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2008/04: Was Ben Cousins treated fairly by the West Coast Eagles and the AFL?<BR>

2008/04: Was Ben Cousins treated fairly by the West Coast Eagles and the AFL?

What they said ...
'Ben Cousins ... has seriously breached the conditions and spirit of the revised contract under which he returned to the club'
West Coast Eagles' chairman elect Mark Barnaba

'I'm aware of no reason why my client was apprehended by the Organised Crime Squad ... All that remains is a minor traffic offence'
Shane Brennan, Ben Cousins' lawyer

The issue at a glance
On October 17, 2007, the West Coast Eagles terminated Ben Cousins' contract to play with them after he had been arrested for alleged drug possession.
Cousins was officially delisted by the Eagles on 30 November 2007. The Eagles were unable to do so before the National Draft, due to the uncertainty of possible legal action or contract payouts. Cousins' delisting was delayed to avoid a possible salary cap breach.
On November 19, 2007, the AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou announced that Cousins had been 'found guilty of conduct unbecoming and likely to prejudice the interest of the AFL and [of] bringing the game into disrepute' and that he was banned from playing for 12 months.
There are those who maintain that action should have been taken against Ben Cousins far earlier. However, others have argued that Cousins was the victim of media pressure on West Coast and the AFL and that his behaviour did not warrant the treatment he received.

Background
Ben Cousins played for the West Coast Eagles from 1996 to 2007. He played over 200 games building a reputation as one of the best midfielders of the last decade. He won a Brownlow Medal, a Leigh Matthews Trophy as Most Valuable Player, four club Best and Fairests, and six selections in the All-Australian team. Ben Cousins was the captain of West Coast from 2001 until 2005, and played his 200th AFL game during the 2005 season. Cousins resigned his captaincy in February 2006 following an off-field incident in which he ran away from a booze-bus. Several such off-field incidents have attracted negative publicity.
Cousins has been revealed as a recreational drug user, requiring drug rehabilitation before he could take the field. He has had criminal convictions for drink driving and had social associations with criminals. He has several times nearly been expelled as a player by the club and league.

Off-field controversies involving Ben Cousins
Assault and broken arm
In September 2002 Cousins was involved in a brawl with team mate Daniel Kerr at a Perth nightclub. Cousins punched Kerr in the face, while Kerr later pushed Cousins down a flight of stairs, breaking his arms.
Association with criminals
In May 2005 Cousins and then West Coast team mate Michael Gardiner were criticised for involvement with a group of alleged Perth underworld figures. The club told the pair that they were on their 'last warning' and that their off-field behaviour would not be tolerated.
Booze bus incident, 2006
On February 12, 2006, Cousins avoided a booze bus by running from his car in the middle of a major Perth highway and from police as they ordered him to stop. On February 20 he resigned as captain. He was charged on summons on February 27 with one count of obstructing traffic and one count of obstructing police. He pleaded guilty to both charges and was fined $900. He was fined $5,000 by the Eagles.
Arrest at Crown Casino
In December 2006 Cousins was arrested in Melbourne and spent four hours in jail after being in a disoriented and uncontrolled state at the Crown Casino. The club decided not to discipline him, saying the media scrutiny was sufficient punishment.
Diagnosis of drug addiction and rehabilitation, 2007
On 20 March 2007, West Coast club chairman Dalton Gooding announced at a press conference that Cousins had been suspended indefinitely for his failure to attend two training sessions. Gooding further stated that Cousins was facing a 'number of personal and professional issues'.
On 3 April Ben Cousins was admitted to the exclusive Summit Centre in Malibu, California for drug rehabilitation. Cousins returned to Perth on the 30 April 2007 and is likely to continue his treatment at an outpatient program there.
Chris Mainwaring's death
In September, Ben Cousins was one of the last to see an agitated, depressed Chris Mainwaring (former West Coast Eagles dual Premiership player) before he died. Mainwaring died after taking cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, anti-depressants, Roaccutane and alcohol. The West Coast Eagles initially stated that Cousins had tested negative to a drug test the day following Mainwaring's death. However, at the press conference to announce Cousins dismissal, club officials stated that the club didn't drug test Cousins and that they had no knowledge of a drug test. His family doctor has since said that Cousins had tested negative to a blood test that he had taken after Mainwaring's death.
Cousins' 2007 arrest and contract termination
On October 16, 2007 Cousins was arrested in the Perth suburb of Northbridge. Cousins' car had been observed driving erratically. Police searched his car and found a small quantity of diazepam tablets, viagra and oxycontin. He was charged with possession of a prohibited drug, and failing to comply with a Police ordered drug assessment.
On October 17, 2007, Cousins' playing contract with the West Coast Eagles football was terminated.
On October 19 police withdrew the possession of a prohibited drug charge against Cousins. The drug he was charged with possessing, diazepam was only a prohibited drug when found in an injectable form.
12-month ban
Cousins flew to Los Angeles on 27 October, to continue his drug rehabilitation at the Summit Center clinic. He failed to attend and several days later was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital following an alleged cocaine binge. Los Angeles police decided not to lay any charges relating to the incident
On November 19, 2007, the AFL requested Cousins to appear before the Commission of Conduct. After a seven-hour hearing the AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou announced that Cousins was 'found guilty of conduct unbecoming and likely to prejudice the interest of the AFL and [of] bringing the game into disrepute' and that he was banned from playing for 12 months.
(The above is an edited information found on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Cousins)

