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Ben Cousins of Richmond shows his emotions after losing the AFL Round 20 match between the Carlton Blues and the Richmond Tigers at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images
Part one of the Ben Cousins documentary Such is Life, which screened on TV last night, was both compelling and confronting. Leaving aside the momentum-halting antics of Channel Seven, it made for great viewing. But it did manage to raise more than a few questions.
For starters, just why did the West Coast Eagles take so long to act? How did he escape the AFL’s testing? Could WA Police have done more prior to Northbridge?
There’s still a lot to be answered.
One idea Cousins was keen to debunk was the notion that he’d taken drugs on the day of a game or the day before. He said he’d never done it. He also spoke candidly of his commitment to his training routine: “I wouldn’t have butter on my toast, let alone have a f***ing beer or take drugs.”
However, with his final match before retirement this Sunday, those things also raise their fair share of questions.
Can Cousins make the transition into life after football? What will he do without the support structure of a football club? What will he do without the routine of football?
The doco also managed to raise the more broader issue of how we treat young sports stars on the rise. Cousins rose to prominence in his first AFL season, debuting at age 17 and going on to win the Rising Star award. From there he only got better, becoming Eagles captain at just 22.
But what was interesting to hear last night was that his father, Bryan, met with Eagles officials after hearing the club were offering his son the captaincy. He let them know he was opposed to the idea, fearing his son may start to feel “bulletproof”.
The club didn’t listen. Ben did indeed end up feeling bulletproof.
Do we need to re-think the way we treat stars of the future and the expectations we put on them? Do we need to be more mindful of all young footballers when it comes to the attention they get?
It has to be said, if there’s one man that deserves an incredible amount of praise for his role in this story it’s Bryan Cousins. He has to be commended for looking out for and standing by his son at all times.
Something that was made painfully obvious last night was that during the worst of Ben’s drug addiction, it was his family that hurt the most. That angle is one that should be stressed further in the second and final instalment tonight.
Viewers were confronted with several shots of Cousins using drugs – the first came two minutes into the program – however the jury’s out as to whether that promotes or discourages drug use. The effect that drug use had on those around Cousins, however, is surely undeniable.
But will that be the lasting impression viewers get from the program? Is the portrayal of Ben’s rock and roll-type lifestyle such a good thing? Or, conversely, does it all open up discussion that otherwise wouldn’t have taken place?
Despite all the quite serious discussion points to come from last night, a few words need to be said about the way Seven have gone about broadcasting the documentary. Ad breaks were frequent, lengthy and came at times when the story was starting to gain momentum.
Had the ads been less disruptive, the show might have had a greater effect. Additionally, it has to be asked: was it really necessary to split up the show over two nights?
At any rate, the documentary shows a young man with the world at his feet practically throwing it all away. It shows the consequences of his destructive behaviour.
There simply has to be a lesson in that, for anyone who watches.
And look, full credit to Ben for revealing a side of himself that, let’s be honest, most of us would rather keep private. It’s given plenty of people an insight into a world they know too little about.
But will tonight be the last we hear of the Ben Cousins story?
It’s doubtful.