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Ben Cousins

Personal Info
Birth	30 June 1978, {{{birthplace}}}
Recruited from	East Fremantle Football Club (WAFL)
Height/Weight	179cm / 78kg
Playing Career¹
Debut	Round 4, April 21, 1996, West Coast vs. Geelong, at Subiaco Oval
Team(s)	West Coast Eagles (1996-) 231 games, 202 goals
¹ Statistics to end of 2006 season
Career Highlights
Premiership Player 2006 All-Australian 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 West Coast Eagles Best and Fairest 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 Brownlow Medallist 2005 Leigh Matthews Trophy 2005 West Coast Eagles Captain 2001-2005 AFL Rising Star 1996

Benjamin Luke Cousins (born 30 June 1978) is an Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League from 1996 to present. He has played over 200 games for West Coast as one of their key midfielders, and is one of the highest rated midfielders in the competition, gaining a spot in the All Australian Midfield.

Contents 1 Football career 2 Off-field controversies 2.1 Booze bus incident (2006) 2.2 Diagnosis of drug addiction and rehabilitation (2007) 3 References 4 External links 5 See also

Cousins was drafted in 1995 by the West Coast Eagles under the father-son rule, as his father Bryan (a star player himself in the local West Australian Football League competition) had played 67 games for the Geelong Football Club in the then-VFL. This clause allowed him to choose between playing for the Geelong Cats, the newly formed Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles. The prospect of remaining in his hometown of Perth led Cousins to opt for the Eagles.

Cousins made his debut in the AFL in 1996 at the age of 17 - ironically against Geelong - and won the AFL's Rising Star award in his first season. Cousins has developed into one of the leading players in the league, winning four West Coast Best and Fairest Awards (2001, 2002, 2003 & 2005) and being selected in six All Australian Teams (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006). Cousins played for Australia in the 1999 International Rules series in Australia. In 2005, he became the second West Coast player to receive the Brownlow Medal, and also the first West Coast player to win the Leigh Matthews Trophy, thereby sweeping the two major individual honours in the AFL.

Ben Cousins was the captain of West Coast from 2001 until 2005, and played his 200th AFL game during the 2005 season. Cousins was a dominant player in the 2005 season, leading most AFL media awards for best player as the Eagles secured a second place finish in the regular season. The season culminated in him winning the 2005 Brownlow Medal by one vote from teammate Daniel Kerr. He also led the West Coast Eagles to the 2005 AFL Grand Final which the team lost to the Sydney Swans by four points.

In February 2006 Cousins resigned his captaincy following an off-field incident where he ran away from a booze-bus (see below) with vice-captain Chris Judd taking over the position. Nevertheless, Cousins helped carry the team to their first premiership in 12 years to become the 2006 AFL Premiers. He played a key role in the 2006 Grand Final, achieving 18 possessions and kicking two of West Coast's 12 goals.

This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

Cousins' football career has been marred by several off-field incidents which have attracted considerable negative publicity.

In September 2002 Cousins was involved in a brawl with team mate Daniel Kerr at a Perth nightclub, in which he punched Kerr in the face during the club's end of season celebrations. Later the same night, Kerr pushed Cousins down a flight of stairs, breaking his arm.^[1][2]

In May 2005 Cousins and then West Coast team mate Michael Gardiner were criticised for involvement with a group of alleged Perth underworld figures. According to allegations the two Eagles players received phone calls from gangland figures both before and after a stabbing and shooting at the Metro City nightclub. Police questioned Cousins and Gardiner about the incident but they refused to aid the inquiries. The club told the pair that they were on their "last warning" and that their off-field behaviour would not be tolerated.^[3]

On February 12, 2006, Cousins avoided a booze bus by abandoning his car in the middle of a major Perth highway and running from police as they ordered him to stop.^[4] His role as captain of the Eagles was quickly put in doubt following the incident, and on February 20 he read out a statement in front of media at Subiaco Oval announcing his resignation as captain.^[5] He was charged on summons on February 27 with one count of obstructing traffic and one count of obstructing police. He pleaded guilty to both charges and was fined $900.^[6]

In early December 2006 Cousins was arrested in Melbourne and spent four hours in jail after being in a disoriented and uncontrolled state at the Crown Casino. Photographs of Cousins showing him apparently passed out outside the Casino were later printed in newspapers. Cousins did not need to go to court and was not fined, and the club decided not to discipline him, saying the media scrutiny was sufficient punishment.^[7][8]

On the 20 March 2007, West Coast club chairman Dalton Gooding announced at a press conference that Cousins had been suspended indefinitely for his failure to attend two training sessions.^[9] When pressed on the exact reason for the suspension, Gooding would only say that Cousins was facing a "number of personal and professional issues" and that "Over the past few weeks those issues have come to the surface and it's time that Ben was suspended from the club to go away and try to tackle those issues head on." It was also confirmed in the press conference that Cousins, along with the rest of his team-mates underwent an AFL drug test on March 19.

On the 22 March 2007 Cousins' father, Bryan, made a prepared statement admitting that his son had a "substance abuse" problem.^[10] To add to his personal issues, Cousins had also recently split with his long-term girlfriend, Samantha Druce.^[11]

On the 3 April 2007 Ben Cousins admitted himself into a rehabilitation centre.

• Ben Cousins profile on westcoasteagles.com.au
• Ben Cousins statistics from AFL Tables

• Eagles pair face police questions Real Footy May 5, 2005
• Ben Cousins on 200 games
• Analysis of Bens Game style
• Ben cousins impact in games
• Average attributes show by ben: courage, stamina and work ethic
• Cousins continues great escape
• Cousins' night ends in jail
• TFL.org-approved Ben Cousins fanlisting
• AFL star Cousins kicked off team
• Eagles admit failing Cousins
• Lost Love Pushed Ben Over Edge
• Ben Cousins Admitted To Rehab

• List of Australian rules football incidents

Preceded by Nick Holland	AFL Rising Star 1996	Succeeded by Michael Wilson
Preceded by Glen Jakovich	West Coast Eagles Best and Fairest winner 2001-2003	Succeeded by Chris Judd
Preceded by Chris Judd	Brownlow Medallist 2005	Succeeded by Adam Goodes
Preceded by Nick Riewoldt	Leigh Matthews Trophy 2005	Succeeded by Chris Judd
Preceded by Chris Judd	West Coast Eagles Best and Fairest winner 2005	Succeeded by Chris Judd