Internet information
The online encyclopaedia Wikipedia's entry on Ben Cousins can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Cousins
On October 17, 2007, the AFL's official website published West Coast Eagle's chairman elect's statement following the termination of Ben Cousins' contract. The same site also includes AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou's support for the action taken by the West Coast Eagles. These statements can be found at http://www.afl.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=208&newsId=52592

The AFL's Drug Code can be found at http://www.afana.com/netpaper/jan30-13191.html

The AFL's Players' Code of Conduct can be found at http://www.aflpa.com.au/media/Code%20of%20Conduct_06.pdf

On March 26, 2007, Online Opinion published the views of Mirko Bagaric on the earlier suspension of Ben Cousins from West Coast Eagles. Bagaric is opposed to the suspension. The article is titled, 'Cousins' suspension: an exercise in misguided moralising'. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5666

On October 24, 2007, Online Opinion published the views of Stuart Munckton on the actions of the West Coast Eagles and the AFL in relation to Ben Cousins. Munckton is also opposed to the manner in which Cousins has been treated. The article is titled, 'Drugs, sport, hypocrisy and hysteria'. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=6540

On November 1, 2007, Eureka Street.com .au published an opinion piece by Braham Dabscheck. Dabscheck also believes that Cousins has been inappropriately treated. The article is titled, 'Demonising Ben Cousins'. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3652

On November 30, 2007, Eureka Street.com.au published an opinion piece by Andrew Hamilton titled, 'Cousins' story proves AFL is more than a game'. The piece looks at the broader significance of Ben Cousins' behaviour and his subsequent treatment. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3653

Arguments against the bans imposed on Ben Cousins
1. Ben Cousins' use of recreational drugs is not his employers' concern
It has been claimed that so long as he is able to perform on-field then Ben Cousins' off-field behaviour is no concern of his club's or the AFL's.
On October 20, 2007, Tracee Hutchison, a commentator for The Age, noted, 'The biggest problem I'm having with Cousins' so-called fall from grace is what exactly he's done wrong to warrant dismissal and deregistration by his employer(s).'
Hutchison elaborated, 'Nothing he has done - or allegedly taken - in the past few years has affected his ability to do his job.'
The quality of Cousins' on-field performances would appear to bear out the claim that his drug use has not significantly impaired his ability to play football.
Cousins' Wikipedia entry notes, 'In February 2006 Cousins resigned his captaincy following an off-field incident where he ran away from a booze-bus ... Nevertheless, Cousins helped carry the team to their first premiership in 12 years to become the 2006 AFL Premiers. He played a key role in the 2006 Grand Final, achieving 18 possessions and kicking two of West Coast's 12 goals.'
Similarly, on March 25, 2007, Mirko Bagaric, wrote, 'Concerns about the impact on team spirit of having a plonk on the park are misplaced. The Eagles are last year's premiers and favourites for the 2007 flag. It seems that alcoholic ball-getters are far less problematic than squeaky clean passengers.'
Critics have claimed that employers, such as the AFL, have no right to intrude in the off-the-job behaviour of their employees if that behaviour does not affect the employee's performance at work. On March 25, 2007, Mirko Bagaric, wrote, 'AFL footballers have no less right to drink to excess and over-react to relationship breakups than doctors, judges, plumbers and journalists, none of whom lose their livelihoods as a result of their excesses ... That's why the Eagles suspension of star player Ben Cousins is misguided.'
There are those who see the action taken by football clubs against players' private drug use as part of a broader push on the part of employers to control the personal lives of their employees. On October 24, 2007, Online Opinion published a comment in which Stuart Munckton stated, 'The issues are about more than the drug habits of a couple of highly-paid sports professionals. It is part of a reactionary agenda that seeks to extend the control of the state over people's personal lives, and further erode the rights of working people. There is a drive by employers to win the right to carry out drug and alcohol tests on their workers in a range of industries. Public hysteria about footballers putting the same poisons into their bodies makes this drive easier.'

