AFL legend wants Ben Cousins to receive Hall of Fame honour

A former teammate says Ben Cousins has shown the time is right for the recovering footballer to finally receive a long-overdue award.

Ben Cousins at the curtain raiser during the 2023 AFL Round 02 match between the West Coast Eagles and the GWS Giants at Optus Stadium on March 26, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The time is right for Ben Cousins to be inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, West Coast great Glen Jakovich says.

The legendary defender has revealed to The Herald Sun he spoke to Cousins this week and believes the signs are there that the mercurial midfielder is turning his life around.

The push for Cousins to be honoured for his efforts on the football field leaves the AFL in a predicament.

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Cousins has been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2013, but has been denied because of the league’s so-called “character” criteria.

According to the AFL, the Hall of Fame committee must consider integrity, sportsmanship and character when assessing potential inductees.

The same criteria also resulted in Geelong icon Gary Ablett Snr missing out for several years before he was finally inducted in 2005. Wayne Carey was also overlooked twice before he was inducted in 2010.

Now the committee is facing another tough test in weighing up Cousins’ recovery.

The 44-year-old had a troubled end to his football career, resigning his captaincy at West Coast in 2006 after fleeing an RBT before it was revealed he had a substance abuse problem.

Cousins spent time in rehab in the same year before he was arrested for drug possession the following year.

After his career, Cousins’ life spiralled out of control, leading to a public battle with drugs and legal issues, including serving a 12-month prison sentence in 2017 for stalking the mother of his children Maylea Tinecheff.

But his life has been heading in the right direction for more than 18 months.

Ben Cousins at the curtain raiser at Optus Stadium on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Cousins has been helping out in a casual position with WAFL side Perth Demons. He returned to television after landing a gig with 7 News in Perth last year and Jakovich has now revealed Cousins is also employed by a mining company in Western Australia.

Another milestone moment in Cousins’ recovery came over the weekend when he played in an exhibition legend’s game against at Optus Stadium before the Eagles’ clash with GWS on Sunday.

It was the first time since 2007 that Cousins played in an Eagles jumper.

Cousins’ daughter Angelique (9), son Bobby (11) and step-son Alex (17) were there to watch their dad.

It is a sign Cousins is ready to finally be inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, according to Jakovich.

“I spoke to him yesterday about a few things. The biggest question was whether he could reintegrate back into community life, hold down a normal job and be a normal contributor to society,” Jakovich told the Herald Sun.

Ben Cousins in West Coast colours for the first time since 2007. Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“West Coast has just had a Hall of Fame event which he didn’t make. They wanted to wait another 12 months. So if not this year then next year from an AFL perspective.

“He has had a bloody good 18 months. He works for Channel 7, he works for a mining company and he goes to a lot of mining sites and speaks to them and basically says don’t end up like me. His biggest commitment is to his kids. He has gone from no access to good access and has had to tick boxes with the authorities. So that is a really big tick for ‘Cuz’.”

Jakovich said Cousins’ private life remains the most important consideration.

“We went through a period of time where we were sick of hearing about his lifestyle and we were waiting for the phone call that he is no longer with us. That is how bad it got. It was sad to witness that in an ex-teammate and great of our club,“ he said.