Saints Alive For Cousins As Swans And Collingwood Declare No Interest
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday October 17, 2008
SYDNEY say they are not among the clubs reportedly lobbying the AFL to have former West Coast star Ben Cousins reinstated and will not consider recruiting the recovering drug addict should he be available in the pre-season draft.
Cousins has spent some time in Sydney since he was deregistered by the AFL, and the Swans, with their strict behavioural code, were seen by some as a good fit for the brilliant midfielder as he attempts to resurrect his career.But Swans chief executive Myles Baron-Hay said yesterday that the Swans were not interested in recruiting Cousins. "If there is a race on [for Cousins's] services, we are not in it," he said.Cousins's manager, Ricky Nixon, said this week St Kilda, Collingwood and one non-Victoria club were interested in recruiting the 30-year-old and that one those three clubs, which he did not identify, had developed a plan it hoped to present to the AFL Commission detailing how it could support Cousins through his rehabilitation.Yesterday, though, Collingwood withdrew from the race.Baron-Hay said the Swans were not the non-Victorian club and had no such strategy. Brisbane and Port Adelaide are other clubs that have expressed some interest in recruiting Cousins since it became apparent he would attempt to revive his career.Collingwood's withdrawal has left St Kilda as the hot favourite to secure the fallen champion.Nixon confirmed last night that the Magpies had informed him that they would not be pursuing Cousins in the draft. Sources have confirmed that Collingwood undertook extensive "due diligence" on Cousins before finally deciding that the former West Coast captain would not be pursued. The Magpies interviewed Cousins and are understood to have used a private investigator to learn as much about him as possible."In the last few weeks, they [Collingwood] certainly weren't our preferred position, and I accept their decision and so does Ben, but, you know, we're not here to worry about whether Collingwood's in or out," Nixon said."There's 15 other teams in the competition. This isn't an auction. Ben's never said he wanted to go to Collingwood ... I don't sit here and worry about it. I worry about the teams that are being proactive. To be honest, we're more worried about him being eligible before anything else."St Kilda have gone on record saying that it has an interest in Cousins, who has to be given the all-clear to play by the AFL Commission, which is expected to rule on whether he will be re-registered as player when it meets next month. The commission's decision will be heavily based on the recommendation of the AFL's medical officers, who have been in regular contact with Cousins this year, as he attempts to overcome his drug addiction.Meanwhile, Swans midfielder Ryan O'Keefe said he expected to announce whether he would return to the club or try to find a new home through the pre-season draft next week.Speaking on Melbourne radio station SEN yesterday, O'Keefe said he was still weighing up the difficulties of getting to his favoured destinations - Essendon or Carlton - in the pre-season draft against the risk of being taken by another club with an earlier pick."That's probably one thing I have to go through - I'm not so certain I'll be able to get through [the draft] so that's something we have to weigh up," he said.O'Keefe asked to be traded by the Swans after being disappointed with the terms of a new three-year contract. It is believed the Swans have since offered a revised deal worth up to $475,000 over three years. Meanwhile, Hawthorn veteran Shane Crawford, who took 16 seasons and 305 games to reach his first AFL grand final, has decided to continue playing.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald