Worsfold - very impressive and forthright

[JeffDunne]

How would Cousins know he was going to be tested - Worsfold said the club didn't know until they turned up on Monday.

Kind of defeats the purpose of random drug testing if they tell you when they're going to come beforehand

Yes of course it does. I'm not suggesting he had the test marked on the calendar.


It's not like Benny hasn't been known to do the odd runner to avoid a test.

 

[Kobi]

How would Cousins know he was going to be tested - Worsfold said the club didn't know until they turned up on Monday.

Kind of defeats the purpose of random drug testing if they tell you when they're going to come beforehand

drug testers would have rang the club doctor who would have rung cuz....the club doctor doesnt stand next to the coach the whole time

 

[dockers_bengals]

Proof. Look it up in the dictionary. You can't go around banning players on the back of unsubstantiated rumour. Like I said, the AFLPA would have come down on them like a ton of bricks, and so they should, thats what they are there for.

If you listened to Worsfold instead of making up what you would like things to be, you might have some idea. Why should they drag players through the media on the back of an anonymous phonecall?[/QUOTE]

Didn't they suspend a (young)player on rehab who had a beer(wasn't drunk) after a anonynous phonecaller dobbed him in.I think it was his mates birthday.

 

[JeffDunne]

lets talk about your two slimey sexual assaults people oooh cant say that can we because they were not convicted...people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones mate....

Now we're really starting to sound like 6pr.


Ummm . . . do I need to remind you that the club, the coach and the player's father have all confirmed what he's being accussed of? i.e. taking drugs regularly for a considerable amount of time (at least 6 months).

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Whilst I agree that Worsfold was relatively impressive and performed well he was in a relatively friendly environment, there were many questions left unanswered and others not followed up. The questions were more "Australian Story" than "4 Corners".

Bryan Cousins was the impressive, courageous individual on the show tonight. In his statement he made the valid point that there are many families around the country going through this not just his, but his concern was for his boy. He appeared to be addressing Ben directly at one point.

Interesting juxtaposition by The Footy Show to have INXS on. Many of its band members, including it's deceased ex lead singer have admitted to taking drugs. I wonder how many of those in the audience, watching on tv, reading these boards that are prepared to berate footballers for taking drugs yet applaud a rock band (not just INXS) even though they know the band members use drugs, go and buy their cds and/or pay hundreds of dollars to watch them in concert.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

no one expects woosha to come out and slag off his very naughty boys.

it's a bit rich though when there are others in this thread are praising woosha for his honesty and forthrightness.

let's face it we all know he only described the tip of the iceberg and he may very well be secretly tearing them all a new a-hole, and that he has to put the correct 'spin' on things.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but earlier this week, didn't he say that he didn't think there was a drug problem at the Eagles, and now in a matter of 48 hours he's Mr. Honesty? PUH-LEASE!! He had to conduct himself that way or him and his club would come off looking even worse. Just like Cousins, his reaction was a no-brainer!

 

[Keys]

Whilst I agree that Worsfold was relatively impressive and performed well he was in a relatively friendly environment, there were many questions left unanswered and others not followed up. The questions were more "Australian Story" than "4 Corners".

Bryan Cousins was the impressive, courageous individual on the show tonight. In his statement he made the valid point that there are many families around the country going through this not just his, but his concern was for his boy. He appeared to be addressing Ben directly at one point.

Interesting juxtaposition by The Footy Show to have INXS on. Many of its band members, including it's deceased ex lead singer have admitted to taking drugs. I wonder how many of those in the audience, watching on tv, reading these boards that are prepared to berate footballers for taking drugs yet applaud a rock band (not just INXS) even though they know the band members use drugs, go and buy their cds and/or pay hundreds of dollars to watch them in concert.

I had been thinking the exact same thing in relation to not only the appearance of INXS but also the wider issue of drug taking by bands.

Keith Richards has probably taken more drugs in a month than the entire AFL playing list have ever taken. Don't see anyone boycotting Rolling Stones concerts.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Except most opposition fans are applauding Woosha - that doesn't sound very 6pr like!