2. Ben Cousins' criminal convictions are not his employers' concern
It has further been claimed that Ben Cousins' criminal record is not the concern of his employer and should not prejudice his chances of employment.
On March 25, 2007, Mirko Bagaric, wrote in Online Opinion, 'Cousins was found guilty of criminal misconduct after doing a runner from a booze bus. This, however, doesn't strengthen the case for his sacking. In fact, it highlights a wide-ranging problem in the community relating to employment discrimination against people with prior convictions.
Presently there are no effective laws protecting people who have transgressed the law from work deprivations in the form of being sacked from a job or being overlooked for a prospective job. Australians are often denied jobs or lose existing jobs as a result of minor transgressions which have no connection with the job in question. A 10-year-old shop-stealing offence can lead to a person being precluded from getting the most dreary of jobs.
Such discrimination is rife. Hundreds of thousands of police checks by employers are conducted each year in Australia. Workplace discrimination against people who have been convicted of criminal offences or who are suspected of engaging in such conduct is in most cases unfair.
As noted by Prime Minister John Howard following Pauline Hanson's (wrongful) conviction for electoral fraud: "As a matter of principle my view is that once a person has paid their debt to society, as the old expression goes, and done their time, then they should be able to live a normal life."'

3. Ben Cousins has not taken performance-enhancing drugs
It has been claimed that it would only have been appropriate for the ALF and the West Coast Eagles to act against Cousins if he had been taking drugs to bolster his on-field performance. On March 25, 2007, Mirko Bagaric, wrote, '... detecting the use of (non-performance enhancing) illegal drugs is a police matter, not the role of an overbearing employer. That's why the Eagles suspension of star player Ben Cousins is misguided.'
The taking of performance-enhancing drugs is universally prohibited throughout the Australian sporting community. This applies to athletes in international competition such as the Olympic Games and to those in national competition such as the AFL.
Some critics of the treatment received by Cousins have noted that this player's alleged drug use has never been claimed to involve performance-enhancing drugs.

4. The last set of changes brought against Cousins in Australia were dropped
It has been claimed that the actions taken against Ben Cousins by his club, the West Coast Eagles, and the AFL appear inappropriate now that the charges brought against Cousins on October 16, 2007, have been dropped.
The Eagles terminated Cousins' contract to play with them the day after these charges were laid. Whatever Cousins' previous record, the immediate precipitating factor appears to have been the charges brought against him. The AFL's summons to appear before its Commission of Conduct was issued at the same time.
It has been claimed by some that with the dropping of the charges against Cousins the club and the AFL appear to have acted without due cause. On November 19, 2007, Richard Hinds, wrote in Real Footy, 'They [the Commission of Conduct] will be tip-toeing through a legal minefield as they decide what constitutes evidence that Cousins has brought the game into disrepute and what is mere rumour.
That task was made more difficult when the charges, brought after his highly public arrest in Perth last month which triggered Cousins' sacking by West Coast and the AFL summons, were dropped.'

