I agree everyone seems to be forgettin that there is more than one draft. Why was it supprising that he didnt get picked during the only oportunity to pick the best young players. He'll easily get pick in the pre-season draft.

He still has the agree to the terms of any contract that is offered ie I doubt he would be signing a minimum salary contract.

I think he would choose the bass salary over not playing at all. I'll be pretty sure he wouldn't need the money. Playing next year is vital for him to restore his reputation, so i'll think he would play for nothing if it came down to it.

Port need all the help they can get. Worth a chance.

AFL is big business. Any club that selected him would face a massive backlash from sponsors. Whether he has cleaned up his act or not, the guy is damaged goods.

Todays draft was as deep as I have seen in a while, it comes down to a 30 year-old with drug problems and a history of soft-tissue injuries who could be a solid player for 2-3 years (albeit a negative influence on the younger players) vs. a youngster who could be a 10-year player.

The Crows, for example, would've had to choose between Cousins and Will Young (pick72) Young is a very promising Key Forward who could become a 200-game player while Cousins is really not the type of person we need around the club, even if it is for just 2 years.

Just look at some of the players ho went undrafted: Matt Deboer, Clancee Pearce and Kade Klemke to name a few. There is no way in hell any club would pass up on one of them just to add a 30-y/o druggy to ther midfield for a few years.

The Gold Coast's draft concessions only make it harder for Cuz to find a home. Teams are all stocking up on 17 year-olds for the next few years to make up for the lack of draftees available in the coming years. Adelaide even let go of one of their most reliable defenders, Kris Massie, for this reason.

So there is still a chance that Voss will throw Cuz a lifeline in the PSD but I don't think it would be a good decision.

Bass salary? Has he got a musical addiction instead now? :D

He was reportedly asking for 500k per year. That's alot of money for a 30 year old, who has been out of the game for 18 months, has stuggled with drug addiction and also, tore his hamstring off the bone in his last game. Even if he plays for 100k, that is a hell of alot of stuff going against him, and he's without much going for him.

To say that the team that takes will straight away be the best midfield in the league is naive, IMO. One player doesn't make a team (or even midfield). Even then, you are assuming that he would be back to his peek. He could end up spending his whole time struggling with injuries and be playing way below the level he once was at.

We can sit here and say that clubs would be stupid not to pick him up, but they know more than us and must not be liking something they are seeing.

I think AFL clubs are stupid for not getting Cousins.

Here are the options:

1. Cousins. Give him the minimum. He will automatically get you 20-30 possessions every game. He will also make your team a lot better!

2. Get some 18 year old. Give him the minimum. Maybe in 6-10 years he might average 20-30 possession (if at all)

Fact is most of the high picked draft picks usually end up only as training bait and go no where.

For me this is like an NBL Team having the choice to get Carlos Powell or Eric Burdon.

The only argument is it has to do with sponsors which I find just as bizarre. For example, Brendon Fevola sleeps around when his married, gets drunk as anything and displays a strap on for all to see, yet the club is happy to give him a pat on the back and give him more money. Then Cousins who will be completely drug free gets discriminated against for something he did in the past.

If there is such high publicity then sponsors should use that to their advantage as any publicity is good publicity. How much more exposure would a sponsor get sponsoring a team Cousins is in compared with the 18 year old that might not ever even play a game.

I just find it funny how AFL players can go out get drunk as and do whatever they like and that is seen as alright. A good Local example is Graham Johncock whom got drunk, drove and smashed into a car then fled the scene. Thats okay it was alcohol that is fine we wont make a scene out of that however if it was drugs it would be a different story.

Okay if he is asking for 500K then I take back what I said that is too much for him to be asking for considering he is injury prone.

If he will accept 50-150k and clubs don't pick him not because of the pay but because of other reasons then my above post stills stands.

It all comes down to sponsors.

Everyone is saying it comes down to sponsors but what better way to get exposure for the club and the sponsors than to bring on one of the best players in history onto your list.

If he can be that good at westcoast off his nut how good could he be with his mind totally on the job.

