

[Gunnar Longshanks]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

Ona side note, if he did play for us again....would he be eligible for the veterans list? (just curious)

I think he would be.

He's played the requisite 10 seasons.

Admittedly, I'm not 100% clear on the criteria for the veterans list.

 

[wirra44]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

it is said that cuz will say who he desires to play for on grand final day. sumo said that thing about him wanting ben back today. Ben i would think knows who he desires to play for and it woudnt be us because we have only said we would consider having him back today. ben's not going to change his decsion in 1 day, he probaly put alot of thought into this and woudnt just change. so people dont get excited he will not play for westcoast next year.

p.s i did get excited when i saw "sumich and worsfold would welcome back ben" on the afl site but it was quickly saddened when i saw that benny was gonna make his announcment 2moro on who he desired to play for.

 

[bigburger]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

This is crazy. I can't believe we are considering this but to be honest its got me swinging my opinion but if we do draft him then I think we should have a clause in his contract that states if he ****s up again we can execute him.

 

[Gunnar Longshanks]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

This is crazy. I can't believe we are considering this but to be honest its got me swinging my opinion but if we do draft him then I think we should have a clause in his contract that states if he ****s up again we can execute him.

I think the key question that everyone involved needs to answer is, "how could we make better use of pick 2 in PSD?"

 

[Audacious]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

This is crazy. I can't believe we are considering this but to be honest its got me swinging my opinion but if we do draft him then I think we should have a clause in his contract that states if he ****s up again we can execute him.

Benny can get my cat pregnant and id still want him at West Coast. I thought we had absolute zero chance of ever seeing him returning after ******** Barnaba made a snap judgement and delisted Cousins after the northbridge thing.

Its easier to say we dont want him back when there is no chance of him ever returning. But now that the door is slightly ajar id quite happily welcome him back to Subi

95% of me knows it wont happen though

 

[bigburger]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

I think the key question that everyone involved needs to answer is, "how could we make better use of pick 2 in PSD?"

He won't go through to the preseason draft. He has to nominate for the national draft and I am sure a team will pick him up there.

 

[maccles_23]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

it is said that cuz will say who he desires to play for on grand final day. sumo said that thing about him wanting ben back today. Ben i would think knows who he desires to play for and it woudnt be us because we have only said we would consider having him back today. ben's not going to change his decsion in 1 day, he probaly put alot of thought into this and woudnt just change. so people dont get excited he will not play for westcoast next year.

p.s i did get excited when i saw "sumich and worsfold would welcome back ben" on the afl site but it was quickly saddened when i saw that benny was gonna make his announcment 2moro on who he desired to play for.

Just a tip champion - It may well have been kept quiet publicly, these sorts of things usually are. So just because we haven't heard anything from anyone at WCE doesn't mean they haven't spoken to him.

It could be a case of Ben wants to play at WCE but in order for him to look credible tomorrow when he makes that statement WCE has had to come out today and say that they'd welcome him back.

Ben's not going to say he wants to play for anyone that he doesn't have an assurance from. So if your point was to stand up we'd have had to have heard from at least one club in the last few weeks - we haven't.

This post isn't a personal dig - it's just trying to point out that just because we haven't heard anything from WCE before today, doesn't mean it hasn't been spoken about in-house.

 

[RhEF JC]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

p.s i did get excited when i saw "sumich and worsfold would welcome back ben" on the afl site but it was quickly saddened when i saw that benny was gonna make his announcment 2moro on who he desired to play for.

I don't think it's official that he'll announce a team tomorrow. Speculation says that, but the official word is just about "outlining his plans" or something equally vague.

 

[Gunnar Longshanks]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

He won't go through to the preseason draft. He has to nominate for the national draft and I am sure a team will pick him up there.

He doesn't have to nominate for anything.

Where did you get this idea from?

The fact that's he going to nominate a club suggests entry to the PSD.

It would be illegal for him to enter the national draft and then put a price on his head. But that would be permissable if he was in the PSD.

 

[amazingjoshy]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

Wasnt it confirmend from the AFL a few weeks ago saying that the path back for him (should he be allowed back) would be through the PSD, not the national draft?

 

[bigburger]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

He doesn't have to nominate for anything.

Where did you get this idea from?

The fact that's he going to nominate a club suggests entry to the PSD.

It would be illegal for him to enter the national draft and then put a price on his head. But that would be permissable if he was in the PSD.

Thats what they were saying a few weeks ago.

EDIT: On further investigation it would seem that things have changed.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,24358232-19742,00.html

 

[Gunnar Longshanks]

Re: Sumich and Worsfold would welcome back Cousins...

Wasnt it confirmend from the AFL a few weeks ago saying that the path back for him (should he be allowed back) would be through the PSD, not the national draft?

It depends what he nominates for.

I don't know what the cut-off date for the national draft is, but if Cousins nominates, the AFL will review his application and make a decision.

If they're OK for Cousins to play next year - which they will be - then there's no reason he couldn't go into the national draft. His circumstances are the same as Stuart Dew's, who had a year out of footy, before being drafted by the Hawks last year.

But he's more likely to go into the PSD, so he can control where he goes by putting a price on his head.