Kicking with the wind: Ben’s back (already)
Big house for Ben?
It didn’t take the predictive powers of Nostradamus to figure out it was only a matter of time ‘til Ben Cousins was back in the news due to his insatiable appetite for methylamphetamine.
Just two weeks ago, KWTW pondered Cousins’ latest bid for sobriety in the wake of a well-placed barb from Winter Olympian Steven Bradbury.
It seems the fallen star might be one step closer to finally being locked up for repeatedly flaunting drug laws during the past few years, having been nabbed with a few grams of meth in Esperance, WA.
Cousins was, presumably, on his way to his latest rehab course.
He may have ‘shelved’ the few grams of ice to while away a rainy afternoon or two at the centre, but there’s always the chance it was more sinister than that.
Where better to peddle contraband than rehab?
Thank you, Captain Obvious
Well done to the Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson for bringing us the most non-startling revelation of the week: “Ben Cousins’ rehab ‘just hasn’t worked’.”
Bugger me, really? Next you’ll be telling us that Queensland voters wanted a change when they went to the ballot box last weekend.
Among Cousins’ growing list of problems is that he’s toting a severe chemical addiction and a gigantic ego that keeps telling him he can kick the shit whenever he wants.
Latest reports are his peer group is also nuts deep in the drug game.
Rehab may not ever work. Accept it, Robbo.
From the Fossil
Sam Newman doesn’t always get the credit he deserves.
While the former Geelong ruckman sometimes gooses himself with his particular brand of outspokenness, at least one of his views on last week’s edition of The Footy Show resonated.
Newman wondered out loud how so many players could be starting the AFL season under an injury cloud – or would not be starting it at all.
Given the millions spent on fitness and conditioning by the 18 clubs, it does seem somewhat wasteful that dozens of players are injured, or, at the very least, ‘short of a run’ in Round 1.
The NAB Cup claims victims – as does pre-season training – but is all the faith shown in ‘sports science gurus’ somewhat blind?
What to do?
A few years ago, professional rugby admnistrators in the northern hemisphere recognised parts of the game had become too damaging to players and rules were adjusted to tone down the contest around rucks.
The AFL has tried, too.
But substitute rules or otherwise, it seems there’s no magic panacea that will automatically make players unbreakable.
If there was, Eddie McGuire would have bought it for Collingwood several years ago and Nathan Buckley would still be playing – not sitting in the coach’s box, frustrated at the number of stars he has missing at present.
Enough already
Goal of the Year and Mark of the Year in the first round? Forget about it! Why even bother with that kind of talk in March, honestly?
It’s not like the awards actually count for anything, anyway.
Ask any player in the league whether they’d prefer to take a one-handed screamer sitting on some bloke’s head way up on centre-wing or a bog-standard chest-mark in the goal square and they’d take the latter every time.
If they didn’t, they fully deserve to lose their spot on a senior list for being so selfish.
Can we not just leave the talk of individual awards for later in the season? Or for monthly highlights packages at the very least?
Call me an old cynic, but it really is tiresome talk and a load of hot air.
Free time
The lurking introduction of free agency in the AFL better be worth it.
The already agonising ‘trade week’ period is set to be extended to three weeks following the 2012 Grand Final.
Oh me, oh my, what fun we’ve got in front of us.
Or not, as the case may be.
Already the most boring week on the football calendar due to a distinct lack of ‘trading’ in recent years, the AFL better be sure there’s plenty of player movement this time around to justify the inevitable media focus that’s sure to be part of the parcel.
There’s sure to be round after round of speculation, predictions, projections, what-ifs and baseless conjecture. And none of it interesting or worthwhile.
As KWTW has stated previously: players will come, players will go – but there’s always going to be footy on winter weekends and your team will only ever pick 22 blokes at a time.
Just putting it out there
The following statement may see Kicking With The Wind removed from MakingTheNut.com, but it’s worth putting out there.
The AFL is the premier football league in the country – regardless of code.
Site your TV ratings, your well-trod World Game schtick. Whatever.
Two big nights at the MCG and the first instalment of the ‘Battle for Blacktown’ should be just about enough to silence the doubters.
Sports fans vote with their derrieres – and they’ll continue to do it in every State and Territory as the season unfolds.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Mr Demetriou and his pals at AFL House are sitting back, watching the opening round and humming a little Montell Jordan to themselves… “This is how we do it, it’s Friday night and I feel alright…”
Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images AsiaPac
