TonyK
CibbuanoNixon criticises Pies
October 17th 2008 06:45
BEN Cousins’ manager Ricky Nixon has launched a scathing attack on Collingwood after it was reported that the Magpies allegedly held discussions with the chief commissioner of Victorian Police Christine Nixon before deciding to abandon their pursuit of the former West Coast captain.
Collingwood’s decision to pull out of the race for the 2005 Brownlow medallist leaves St Kilda and Brisbane as the frontrunners to pick up the 30-year-old.if he is given permission to resume his career by the AFL commission next month after having been deregistered for the 2008 season after his battle drug addiction became public.
Speaking on Melbourne radio station SEN, Nixon said the public scrutiny on Cousins had gotten out of control.
"I mean where is the queue going to end - the Pope will be the next and we will keep going through them all until everyone has given an opinion on Ben Cousins," he said.
"I don't have a problem with (clubs doing) their due diligence (on Cousins' progress) but where does it start and stop."
"At the end of the day we have been very upfront about what Ben has been doing."
"And as I said to the Collingwood Football Club a week ago, if you want to send private investigators to Perth buzzing around asking nobodies about how he (Cousins) is going why don't you just come over to my office and I will tell you exactly how he is going."
Nixon said he was confident that Cousins is not only capable of coping with the physical demands of AFL football despite not having played since the 2007 finals series but that he is also strong enough mentally to deal with the scrutiny that will come with his return.
"If you asked me that eight or ten months ago I would have said no but I would say absolutely, now,” he said.
"He is very fit and I couldn't be happier with how he looks and how he is training."
Collingwood’s decision to pull out of the race for the 2005 Brownlow medallist leaves St Kilda and Brisbane as the frontrunners to pick up the 30-year-old.if he is given permission to resume his career by the AFL commission next month after having been deregistered for the 2008 season after his battle drug addiction became public.
Speaking on Melbourne radio station SEN, Nixon said the public scrutiny on Cousins had gotten out of control.
"I mean where is the queue going to end - the Pope will be the next and we will keep going through them all until everyone has given an opinion on Ben Cousins," he said.
"I don't have a problem with (clubs doing) their due diligence (on Cousins' progress) but where does it start and stop."
"At the end of the day we have been very upfront about what Ben has been doing."
"And as I said to the Collingwood Football Club a week ago, if you want to send private investigators to Perth buzzing around asking nobodies about how he (Cousins) is going why don't you just come over to my office and I will tell you exactly how he is going."
Nixon said he was confident that Cousins is not only capable of coping with the physical demands of AFL football despite not having played since the 2007 finals series but that he is also strong enough mentally to deal with the scrutiny that will come with his return.
"If you asked me that eight or ten months ago I would have said no but I would say absolutely, now,” he said.
"He is very fit and I couldn't be happier with how he looks and how he is training."
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