Sponsors Dont Wan't Cousins

by **PowerRulz** Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:59 pm

November 21, 2008 BEN Cousins will not be at the Brisbane Lions next year after the club's sponsors raised concerns about the confessed drug addict.

The Lions were St Kilda's major rival for the reinstated former Eagle's signature, but a potential sponsor backlash and grave misgivings among Brisbane's board have reduced it to a one-horse race.

The Lions board has granted the club's management permission to assess Cousins and coach Michael Voss has expressed lukewarm interest in setting up a meeting with the 30-year-old. But some influential insiders are strongly opposed to signing Cousins and any move to offer him a contract would be defeated at board level.

Lions CEO Michael Bowers last night refused to comment.

Devine Group CEO David Devine, whose company contributes $300,000 to the Lions a year, last night became the first club powerbroker to publicly express his concerns.

Devine, one of the leading candidates to become the club's No.1 ticketholder after the retirement of John Pearce, said the club should reject the recovering drug addict.

"The risk would be that he would fall back into his old ways, which would be a bad reflection on all of us," he said.

"So I as a sponsor would prefer to see them go after a younger recruit rather than someone who has some baggage attached to him.

"There is risk attached, so why take the risk?"

Devine, who also pumps considerable personal money into the club as one of the influential Lethal Lions coterie group, said the Lions had not sought his opinion on Cousins.

He stressed the 2005 Brownlow medallist's potential recruitment would not necessarily affect next year's contract, but ongoing support after that would be reviewed.

Now I know that Devine was just answering questions, but do you think the sponsors should have a say in the day-to-day running of a football club? Should he be saying stuff like this?

Why take the risk he asks? Because the club who does will be seen as a forward thinker who has helped tackle one of societies biggest problems.