Rawlings on Cousins " He makes our team walk taller..a very good team man is Ben Cousins"
I noticed Tambling Morton and a couple of others really upping their game...
Is it the new coach or is it Cousins making the real difference at Tigers?
............The returns in that time have been good. Four 20-plus disposal games, at an average of 23 touches, despite Cousins never spending more than 60 per cent of them on the ground. But it's what's coming along with those numbers that is beginning to have a marked impact at Punt Road on Cousins' teammates and coaches.
"When he speaks, everyone listens," says Richmond assistant coach David King. "He's a very knowledgeable guy, got a great footy intellect, and that's often overlooked with all the 'bad boy' stuff. What he has to say is always accurate."
Caretaker Richmond coach Jade Rawlings, however, appeared of a different view yesterday. "I won't get drawn into next year, but he has been a major acquisition to this footy club," he said.
"The way that he supports his teammates, the way that he approaches his training, has been fantastic.
"When I coached him at Coburg, he actually distracted me because he was walking around slapping his teammates' backs, encouraging them - he had no ego, no 'I'm just getting my game time up'. I've watched him on the bench at Richmond games - he wants to play for Richmond and win games of footy. I couldn't respect him any more for that."
I noticed Tambling Morton and a couple of others really upping their game...
Is it the new coach or is it Cousins making the real difference at Tigers?
............The returns in that time have been good. Four 20-plus disposal games, at an average of 23 touches, despite Cousins never spending more than 60 per cent of them on the ground. But it's what's coming along with those numbers that is beginning to have a marked impact at Punt Road on Cousins' teammates and coaches.
"When he speaks, everyone listens," says Richmond assistant coach David King. "He's a very knowledgeable guy, got a great footy intellect, and that's often overlooked with all the 'bad boy' stuff. What he has to say is always accurate."
Caretaker Richmond coach Jade Rawlings, however, appeared of a different view yesterday. "I won't get drawn into next year, but he has been a major acquisition to this footy club," he said.
"The way that he supports his teammates, the way that he approaches his training, has been fantastic.
"When I coached him at Coburg, he actually distracted me because he was walking around slapping his teammates' backs, encouraging them - he had no ego, no 'I'm just getting my game time up'. I've watched him on the bench at Richmond games - he wants to play for Richmond and win games of footy. I couldn't respect him any more for that."