I know bikies that are terrific blokes, as I do a few people into mild drugs. I disagree with some parts of their life and it may effect their personality
at times but essentially - at heart - they are great blokes.
Im sure this is what Woosha was referring to

The fact they can go into just about any club and prance around with their bum buddy, bouncer chums, like they own the joint, is probably just another personality defect too? Bikies are pigs, who probably weren't kissed enough by mummy as kids, so they grow up with attitude and complexion issues, and for some reason can't afford shaving appliances.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

I had been thinking the exact same thing in relation to not only the appearance of INXS but also the wider issue of drug taking by bands.

Keith Richards has probably taken more drugs in a month than the entire AFL playing list have ever taken. Don't see anyone boycotting Rolling Stones concerts.

Since when were rock stars expected to be pillars of society? If people want to be junkies and on the gear 24/7, they should get a band together, not join a football club.

 

[Keys]

Since when were rock stars expected to be pillars of society? If people want to be junkies and on the gear 24/7, they should get a band together, not join a football club.

Rock stars are idolised by kids as much as, if not more than, sports stars yet we criticise one group but not the other.

I would also suggest that it has only been in the last decade or so that we have expected sports stars to be pillars of society.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Since when were rock stars expected to be pillars of society? If people want to be junkies and on the gear 24/7, they should get a band together, not join a football club.

Since when have footballers been expected to be pillars of society?? Our pilliars are the great institutions that survive great threats and provide us with our fundamental freedoms. Footballers like musicans are considered an important part of life by many people, but they are not pillars of society.

 

[Brilliant]

Rock stars are idolised by kids as much as, if not more than, sports stars yet we criticise one group but not the other.

I would also suggest that it has only been in the last decade or so that we have expected sports stars to be pillars of society.

I dont really care but rockstars are their own product, they are tarnishing their own image, not the clubs or the leagues. That is the difference I suppose. If it was the Ben Cousins Eagles he could do what he likes but he is a part of a bigger organisation.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Since when have footballers been expected to be pillars of society?? Our pilliars are the great institutions that survive great threats and provide us with our fundamental freedoms. Footballers like musicans are considered an important part of life by many people, but they are not pillars of society.

You're missing the point entirely. Footballers and Rock Stars are just a different category of people all together.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

You're missing the point entirely. Footballers and Rock Stars are just a different category of people all together.

I don't think this is true. I do acknowledge that a footballer has responsibilites outside his self interest, ie club, but a musican does as well. To his group, if in a band, the people he employs to help him put on a show, his record company who pays him, his management team who organise his income producing activites and his fans.

There are a couple of musicans who I am just as passionate about as my football team. They touch my soul just like my football team does. Just like my football team they entertain me, they inspire me, they tell a story, I make a connection with them. Why should I treat the musicans I am passionate about any differently to my team or individuals who represent my team.

The great thing about footy in the "old days" was that you had ordinary blokes who did extraordinary things on the weekend and lived in your neighbourhood. These days it seems to be blokes who are extraordinary athletes who now do ordinary things during the week. Not all, not the majority, but enough to leave you with doubts.

 

[GoOsH1]

He had suspicions of players using drugs, had the evidence of players acting like lunatics in public and missing training sessions. But he still refused to suspend them? Interesting.

Until recently, West Coast fobbed off behaviour with nothing more than token measures. If he had suspicions then just the behaviour & training issues could have been enough excuse to suspend players under the players code-of-conduct.

He chose not to and now we should leave them alone and feel sorry for him?

Like hell we should.

trading a guy and stripping another guy of the captaincy is token measures?

 

[Crow-mo]

you really are a pathetic troll aren't you.

pot meet kettle, kettle meet pot...

 

[Crow-mo]

Sorry mate, but there is no need to be a tosser. Put aside your obvious hatred of WCE and look at the thread subject. Woosh did the club proud tonight, I am glad he is the coach of my club because he is a decent, honest person.

you can tell this because of a footy show interview?

fwiw, he probably is a decent bloke but please... if you think you can make character judgements from a TV interview

I think he is a very similar style coach to Paul Roos, who i also have the utmost respect for. Earnt his stripes playing and genuinely cares about his players.

but none of these things have anything to do with what sort of coach either bloke is?