Adelaide took Carey and too me what he did was worse than cousins as everyone on the team would have been watching their wives, carey betrayed his best mate and team mates cousin got addicted to drugs..

I think to be totally honest he has priced himself out of the market for todays draft but i think he will re-establish his worth now and drop his figure to 200 ish and if clubs dont pick him up then there is something wrong as he deserves another chance. Just think lawrence anguin was on adelaide list for years and even minimum wage adds up, give cous a 1 year deal performance and behaviour based with option for a few more and reap the rewards...

"Adelaide took Carey and too me what he did was worse than cousins as everyone on the team would have been watching their wives, carey betrayed his best mate and team mates cousin got addicted to drugs.."

I don't think anyone is saying that was a good decision. They've learnt their lesson, though, and they won't make it again. (mostly because all they have left is a rookie pick lol)

"Adelaide took Carey and too me what he did was worse than cousins as everyone on the team would have been watching their wives, carey betrayed his best mate and team mates cousin got addicted to drugs.."

Giime a break. What Carey did was inexcusable, but in no way was it worse than Cousins getting addicted to drugs in terms of getting another shot at the AFL that is. When the Eagles won the 2006 premiership, jusding by their post match celebrations there was no doubt Cousins along with a few other Eagles were pretty high (literally) that day. That is an unfair advantage to other teams and whilst Carey was an absolute wanker to have done what he did, he deserved another shot at the AFL because it had no effect on his performance or brought the game into disrepute at least where the playing field was concerned.

I know from a very good source that there are several players in the AFL including at least one very high profile player who do recreational drugs including speed and those for which Cousins has been heavily scruntinised for. And from what I have been told, their respective clubs are aware but it is being hushed up. Jason Akermanis even came out 4 years ago to the media and confirmed that their are several players in the AFL doing drugs out there. For all we know, Carey may have been one of them.

Ben deserves another shot at the AFL, but only one and sadly he may not even get that. But hopefully a lesson will be learned for the next generation of footballers to rise.

How can anyone in their right mind be advocating for this dropkick to be given another go? Firstly he goes on a drug taking bender in LA and ends up in hospital when he was meant to be at rehab he also supposedly has extensive underworld links, the day after the AFL agree to let him back in he flys to Melbourne to go to a well known drug dealer's funeral, he rocks up for drug testing about a month ago with a shaved head and waxed all over with no body hair and now supposedly wants pretty much the same money he was on back at West Coast!

I'm no Saints fan but thank christ they didnt pick him up and re-unite him with Gardiner. Those two and who they associate with in both Perth and melbourne would level the joint.

teams are crazy not to get cousins. he never got busted with drugs- he admitted it so give him credit for that. as people hav sed, give him basic wage and keep him in the reserves or as an emergency then if one of the main midfielders get injured give him a game. he doesnt need time 2 develop and can come in and make a impact straight away

igotmad skills - "Everyone is saying it comes down to sponsors but what better way to get exposure for the club and the sponsors than to bring on one of the best players in history onto your list."

Very naive comment.

As for the Carey comparison, screwing your mate's missus is stupid, not illegal. Drug taking is illegal, end of story.

aaronbrucefan - you can't just "give him basic wage". He has nominated his price, and at this stage he has priced himself out of the market.

IMO his days as an AFL footballer are over, as they should be

pretty clear to me...the clubs dont think he is off the junk. no-one is going to risk the damage to their club and playing group that he poses IF he were not clean.

Even if a club was 95% sure he was clean, it's not worth taking the risk when the alternate option is 13 years younger.

Add to all Cousins wrongdoings so far that seems to have gone unntoiced is the fact that a few years back he ran away from a booze bus whilst driving on the highway. Cousins supposedly claimed at the time that nature had called at that moment so he had to run off and abandon girlfriend in the backseat of the car, then after he was taking a leak felt said he was spotted by fans and chased and followed. At that moment he decided to keep on running and had no choice but to jump into a nearby river and swim as far as he could to safety. The best part? He got off pretty much all the charges and was never charged for drink/drug driving whatever the case.

He may still have alot to offer in the AFL but why take the risk?