Rookie Draft Twitter

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rookie Draft Twitter

Haha TAMA. What's life without a bit of passion.

You know what? I guess if there was a club with truly nothing to lose, it's Richmond.

They already are a laughing stock.

Bingo!

I like your fire, it's good

[Sedat]

Re: Rookie Draft Twitter

As for the hysteria around what impact he will have on the club off the field and it's young players, give me a break. Suggesting that the club will somehow disintegrate into a drug hazed stupor in the space of a year or 2 is ridiculous. The players know what they are going to get with this bloke and the decision to take him was unanimous amongst the playing group, so lets all take deep breath.

Nobody is suggesting that at all - what some of us are suggesting is that Richmond's footy dept and player welfare resources will be stretched (highly likely beyond breaking point) because a major proportion of this finite resource will be dedicated soley to 1 player out of a list of 40+.

Cousins being a drug addict is not the issue that prevented 15 other clubs from picking him - the company he continues to keep is the main reason. He almost single-handedly brought a rich and powerful club, with a young and talented playing list to die for, to its knees because of his association with "colorful characters". Cousins' honeymoon period with Richmond in the media has lasted all of 12 hours. If a far more powerful, wealthy, stable, and not to mention infinitely more resource-intensive organisation like West Coast could not come close to handling Cousins, it remains to be seen how Richmond will succeed.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rookie Draft Twitter

I just don't think AFL players are going to be distracted by Ben Cousins to the extent that their performance on the field takes a battering. He's one player of twenty two to turn up on match day. Their job is to concentrate on their individual and team game, at what point can/does Cousins distract them from that? The players were OK with him coming to the club, they knew what Ben will bring (Plenty of exposure/possible criticism etc.) and what he'll have to go through (Eg. Regular testing). I personally don't think it would effect their on-field performance at all, and as I said, if Cousins can hold up OK then he'll improve their side.

I paste here an excerpt from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's interview this morning regarding his players being distracted. And by a far smaller matter than drugs, by the way (the player was outspoken in the press), and in a far, far, far more professional competition than AFL will ever be:

One of the toughest tasks Wenger has to perform this season was to strip William Gallas of the captaincy following outspoken comments criticising the desire of the young squad.

The Arsenal manager, though, feels the veteran defender has returned to the side refocused on his game, but accepts the whole incident will inevitably still weigh on his mind.

"On the human point of view, what happened with William was the toughest thing I had to deal with in my career because I regard him with a lot of esteem,'' Wenger told France-Football magazine.

"He was stuck into a media frenzy, a witch-hunt that isolated him so much that it was becoming a handicap for the team.

"Whatever he does, whatever he says, it's always twisted, amplified. He has recovered the balance regarding his football. But I'm not convinced that, in his head, he has recovered his balance and his joie de vivre.'

[LostDoggy]

Re: Rookie Draft Twitter

Verry funny

You may recall his 30+ possesion games coming off a extended layoff and minimal training.

Yes he was cured and clean then too.

[mighty_west]

Re: Rookie Draft Twitter

I think in a situation like Richmond's or ours sometimes big risks need to be taking. We took one with Aka and it did nowhere near the damage most said it would. Imagine Cuz keeps his nose clean (boom tish), I beleive he will be a great football teacher to a very young midfield who will learn so much from his football skill and training methods.

.

That was be sensational for him, and his new club if he did, but, he shaved his ENTIRE body down for a reason, ok, his head, his legs, arms etc, but other area's below the belt!!!!!

15 other clubs didn't select a champion footballer for a reason, and without the information they have, he would have been snapped up in a millisecond!

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Rookie Draft Twitter

I paste here an excerpt from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's interview this morning regarding his players being distracted. And by a far smaller matter than drugs, by the way (the player was outspoken in the press), and in a far, far, far more professional competition than AFL will ever be:

One of the toughest tasks Wenger has to perform this season was to strip William Gallas of the captaincy following outspoken comments criticising the desire of the young squad.

The Arsenal manager, though, feels the veteran defender has returned to the side refocused on his game, but accepts the whole incident will inevitably still weigh on his mind.

"On the human point of view, what happened with William was the toughest thing I had to deal with in my career because I regard him with a lot of esteem,'' Wenger told France-Football magazine.

"He was stuck into a media frenzy, a witch-hunt that isolated him so much that it was becoming a handicap for the team.

"Whatever he does, whatever he says, it's always twisted, amplified. He has recovered the balance regarding his football. But I'm not convinced that, in his head, he has recovered his balance and his joie de vivre.'

Surely that's different? If a player criticises the desire of his team mates, then OF COURSE the squad will become distracted and lead to inner problems. Akermanis coming out and saying he'd like to punch one of his team mates in the head is another example of this.

In Ben Cousins' situation, you're saying his team mates are going to be distracted purely because the media is all over him. Not because he's said anything wrong, done anything wrong or tested positive - but just because he's got plenty of exposure day in, day out. I have already stated if Cousins' tests positive again or is caught doing something stupid again, then that could change the dynamics of their football club, but the players/coaching staff have made the decision to risk that (even if they made the decision for the fans).

So Lantern, your excerpt from another sport really doesn't have any merit. That player has done something to upset the group. Cousins', at the moment, hasn't .. So until he does, you're naive to suggest Richmond are going to be distracted and suffer as a consequence on the field. So long as he stays out of trouble, and so long as they're happy to have him as apart of their football club - which they must be if they took him onboard - then Cousins' is a player added to their list that will improve them on the field as well as membership etc.

In any event, perhaps we should agree to disagree.