Ben Cousins has reacted to the information he would once more be ignored for induction into the AFL Corridor of Fame, saying he “understood their choice”.
Whereas Cousins actually had a Corridor of Fame worthy profession over his 270 senior video games for West Coast and Richmond — together with a Brownlow in 2005, premiership in 2006 and 6 All-Australian nods — the 45-year-old’s off-field indiscretions will proceed to face in his means of receiving the honour.
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The Age reported the committee “has not severely debated Cousins as a potential member” of the Corridor of Fame as a consequence of his file.
Cousins has a protracted rap sheet, together with being banned from the AFL for a yr after being arrested for drug possession in 2007 — after which he was sacked by the Eagles — in the end ending his profession with the Tigers.
Submit-career, Cousins spent seven months in jail in 2020 after repeatedly breaching a restraining order and allegedly threatening to kill his former associate and mom of his kids, Maylea Tinecheff.
Earlier, in 2018, Cousins additionally served 10 months of a 12-month jail sentence for stalking Tinechef.
Talking on Mix94.5 Perth’s Breakfast Present Pete & Kymba, Cousins had beforehand stated it was an honour to be within the dialog for the Corridor of Fame however that he didn’t anticipate it.
When requested about how he felt about being dominated out of the Corridor of Fame as a consequence of his off-field indiscretions, Cousins brushed it off.
“I don’t discover myself desirous about this ever actually,” Cousins stated.
“It’s an honour that’s arduous to come back by and I’m actually not… There’s been so many nice gamers through the years, I wouldn’t be envious of the job of making an attempt to solely put in a restricted few annually.
“So I completely perceive their choice and I, like everyone else, will sit there and be wanting ahead to rejoice whoever will get on this yr.
“That’s simply the way in which it’s.
“I’m positive there’s a lot of issues that come into play when making these powerful choices. I wouldn’t prefer to be of their sneakers and there’s no in poor health will or animosity from my finish in any respect.”
The Corridor of Fame committee’s choice comes lower than every week after Wayne Carey was blocked by the AFL from being elevated to legend standing on the NSW Soccer Corridor of Fame ceremony.
Carey’s deliberate induction sparked widespread outrage and was set to happen on the identical weekend the AFL honoured victims of gender-based violence.
After ending his profession, Cousins’ life spiralled uncontrolled, resulting in a public battle with drug habit and a number of authorized points.
However in newer instances, Cousins has turned his life round, studying the information for Channel 7 in Western Australia and can function on the subsequent season of Dancing With The Stars.
In an look on Channel 7’s The Entrance Bar lately, Cousins opened up on cleansing up his life.
“I want it hadn’t needed to have taken this lengthy, and needed to run its course the way in which it did,” he stated.
“However yeah, it’s good to be working and busy, have some actual ambition again, and, , simply related again in with associates, household, and even on a neighborhood degree, . Life’s by no means been higher, to be sincere.”
