West Coast, and other guilty AFL Clubs.You lot will pay.?

Question

Do young bright eyed hopefuls of 17& 18yrs get recruited into a club with the intention of becoming drug addicts ?

Answer 1

I don't think it would be that easy to be a druggie from here on.

And I'm probably naive to think that they will learn from what has happened to Ben.

Well that's what I hope anyway,not just for the West Coast Club,any Club for that matter.

Answer 2

Lot Of Parents are worried about there sons going to the Eagles

Answer 3

No. Just because a few players are on drugs, it doesnt mean all players are. When people say they don't want to play for WCE its like saying they dot want to ever leave their house, just in case there is a dealer on the streets. You can't blame the clubs because in the end these are stubborn players who dont want their lives to be ruled by the club or game. They want to be in control.

Ben cousins was thrown into the spotlight really quickly and young. h had girls throwing themselves at him, and he thought he was cool and all that. He got caught in the wring crowd and thats it. It was his mistake, not the club. He had a choice, he was a drrug dealer target just like many other users. You dont have to play a sport to be on drugs.

Answer 4

Maybe the clubs will have to pay for having some input into placing stress on a player to the extent that they resort to drug and alcohol taking.

Young guys look to a successful future playing football for some years, but they are not steered in the proper manner on  how to behave away form the field.

Five years ago,a highly successful AFL player in Melbourne, would be seen by me, training/running past my home most mornings about 7am. His Mother mentioned to me that his afternoons were spent sleeping because he didn't have a job outside of football, and his only company was with the club that he was playing with.

This would not be an isolated case,and I feel that the AFL clubs have some responsibility to their players, when the fanfare is not playing. The price of being a superstar, is that their mental health suffers.

The West Coast Eagles failed Ben Cousins, and there would be many other players who have have been tossed aside when their health failed.

Any other workplace would not be allowed by law to sack an employee because they became ill as a result of the work environment.

Answer 5

It's not the club it is the nature of youth, throw money at a kid, worship them and give them buckets of spare time and of course some will go down that path. It doesn't help that certain socialite types want to be known as their mates either.

The club is partially responsible but it is inevitable that many will get caught out anyway. - it's just not politically correct to admit this.

Answer 6

No, I think clubs will have policies in place (or be forced too) to make sure their younger players stay out of trouble. With the young kids just starting out their football careers, I think they should also be made to do something else in their lives, like consider an apprenticeship or study at University or Tafe. That way they are developing themselves, taking responsibility and keeping themselves busy. most Football player do nothing else than play football, giving themselves plenty of time to ruin their health and careers. Also a good manger in place is als important to steer ones career in the right direction.

Answer 7

I certainly hope not.  True, Cousins has definately tarnished our great game with the drug taking and other scandalous behaviour but I think there is hope that our 17&18yo's have more commonsense!!

Answer 8

Great Question

No, but you throw a kid that age into the spotlight, all of a sudden they think they are bulletproof.

s*x, Drugs, Grog, it's all there for them to go/get sick on.

I was bad enough at that age just playing suburban football & VFA. Thank God i never made it to the big time, i reckon i'd be dead now