Skip to Content. Skip to Navigation.

News

 
 
Cousins defends gangland links

Cousins defends gangland links

17/12/2008 3:05 PM

Ben Cousins has defended his gangland associations as 'sincere friendships' as it did not take long for the confessed drug addict to find himself embroiled in fresh controversy on his first day as a Richmond player.

The 2005 Brownlow Medalist fronted up for his first press conference since joining the Tigers in Tuesday's pre-season draft, with news of his latest gangland association splashed all over the front of Melbourne newspapers on Wednesday.

Cousins was named in court by police as an associate of Angelo Venditti, who is charged with ordering the contract killing of Paul Kallipolitis during Melbourne's underground war in 2002.

It is not the first time the former West Coast Eagles captain has been in trouble over his gangland connections after he was quizzed by Western Australian police in 2005 over his knowledge of a nightclub brawl involving well-known Perth gangland identity John Kizon.

Cousins said on Wednesday he was unaware he had been named in court regarding his association with Venditti but did admit he knew him.

"Through the hard times I have found people love to link me with other people who have found themselves in hard times," he said.

"But what doesn't get reported is a lot of those relationships and associations that I have with those people have been borne out of sincere friendship and a common thread that we have found ourselves in hard times."

"In a lot of those cases they have been people that have played pretty significant roles in me getting to where I am today (on the road to recovery from drug addiction)."

Cousins said he was not the only person in the football industry who knew Venditti.

"I know him reasonably well, along with a number of people in the footy industry," Cousins said.

"But I am sure my association or friendship or contact with him has nothing to do with anything of a criminal nature and as far as I am aware he (Venditti) has not been convicted yet but that is not for me to go into."

However Cousins said he soon looked forward to the day when his football rather his notorious past and his controversial friendships made headlines.

"I am hopefully looking forward to today being about putting the past in the past and moving on and it won't be long before the things that get spoken about me are more related to football and less about stuff like that," he said.

 
Comments
Posted by Anom at
17/12/2008 04:42 PM
I think Ben deserves a chance, well at least I did until I see today that he is defending his friendship with known murderers and drug dealers. I lived in Perth for almost 10 years and I have seen what his "sincere friends" are capable of. Murder, brutal bashings, selling heroin, selling ecstasy to kids as young as 12 y/o. Yeah, great friends you have there Ben. If Ben is real about getting clean then the friends have to go. And if Richmond can't see that then I guess Ben will have another relapse later in the year.
Posted by Aussiecobber at
17/12/2008 05:18 PM
Paul, I watched that interview, Ben defended himself, and made a valid point a man that he was "assoiated" with wasn't convicted of a certain crime. Ben was very positive about the future not the past. Shame on you. Though, you're true to form, Paul. If my My friend goes out and steals cookies, will arnotts ban me from purchasing timtams. With your logic, yes.
Submit a comment
Name
Email
Comment

Mondayitis

 
 

Mondayitis

Every Monday Bruce Eva, Peter 'Crackers' Keenan and Paul Gough will look back over the round that's been and look forward to everything that's coming up. Click here for the latest episode.

 

Latest AFL Headlines

 
 
King's ban reduced
King's ban reduced
AFL
16/03/2010 8:00 PM
Richmond defender Jake King will miss just one match after successfully having his ...
 
 
Buckley jnr commits to Blues
AFL
16/03/2010 5:27 PM
 
Vision assistance for umps
AFL
16/03/2010 4:49 PM
 
Dockers elevate Barlow
AFL
16/03/2010 4:33 PM
 
Cox, Naitanui right to go
AFL
16/03/2010 3:34 PM
 
Cousins out of hospital
AFL
16/03/2010 12:47 PM
 
Tigers promote Polak
AFL
16/03/2010 9:14 AM
 
Setback for Cousins
AFL
15/03/2010 4:49 PM
 
Kennedy in the clear
AFL
15/03/2010 4:45 PM
 
Pies promote Shaw
AFL
15/03/2010 3:06 PM
 
 
 

Latest AFL Audio

 
 
Icon NAB loss a wake-up call says Lyon
13/03/2010 10:54 PM
 
Icon Hall loving life at the Bulldogs
13/03/2010 10:50 PM
 
Icon Crows stocks improving: Craig
13/03/2010 03:07 PM
 
 

Our Say

 
 
Paul Gough
NAB Cup points the way
Paul Gough
The NAB Cup grand final could well prove a great form line when it comes to sorting out ...more
Paul Gough
NAB Cup? Press snooze
Paul Gough
Just as one-day cricket has run its race, so too it appears has the NAB Cup.more
 

Your Say