Ben Cousins reaches out to former Richmond teammates ahead of AFL grand final

FALLEN AFL star Ben Cousins, once a favourite at Punt Road, has reached out to his former Richmond teammates from behind bars ahead of their date with destiny.

BEN Cousins has reached out to his former Richmond teammates from behind bars.

Cousins, serving a one-year sentence in Perth’s Acacia Prison, has sent good luck messages to the Grand Final-bound Tigers.

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The West Coast Brownlow medallist, who played 32 games for Richmond from 2009-10, also wanted to pass on his congratulations to this year’s winner, Dustin Martin.

Cousins has used his father Bryan to make phone calls and deliver specific messages throughout a finals series he’s been watching from jail.

Ben Cousins loved his time at the Tigers.

Ben Cousins is in a Perth prison. Picture: Getty Images

“I only texted Brendan (Gale) this morning to ask him to pass on that Ben’s really been thinking of them all and to pass on his best wishes to Damien (Hardwick) and the rest of the team,” Cousins Sr told the Herald Sun.

“I think it shows that he cares. Richmond provided some great support to him, as did West Coast. But in his time of need and crisis, Richmond were prepared to put their hand up.”

Cousins also sought contact with Greater Western Sydney pair Brett Deledio and Wayne Campbell, who were with him at the Tigers, before the Giants were knocked out of the premiership race.

For all his issues, Cousins left a lasting impression on several Richmond players when it came to training standards at the highest level.

Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said Cousins had always stayed in touch.

“He reaches out. At the end of 2015 he came over to Melbourne and he was in great shape. The boys were on camp, unfortunately, but we spoke for probably two hours,” Gale said.

Ben Cousins with a young Trent Cotchin in 2010.

“I remember we had just lost a third elimination final in a row and I was quite amazed at the extent to which he dissected that and what he thought of the game and what he thought we needed to do. I thought, ‘wow, his football aptitude is very strong’. He looked very healthy and in a great place and was thinking about footy media and all that.”

Cousins’ oldest child is a mad Richmond fan and in Round 22 this year, was in the Tigers rooms meeting his favourite player, Dustin Martin.

“Given we were at the pointy end of a contract negotiation, I didn’t think that was the worst idea,” Gale joked.

“Ben’s last year was my first year as CEO in 2010. His fanatical training certainly rubbed off on a few of the boys.”

Cousins Sr said the family would be in the yellow and black corner come Saturday.

“Ben will definitely be watching, but the two most fanatical supporters — and Richmond would have a lot — are my 92-year-old my dad and my mum, who is 93,” he said.

“We were just saying they’ll have a doctor with them, they’ll be that excited watching the game.

“They’re a unique club, Richmond, and I think that’s why they have such fantastic support.”

Originally published as Ben Cousins reaches out to former Richmond teammates ahead of AFL grand final