 

[Crow-mo]

drug testers would have rang the club doctor who would have rung cuz....the club doctor doesnt stand next to the coach the whole time

indeed. look at the Rio Ferdinand case...
these guys have internal networks informing them of the state of play.

fact: Rio's first call after bolting training (allegedly to escape drug testing) was to his consultant urologist. sure, it's circumstantial evidence - but the implication in his hearing was pretty obvious.

 

[plough]

The WA police must be just delighted now that all the dealers have been warned their phones are tapped.
Super work JW.

 

[duncan]

The WA police must be just delighted now that all the dealers have been warned their phones are tapped.
Super work JW.

Right - cause they where obviously oblivious to it before.

 

[plough]

Right - cause they where obviously oblivious to it before.

If they got tapped then they obviously were oblivious to it einstein.

 

[Dusky]

I capped the footy show last night, when I get home this arvo I'll upload the Worsfold interview for those that missed it.

 

[Belgian_Tiger_Army]

You can suspend players for breaching the terms of their contract. Look up the Code of Conduct.

A club is quite within its right to suspend a player for missing training - let alone going tropo on the bonnet of a cab.

(...)

If he suspected and had dozens of other reasons to suspend them - he should of suspended them at least until the symptoms had been addressed. He wasn't even prepared to do that and now we should feel sorry for him?

It's an interesting situation. Imagine you are Joe Average, have been an elite athlete and haven't really run into illegal substances in your life.

One of your empoloyees has a bit of a run in with police - does a few illogical things, but writes it off as a bit of big night on the turps. We've all done it - we've all made fools of ourselves on the turps - maybe not to that extent. And yeah, there might be rumours aorund the employee, but you've asked him - and he says "yeah - had a big night on the turps". You like him, he's always delivered. A nagging bit of your brain says "hmm...", but with the naeivety towards illegal substances - you say "Don't do it again", tap him on the wrist and move on.

This in essence is what the WCE have done - because the players have delivered and have lied about "nights on the turps".

You can, as you have stated - not select the player for instance because he's run from a booze bus. But go look at my second para. All the justification, all the trust, all the belief is there. We *want* to believe in people. And they've always delivered for us. So we let them off lightly.

Now - not selecting someone when they haven't done anything publically wrong - is an interesting situation and something AFL clubs need to be very wary about. Matthew Croft made a claim against the WB (after the season was over) - because even though he was playing better then his peers, his peers were selected over him. This was entirely due to player development - it had nothing to do with drugs. However, you are very much in "restraint of trade" areas if you have a closed player market, closed player trading arrangements, and players aren't being picked on merit. And this excludes the issue of a muddying a players reputation.

 

[MarkT]

I though Worsefold came across well but he was really full of uknowwhat. What I heard was they knew players took drugs, asked them, knew they were lied to and did SFA about it until it got to crisis point with Cousins. They knew categorically that at least some were offenders, even to the point of police evidence (whatever did happen to those tapes?). Kerr’s prescription episode and subsequent misdemeanours are the bar they have set if you want to ignore Gardiner and Cousins. Don’t ignore the sight of Cousins on the dais with the coach and “captain” though. There is Worsefold’s attitude to the issue for all the world to see no matter what he said last night in TFS for public consumption after preparation.

 

[JeffDunne]

It's an interesting situation. Imagine you are Joe Average, have been an elite athlete and haven't really run into illegal substances in your life...

Hang on.

Whoosha isn't some average Joe that ended up coaching the club.

He played his entire career at West Coast and knows as much as anyone how Eagles players are treated in Perth. If he hasn't attended the sort of functions that Eagles players regularly attend in Perth then he has mates that do. He would know as much as anyone what goes on at those parties. He is also extremely well connected in Perth - he's a local. He would know exactly what the associates of his players get up to and what sort of characters they are.


His "don't blame me" excuses are actually rather sickening.