5. Ben Cousins has been deserted at a time when he needs help
It has been claimed that the Eagles and the AFL have adopted a self-protective, punitive attitude and have shown no real concern for Cousins' wellbeing. The club and the AFL have been criticised for abandoning Cousins at a time when he was in obvious need of support.
On October 24, 2007, Online Opinion published a comment in which Stuart Munckton stated,' The lack of compassion is stunning ... Nine days before his arrest, Cousins helped carry the coffin during the funeral for his close friend, former Eagles player Chris Mainwaring, who had recently died a drug-related death. Mainwaring, who apparently played a key role in convincing Cousins to seek treatment for his drug problem, was visited by Cousins just hours before he died. Valium, which Cousins was wrongly arrested for possessing, is often used to cope with grief.'
On November 1, 2007, a comment by Braham Dabscheck was published in Eureka Street.com. Dabscheck stated, 'The saddest thing of this sorry affair is how the West Coast Eagles turned their back on one of their own. Cousins had served the club with distinction on the sporting field. He won the Brownlow Medal in 2005, a premiership in 2006 and has been a regular member of All-Australian teams. Now he had been presumed by all to be guilty before he had a chance to defend himself ...
On 11 September 2007, 20 medical and drug experts published an open letter where they praised the AFL and AFLPA's [Australian Football League's Players' Association] approach to drug testing. They said the prime objective of any "drugs in sport" policy must be the health and welfare of the player concerned. Where this conflicts with another objective of the club concerned, the AFL or the government, the player's welfare must be paramount. This has not occurred in this case. Cousins has been hung out to dry.'

6. Ben Cousins' contract was terminated and he was banned from playing for twelve months largely in response to media pressure
It has been claimed that the West Coast Eagles and the AFL have taken action against Ben Cousins largely in response to media pressure. According to those who hold this view the media sensationalised Cousins' off-field behaviour and then demanded action be taken against him. They maintain that the media helped to create the problem and then demanded a punitive response to it.
On November 1, 2007, a comment by Braham Dabscheck was published in Eureka Street.com. Dabscheck stated, 'Media commentators, on the other hand, advocate a name and shame approach with cuts in players' salaries and termination of their employment contracts. In the case of Ben Cousins, the media claimed his arrest and subsequent charging was a clear demonstration of him breaching undertakings following the resumption of his career. The West Coast Eagles were urged to sack him, and they duly did so.'
The AFL's Players' Code of Conduct recognises the intrusive nature of media interest in players' lives and suggests this needs to be considered as a mitigating circumstance when judging their behaviour. The Code states, 'The AFL and AFL Clubs also recognise that Players may be subject to significantly greater intrusion into their private lives than the average person. This notion should be respected when assessing a Player's conduct and the circumstances surrounding any potential breach of the Code.'
Critics of the actions taken by West Coast and the AFL argue that these bodies responded to media pressure and did not make allowances for its impact on Cousins or the media's possible inflating of the situation.

Arguments in favour of the bans imposed on Ben Cousins
1. Ben Cousins has broken his contract with his club
Ben Cousins' previous misconduct had resulted in his giving certain undertakings to the West Coast eagles as to his future behaviour. These undertakings have remained private. The Club has claimed that it terminated Ben Cousins contract because he did not abide by these undertakings.
The West Coast Eagles chairman elect, Mark Barnaba, stated 'At a special meeting today, the West Coast Eagles board decided to terminate the contract of Ben Cousins because he has seriously breached the conditions and spirit of the revised contract under which he returned to the club several months ago.
While those conditions were private and confidential, Ben was aware of them and the incident yesterday left us with no alternative but to act in this manner. As you would understand, there are still some legal implications involved, but we will terminate his contract ...
The board also wants to say that as administrators and directors of this great club, we recognise that we hold the club in trust on behalf of our members, fans, players and their families...
We have done and will continue to do all we can to support our players through education, counselling and constant reinforcement but ultimately, individuals also have to take responsibility for their actions and accept the consequences when they fail to meet the standards set by their club and team-mates...
Over the last year, we have acknowledged that our club has had some issues. We have taken some massive steps including the delisting and suspension of players, and the establishment of a committee to oversee change within the club.'

2. Ben Cousins' off-field behaviour is inappropriate for a prominent role model
It is claimed that AFL players are role models both for young people generally and for young sports people in particular. The AFL has judged that where AFL players are habitual drug users this is sending a particularly dangerous message to those young people likely to imitate their behaviour.
The AFL's Drug Code states, 'For habitual offenders however, the AFL proposes to protect the vast majority of its playing group and others in the community who are influenced and affected by the behaviour of Players, by administering strict and severe sanctions in cases where it is satisfied that education, counselling and treatment are not an effective response to the problem of Illicit Drugs.'
It has been claimed that Ben Cousins repeated failure to behave appropriately with regard to his drug use left the AFL with no other option than to suspend him.
Ben Cousins' great skill and his enormous popularity gave him great power to influence. In November, 2007, a long-time West Coast employee spoke to The Sunday Age about Ben Cousins' role model status. He stated, 'He's a different bloke now. I've got kids who grew up following the club, they idolised him and he'd always stop and talk to them. He's probably the most popular player that's ever played for us and that includes (Chris) Judd, (Glen) Jakovich, (Peter) Matera, (Guy) McKenna and (John) Worsfold.
From the moment he arrived, he always had time for other people, he had a great affinity with the fans and that's why they love him so much. It's also why they're struggling so much with what's happened over the last 12 months.'
Queensland Chief Justice Paul de Jersey has stressed the harm done by the kind of publicity attracted by Ben Cousins. Justice de Jersey noted that constant photographs of Ben Cousins showing him as an apparently fit man portrayed to young people that drugs were somehow acceptable and that it was possible to take them and not suffer any significant harm.

