Ben Cousins has spent years rebuilding his life after one of the most public falls from grace in Australian sport, but a former teammate has reopened painful wounds from the darkest chapter of the AFL great’s career in a blistering outburst.
Former West Coast Eagles forward and long-time assistant coach Peter Sumich launched an extraordinary public attack on Cousins this week after the Brownlow medallist praised premiership coach John Worsfold following his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Cousins was among several former players who paid tribute to Worsfold last week, saying the former captain and coach had a profound impact on those around him.
‘Everything he stood for as captain, he brought as coach,’ Cousins said.
But Sumich was unimpressed by the comments and used a podcast appearance to revisit the turmoil that engulfed the Eagles during the height of Cousins’ battle with ɗɾug addiction.
‘This one is probably going to get a little bit of heat,’ Sumich said.
Ben Cousins’ troubled past has returned to the spotlight after former teammate Peter Sumich launched a stunning public attack (pictured)
The former Eagles assistant coach reignited debate after Cousins (pictured with Chris Judd after winning the 2006 AFL grand final) praised premiership coach John Worsfold
Sumich accused Cousins of putting West Coast ‘on its knees’ during the club’s infamous ɗɾug scandal era
‘I read in the paper, and I don’t read the paper too often, but Ben Cousins comes out about John Worsfold, right? And he wants to say he was a great captain and he brought the captaincy to his coaching.’
The former Eagles assistant then delivered a stinging assessment of Cousins’ legacy during that era.
‘Ben, that’s all great. Alright? But you didn’t listen to him [Worsfold]. You put the club on its knees for four or five years, mate.
‘And now you want to come out and say, “Oh yeah, John did this and John did that, and the club…” but at the end of the day, I was there.
‘Ben, we’re tainted with what you did.’
Sumich’s frustration stems from the lingering impact the Eagles’ off-field scandals had on players, coaches and staff who were part of the club during that period.
‘And I don’t care what anyone says. You want to come out and then publicly say everything’s OK. But it wasn’t, mate, because you tainted certain people, you ruined the club for four, five years with what you did, but have you apologised? I don’t know,’ Sumich said.
The comments have sparked fierce debate among football fans, with some agreeing that the consequences of the Eagles’ ɗɾug culture remain underappreciated, while others argue Cousins has paid a huge price for his fall from grace.
Cousins described Worsfold as a leader who brought the same standards from his captaincy into his coaching
Sumich (pictured during his playing days) said the fallout from Cousins’ actions left lasting scars on players, coaches and staff
‘I am tired of Cousins being handed everything on a platter and the “poor Ben” trope,’ one fan wrote.
Another supporter agreed with Sumich’s assessment.
‘Teflon Ben. Why does everyone treat him like a god? 100% agree with Simo. How many chances does he get. Anyone else would have been told to bugger off.’
Others felt Sumich was unfairly singling out Cousins for problems that extended beyond him.
‘Why is it always only Ben. Ben was the one who did the time for the majority of the team’s antics. If your going to call people out suma then call them all out,’ one supporter wrote.
Another pointed to broader issues within the club at the time.
‘West Coast were more than happy to knowingly exploit an addict so long as he was performing at an elite level, and then chuck him to the curb once he wasn’t useful anymore. Cousins wasn’t the only one exploited like this either.’
The same fan added: ‘Everyone at that club is culpable, not just 1 player.’
Fan reaction was sharply divided, with some backing Sumich and others defending Cousins’ redemption story
Cousins (pictured on Dancing With The Stars) admitted in 2023 that his recovery had been ‘a long road’ following years of personal turmoil
The former Brownlow Medallist has spent years rebuilding his life after a highly public battle with addiction
Others argued Cousins’ mistakes should not overshadow the work he has done to rebuild his life.
‘Stop living in the past Ben made mistakes he paid for those mistakes Ben got his life back on track I think it’s a good thing Ben back in footy,’ one supporter wrote.
But some fans believed Sumich was simply saying publicly what many inside the club had felt for years.
‘Good on you Peter you wanted to expose all this back then but you were shut down and all the ones that think they know know stuff all the players that weren’t on the ɗɾugs were all tainted with the same brush,’ another supporter commented.
‘If you are genuine supporters of the club you must surely agree with Peter he is not rubbishing John only stating the true facts of the situation at that time and truth be known I am sure Ben would totally agree well done Peter.’
Cousins’ rise and fall remains one of the most dramatic stories in AFL history.
After debuting as a teenager in 1996, he became one of the game’s most decorated midfielders, winning the Rising Star award, six All-Australian blazers, a Brownlow Medal and a premiership.
At his peak he was regarded as one of the best players in the competition and one of the biggest stars in Australian sport.
But behind the success, problems were mounting.
In 2006, Cousins relinquished the West Coast captaincy after fleeing a booze bus and swimming across Perth’s Swan River to avoid police.
The following year he was suspended by the Eagles after missing training and later entered a rehabilitation facility in the United States.
His football career unravelled completely in October 2007 when he was arrested after police searched his vehicle, leading to the infamous image of a shirtless Cousins with a ‘Such is Life’ tattoo across his torso.
The AFL subsequently suspended him for 12 months for bringing the game into disrepute.
Although he returned to play for Richmond between 2009 and 2010, his struggles continued long after retirement.
Court appearances, rehabilitation stints, ɗɾug -induced psychosis, imprisonment and repeated attempts to overcome addiction followed over the next decade.
During sentencing proceedings in 2017, his lawyer described methamphetamine addiction as ‘the root of all his problems’.
Yet Cousins has also become one of Australian sport’s most notable redemption stories.
After years of turmoil, he rebuilt relationships with family and friends, returned to football through community coaching and eventually secured media roles with Channel Seven.
In 2023, while attending his first Brownlow Medal ceremony in Melbourne since winning the award 18 years earlier, Cousins reflected on the difficult journey that had brought him back.
‘It’s been a long road, it really has,’ he said.
‘I wish it hadn’t needed to run its course like it did, but life’s great at the moment.’
The 2005 Brownlow medallist also admitted he had been given opportunities many others may never receive.
‘I’m somebody that hasn’t been given a second chance. I’ve been given a third, fourth and fifth for whatever reason. But that’s what it’s taken.’
‘I want to make sure that other people in that sort of position are going to get the same understanding I do and the same help along the way I did.’
He also credited football with helping him reconnect with the community during his recovery.
‘It was football for me that was a constant,’ Cousins said.
‘I enjoy having a kick and it was that which got me back involved in the community. It played a really important part in my recovery.’
