Ben Cousins’ new job says it all about West Coast Eagles great

West Coast Eagles great Ben Cousins has a new job — and it shows just how far he has come after his life fell apart.

Ben Cousins has a new job — and it says everything about how far the West Coast Eagles great has come.

The Brownlow medal winner has got his life back together in recent years after it all fell apart following the tumultous end to his football career.

The 46-year-old is now celebrating another major milestone in his recovery — taking up a full time position in radio.

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Cousins is set to become a regular on the breakfast airwaves after joining Pete and Kymba on Mix 94.5 in Perth this year.

The former West Coast Eagles star won over listeners with his weekly “Bensday Wednesday” segment on the breakfast show last year and quickly became a fan favourite, PerthNow reports.

After completing an array of fun challenges like recreating his famous GQ photoshoot from the early 2000s to bootscooting in the studio, the Brownlow medallist has earned a permanent spot in radio.

AFL legend Ben Cousins has signed on with SCA's Pete and Kymba Breakfast show on Mix94.5 Perth. Picture: Supplied

Chris and Rebecca Judd with Ben Cousins at the 2024 Brownlow Medal. Picture: Instagram

“It’s been great fun getting into radio and being able to chat to Perth in the morning,” Cousins said.

“We’ve got a lot planned and I’m really keen to share all the things happening in my life and the great experiences I’m able to be a part of.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with the Pete & Kymba team, they’ve definitely stitched me up a few times and I’ve been slowly getting my revenge.

“Guess I’ll have more time for that in 2025.”

Pete and Kymba spoke about the fun they had working with Cousins.

“Ben has become a rascal brother to us, we love mucking around and having fun with him, and we know our fans love being in on the fun too,” they said.

“But we would like to make it known we plan to throw Ben in the deep end even more, and as people who listen to our show know, there’s no other show like ours, we’ll find some genuinely unique scenarios to put him in, get ready.”

Since hanging up his footy boots, Cousins has made the move into media.

He has since provided expert AFL analysis and insight into the game on various radio shows over the years and is now a sports presenter with 7NEWS Perth.

Last year he slipped into his dancing shoes and reached the semi-finals on Dancing With The Stars.

Cousins patches life back together after sad spiral

Cousins is not the same man he once was.

He spent seven months in jail in 2020 after repeatedly breaching a restraining order and allegedly threatening to kill his former partner and mother of his children, Maylea Tinecheff.

Cousins and Tinecheff were together from 2008 to 2013 and share two children, aged 11 and 13.

Earlier, in 2018, Cousins also served 10 months of a 12-month prison sentence for stalking Tinecheff.

Ben Cousins and his sister Melanie at the 2024 Brownlow medal. Picture: NewsWire/ Michael Klein.

Ben Cousins reads the News in Perth on Chanel 7.

After finishing his career, Cousins’ life spiralled out of control, leading to a public battle with drug addiction.

The 2006 AFL premiership winner resigned 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.

He was delisted and banned from the AFL for 12 months.

In 2009, Cousins did return to the AFL, playing the final two seasons of his career at Richmond.

Cousins played 238 games for West Coast and his final 32 games with Richmond before his career ended in 2010.

But in more recent times, Cousins appeared fit and healthy and has come clean on how difficult his recovery has been.

“It just gets back to being happy and for a long time, I hadn’t been and I had those fleeting moments where I thought I was kidding myself just to try and get by,” he said in 2022.

“It’s been a big struggle but today I sit here and it’s not in any way about the things I’ve given up or had to give up or sacrifice, it’s all about things I can give back.”

— with Kellie Balaam, PerthNow