3. Ben Cousins' off-field behaviour could bring football into disrepute
It has been claimed that Ben Cousins' off-field behaviour could damage the reputation of AFL football. AFL football has to compete for players, for sponsors and for supporters with other football and sporting codes. Thus, it is important that the game's public standing remains high.
At various points over the last fifteen years there have been scandals relating to unduly rough play, on-field racism and the violent or otherwise inappropriate treatment of women. There have also been scandals centred on off-field rowdyism, often associated with the consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs.
Such behaviour has the capacity to undermine the code. Young people may well choose not to play the game and sponsors and fans not to support it.
The AFL's Players' Code of Conduct stipulates the following:
'AFL Players aspire to the highest standards of sportsmanship and professional conduct. AFL Players must conduct themselves in a manner so as not to bring Australian Rules football, the AFL, AFL Clubs and other AFL Players into disrepute.
This clause applies to a Player's behaviour which:
(i) occurs during the course of any match, training session, Club or AFL function, promotional appearance, camp or tour, including travelling to and from such employment related commitments; or
(ii) involves public comment or comments made to the media; or
(iii) involves criminal conduct which directly impacts in a material way upon the Player's ability to perform his duties as an Australian Rules footballer or impacts upon the reputation of the AFL or the AFL Club in any way; or
(iv) involves conduct deemed by his AFL Club and the Club's Leadership
Group (or senior players of the Club if no such group exists) ... to have brought the AFL and/or his AFL Club into disrepute.'

4. Ben Cousins' off-field behaviour could lose his club sponsorship and supporters
It has been claimed that Cousins' off-field behaviour has the capacity to damage the AFL and his club financially. Poor off-field behaviour of players may discourage supporters from attending matches and may discourage sponsors from putting money into the clubs. AFL football is now a multi-million dollar industry and its managers cannot accept behaviour that puts the enterprise at risk.
On October 24, 2007, Online Opinion published a comment in which Stuart Munckton stated, 'The club has little choice but to sack Cousins, not just because the AFL had already threatened heavy sanctions if an Eagles player "transgressed" again, but also because corporate sponsors were threatening to pull-out. The AFL "brand" has been damaged by the drug scandals, and as great a player as Cousins remains, he is more a liability than an asset in the profit-driven business the AFL is running.'
Long-time West Coast Eagles the insurer SGIO announced it would conduct a rigorous review of its sponsorship of the club when it was reported that Ben Cousins had been arrested over drugs. Though the sponsors stated that this was simply part of their normal review process, SGIO also stated in reference to the management of Ben Cousins, 'We trust the West Coast Eagles Club board and management will handle this serious matter in the most appropriate manner.'

5. Ben Cousins' off-field behaviour could impair his on-field performance
On of the objectives of the AFL's Drug Code is to retain the ability of AFL players to perform at their best on field. The Code states, 'An AFL Club may refer a Player to the AFL Medical Officer for testing, education, counselling or treatment where the AFL Club satisfies the AFL Medical Officer on reasonable grounds that the Player's mental or physical ability to satisfactorily perform his services to the AFL Club is impaired as a result of an association with Illicit Drugs.'
It has been claimed that Ben Cousins' apparently drug-related failure to attend a number of training sessions indicates that his drug use could be assumed to be impairing his on-filed performance.

