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Monday February 13, 2012

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Ben Cousins documentary not for all

Posted by: Ben Wise | 26 August, 2010 - 8:01 AM

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FRIDAY AUDIO:

Andrew Demetriou - AFL will not penalise Cousins for 'shaved hair'

Neil Mitchell - Should Cousins be deregistered today?

Brian Taylor - My sons think it's OK to take drugs after watching 

Debate - Neil Mitchell and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg

Hinch Blog - 'Drug addiction is not a disease'

Smaller audience for Cousins doco part II  

Video

LATEST: Andrew Demetriou has revealed Ben Cousins evaded a career defining drugs test but the League chose to overlook it.

In his tell-all addiction documentary, Cousins admitted shaving his body hair to avoid AFL drug testers knowing he'd used narcotics and could be caught.

Cousins dismissed it as just a haircut at the time but the AFL boss has told Neil Mitchell the league was suspicious.

Cousins misled the football community at a time when Demetriou says his career, and life, was on a knife edge.

Video

FRIDAY: Ben Cousins has admitted dodging AFL drug testers by cutting his hair, knowing he had used drugs and would have been caught.

It was just one of many revelations from the second part of the Such Is Life documentary which aired on Channel 7 on Thursday night.

Paul Dillon from the National Drug and Alcohol Advisory Centre says the Cousins story had little value in educating young people about drugs.

Some of the key points from part two, after part one was widely criticised by anti-drug campaigners for its obligatory and 'unnecessary' portrayal of drug-taking, were.

- Ben Cousins' father Bryan was forced to go with his son to buy drugs as a last resort to avoid a physical confrontation. He was left in his pyjamas at a bus station while Ben apparently made the final transaction for the illegal drugs.

- Bryan struggled so much with dealing with his out-of-control son that his family feared it was he who might die from the stress, while Ben remained a 'life or death' prospect during his rampant drug use.

- Bryan Cousins said his son was suicidal at times and feared that 'he wouldn't be with us now' had Richmond not thrown Ben a lifeline by drafting him at the end of 2008.

Again, it will be interesting to hear the feedback on 3AW Radio's talkback line as to whether the program really achieved any major positives other than bringing the drug discussion to the mainstream media.

However, there's no doubt the documentary arguably leaves plenty of questions unanswered about issues.

How did Cousins beat the drug-testing system?

What really happened when he relapsed in the US (all Cousins said in relation to that incident was that he was admitted to hospital via an ambulance)?

Who supplied the drugs to former West Coast Eagles star Chris Mainwaring which are believed to have killed him?  

THURSDAY AUDIO:

Ross And John - Callers flood the lines re: Cousins

Terry Wallace - He was still using when Tigers spoke to him

Adrian Anderson - 'Is the AFL embarrassed?'

Peter Ford - 'No lightbulb moments'

Ratings - Nearly 2 million tuned in to Such Is Life

THURSDAY: The AFL says it's not embarrassed by the Ben Cousins documentary which revealed he was a chronic drug abuser during his playing career.

AFL Operations Manager Adrian Anderson has admitted to Neil Mitchell Cousins was abusing at a time when the rules couldn't catch up with him.

Youth worker Les Twentyman says the Cousins Drug Addiction documentary has fulfilled his fears - it glamourises drug use.

He says the program portrayed drug use as fast cars, designer clothes, beutiful women and being able to perform at an elite level while under the influence of deadly narcotics.

He says that's not the way it is in most drug addicts' realities.

Such Is Life portrayed Cousins' drug abuse from the age of 17.

Public opinion appears divided on the Cousins documentary that went to air last night.

Talkback callers outraged

Talkback lines flooded 3AW talkback lines were flooded with callers outraged at the positive light in which the Cousins documentary shone on the world of drug use and drug users. One recovering addict told Neil Mitchell that after watching the program he was tempted to "go on a binge".

'Cashgrab' will not help us

Debate rages over very largely 'unseen' documentary Debate continues to rage over the Ben Cousins documentary, which most of Australia has not seen. While it's hard for many to comment on something they haven't seen, Joanne - who lost her son to drugs - has earned her right to share a strong view.

Blog comments Your Say

  • So many high & mighty critics~! Let's have a look at your OWN family history of drug abuse~! I can assure you its not that impressive~!

    Lenny Saturday 28 August, 2010 - 11:13 AM

  • The real hero is Ben's dad, Bryan for being there for his son. He deserves father of the year. I wanted to see the ugly side, him past out,goint through withdrawls, etc not him surfing. Why didn't they talk about his sucididal tendenacies and show that. It was too pretty. I wish him well, though and hope he gets a real job now.

    mumof3 Friday 27 August, 2010 - 7:38 PM

  • This guy was no dummy he was a straight A student and lived a comfortable lifestyle He threw it all away.
    I think he should do some voluntary work helping others less fortunate that are on drugs to see their situation.
    I dont think he really understands how much he owes the community that admired him and his family that put themselves out messed up their lives and damaged their health to help him.
    I see a person that admits that he has done the wrong but still acts as though the world owes him.

    theki Friday 27 August, 2010 - 4:38 PM

  • Why is so much attention is being paid to such a loser!
    His greatest claim to fame is to be able to chase a leather ball around an oval. So what!

    david R Friday 27 August, 2010 - 2:20 PM

  • Have the Victorian Police announced a public warning for all women under the age of 30 to be wary of drunk Aussie Ball players clebrating mad Monday? Please be careful if you are a woman in this category as you are in a high risk group of being sexually assaulted by these bogans, please learn from history & take all precautions.

    Matt - proudly Un-Australian Friday 27 August, 2010 - 2:18 PM

  • I watched both parts of the documentary and felt that it delivered on what I expected. I can't understand how anyone can say that he has got away with it. Drugs has destroyed his life and put his family through hell. I think that people need to remember that the mental toughness that he showed on the field is what you are seeing portrayed in this documentary. He is never going to be the type of person to break down and cry, just so people can think that he is sorry for his actions. His life has been played out in the public eye, and he is entitled to keep some part of him for himself. He is a drug addict, and all drug addicts are self absorbed and hurt the people closest to them. They are only interested in their next fix. This is the danger of being addicted to drugs, alcohol, etc
    I thank you Ben for a brutally honest account of your journey. I wish you and your family all the best and I feel proud of what you have achieved so far. I think that you will go on to do many great things.

    Leeann Friday 27 August, 2010 - 11:01 AM

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