The decision not to take Ben Cousins in 2009

Presti35 · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:20 pm

Looking back you'd have to say it was the right decision after winning a flag.

From what I know he was extremely close to becoming a Magpie in 2009. You have to wonder what would have happened had we taken him.

In 2009 we lost the Prelim Final as Geelong steam rolled us. And obviously in 2010 we went all the way after the classic drawn GF.

Would Cousins inclusion have seen us able to jump Geelong and play the GF a year earlier?

Would his spot on the list made us unable to nab Luke Ball a year later?

Would we have been able to play and win back to back Grand Finals, possibly three from 2009-2011?

Would he be a Premiership Pie? Or would we have stuffed up our chance of even winning one at all?

One thing we know is the drawn GF would not have happened.

In his 2 seasons at Richmond, he played 32 of a possible 44 games. Over those 32 games, he kicked 12 goals averaged 22 disposals and three tackles a game.

Dave The Man · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:49 pm

Doubt we been able to Pay for Ball and how would Cousins handle being at Collingwood the Biggest Club in the Land with his Problems.

Could he been a Distraction IF he got back on the Drugs in 2010.

Skids · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:49 pm

After watching his interview last night, I'm glad he never wore the black & white. What a sorry state he is in.

Leggie · Bucks for PM. Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Location: Perth

Hes a disgrace.
Was then.
Is now.

Jezza · 2023 PREMIERS! Joined: 06 Sep 2010 Location: Ponsford End

Great player, but the club did the right thing to not recruit him.

Cousins showed small glimpses with the Tigers, but he was finished as an elite player after West Coast won the 2006 flag and his life was spiralling out of control.

stui magpie · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:56 pm

If I remember right, the gossip was we paid a private detective to check him out, then withdrew any interest based on advice. So we did our due diligence.

FMD imagine what he could have done with our Ratpack at the time, fair chance 2010 never happens

Rd10.1998_11.1#36 · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:23 pm

3rd degree · Joined: 22 Jun 2004 Location: John Wren's tote

That documentary was self serving at best and was one of the worst edited things I have seen in a while.

inxs88 · Joined: 17 Aug 2014

Whatta bogan

Mr Miyagi · Joined: 14 Sep 2018

Never wanted him, glad we didn't get him. The Eagles culture at the time was awful, it needed to be exposed and a complete cleanout from top to bottom -- yet the media continually put us on the front page and focused on our rat pack and Malthouse and Buckley and projected us as having the worst culture in AFL. I've never forgiven the media for that (or the AFL who I suspect were encouraging it and welcomed the distraction from their pet interstate clubs). They knew what was going on in the west but chose gutter journalism and sling crap at us instead.

Piesnchess · piesnchess Joined: 09 Jun 2008

We dodged a bullet for sure.

piedys · Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:33 pm

If we hadn't secured Luke Ball and thus not won 2010, we'd have been banging on about it for years, as we were always one midfielder short prior to then.

But no, he wouldn't have advanced us any further in 2009, nor saved our bacon in 2011.