6. Ben Cousins knew his off-field behaviour was inappropriate
It has been claimed that Ben Cousins was well aware that his behaviour was in violation of the AFL's Players' Code of Conduct and of his special contractual arrangements with West Coast Eagles.
Clause 2.1 of the AFL's Players' Code of Conduct details what is expected of players. That clause ends with the following statement, 'The Players understand the obligations upon them as expressly stated in this clause 2.1'.
Similarly, in announcing the West Coast Eagles' decision to terminate Cousins' contract, the club's chairman elect, Mark Barnaba, stated, 'At a special meeting today, the West Coast Eagles board decided to terminate the contract of Ben Cousins because he has seriously breached the conditions and spirit of the revised contract under which he returned to the club several months ago.
While those conditions were private and confidential, Ben was aware of them and the incident yesterday left us with no alternative but to act in this manner.'
When Cousins contract was revised prior to his return to the West Coast eagles this year, the president of the AFL, Alex Demetriou, had wanted the new conditions made public. In the event that did not happen, however, no one disputes that Cousins himself was well aware of the conditions he was to abide by.
After Ben Cousins' hearing before the AFL's Code of Conduct Committee, Cousins apologised for his behaviour, admitted he had a drug addiction problem and thanked the Committee for having given him a fair hearing. Supporters of the AFL's actions haven taken Ben Cousins' response to indicate that he was aware he had behaved inappropriately and accepted the AFL Committee's ruling.
When interviewed immediately after West Coast Eagles had terminated Cousins' contract the club's chief executive, Trevor Nesbitt, stated that Cousins had agreed in his revised contract to a zero-tolerance clause to testing positive to drugs and to not falling foul of the law.

Further implications
The AFL has indicated that it will be reviewing its Drug Code in December 2007. Currently the AFL's Drug Code has a strong emphasis on education and rehabilitation.
The AFL has been criticised for not adopting a sufficiently strong response to drug use among players. There has been some pressure from the former federal government for the ALF to toughen its stance against illicit drugs. It is probable that the revised AFL Drug Code will adopt a more punitive approach to players found to have used illicit drugs, though the recent change in government federally may reduce the likelihood of this occurring.
Ben Cousins' lawyer has encouraged him to take action against the West Australia police for inappropriate handling of Cousins' arrest on October 16, 2007. In view of subsequent events in the United States and Cousins' obvious desire to resume playing AFL football, it is not clear whether he will challenge the manner of his arrest. As to whether he will take action against either the West Coast Eagles and the AFL it is probably he would only do so were he convinced that he had no likelihood of ever again playing within the AFL.
Overall, the Cousins' case appears to have been largely conducted within and by the media. Cousins has never tested positive for drug use as part of his club's exhaustive testing regime. His arrest on October 16, 2007, appears to have been mishandled. Cousins was arrested and charged for the possession of Viagra and Valium, both of which are legal drugs.
The AFL's actions against drugs appear to be prompted by contradictory motives. On the one hand, influenced by the AFL's Players' Association, the AFL is concerned to support and rehabilitate players. On the other it is concerned to avoid damage to the reputation of the League.

Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
The Age: October 18, page 13, comment by Greg Baum, `A story of opportunities squandered'.
The Age: October 18, page 1, news item by Dan Silkstone and Caroline Wilson, `Cousins sacked by Eagles as furore grows over AFL drug policy'.
The Herald-Sun: October 6, page 15, analysis by Damien Barrett, ``Lost Eagle'.
The Australian: October 29, page 3, news item, `Cousins collects star treatment in LA'.
The Herald Sun: November 8, page 7, news item by Sam Edmund et al, `Cousins jets in to inquiry'.
The Herald Sun: November 3, page 3, news item by Damien Barrett, `AFL takes action over Cousins'.
The Australian: November 3, page 5, news item by Robert Lusetich, `Charge may end Cousins' career'.
The Age: November 2, page 2, news item by N Perpitch et al, `Cousins not down and out in LA, says father'.
The Age: November 21, page 14, editorial, `Cousins: rehabilitation is the only cure'.
The Herald Sun: November 20, page 17, cartoon.
The Age: November 20, page 1, news item by L Dubecki, `Meek Cousins takes 12-month ban on the chin'.
The Australian: November 19, page 16, comment by Ross Fitzgerald, `Say no to drugs, champs'.
The Age: November 15, page 3, news item, `Cousins surfaces with AFL hopes'.
The Australian: November 14, page 3, news item by Elizabeth Gosch, `Police sorry for Cousins bungle'.
The Age: November 10, page 3, news item by G Wright, `Former Eagle crashes in hotel California'.

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