www.vip.com - It’s official – Ben Cousins will don the Black and Gold in 2009 after the Richmond Tigers chose the disgraced former West Coast Eagle with their number six draft pick.
Yesterday the Richmond administration did an about face following the AFL Boards’ decision not to allow Graeme Pollack to be placed on the rookie list – freeing up an extra pick and $310, 000 in the salary cap.
It looked like the Tigers were going to snub Cousins ahead of younger up and comers but pressure from fans and Club Legend Kevin Sheedy tipped the scale in the Brownlow Medalists favour.
Richmond fans and members of the offical cheer squad marched down punt road singing ‘Cousins for Christmas’ and the team song, demanding Richmon Administration re-consider selecting Cousins with their number six pick.
Sheedy is believed to have been instrumental in the bid to secure the thirty year old – arranging meeting between Cousins and the Richmond Administration as well as a one on one meeting between Coach Terry Wallace and Cousins.
In what could prove to be one of the greatest gambles in the AFL’s history, Richmond supporters have welcomed the decision though the Administration will be quite nervous ahead of the ‘festive’ season and a hectic pre-season schedule.
Cousins has not played competitive football since he tore his hamstring in a preliminary final against Port Adelaide in 2007 but there is no doubting his credentials as one of the greatest players of the modern era.
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