Natalie Barr has put Ben Cousins in the spotlight as he takes on a new role as a sports presenter for Channel Seven.
The Sunrise host and Cousins were surrounded by football fans on Friday morning at Federation Square in Melbourne as they discussed Saturday’s final clash between Collingwood and Brisbane.
Cousins, a west coast great, began his new career as Seven News Perth sports presenter in June, after a difficult life that saw him spend stints behind bars and a long battle with drug addiction.
” Are you doing OK ? asked Barr.
“Because we’ve obviously seen a lot about you and I know you don’t want to get into it, but people are worried about you.”
Natalie Barr put Ben Cousins in the Sunrise spotlight Friday morning, saying a lot of people are “worried” about the former soccer star.
Cousins admitted it had been a “long” road.
“It really is. I wish he didn’t have to take his course the way he did, but life is good right now,” the former footballer said.
“When you take it all apart and evaluate your life, for anyone, it really is at its simplest, it comes down to what makes you happy and for a long time I wasn’t. But, you know, I really am these days.
Cousins said “life was good” and added that although taking on the role of sports presenter was “out of his comfort zone”, he was grateful for the opportunity.
“It’s been intimidating,” he said.
“I’ve done quite a bit of work over the last 18 months before doing it live, so there’s definitely been some anxiety and nervousness attached to it, so it’s a work in progress.”
Cousins, a west coast great, began his new career as Seven News Perth sports presenter in June, after a difficult life that saw him spend stints behind bars and a long battle with drug addiction.
Cousins played 238 games and kicked 205 goals for West Coast between 1996 and 2007, winning the premiership in his penultimate season in Perth.
The former midfielder captained the Eagles from 2001 to 2005, winning the club’s best and fairest awards in four of those five seasons.
He was suspended by the club in March 2007 – just six months after the Grand Final triumph over Sydney – for alleged substance abuse and fired six months later after being arrested for drug possession and refusing to submit to a blood test.
He returned to the AFL in 2009 with Richmond, before retiring at the end of the 2010 season.
Cousins was jailed six times over 13 years.
He finally realized enough was enough when he was released from prison in December 2020 following a seven-month stint behind bars when he was found guilty of harassing and intimidating his former partner.
Nearly three years later, the 45-year-old is still out of trouble.
He has started playing football again in the park, re-established good relationships with his two young children and is back on the red carpet attending AFL functions.
Cousins now presents the morning sports bulletin as part of his full-time job with Seven.
Ben Cousins (left) celebrates with teammate Chris Judd after the West Coast Eagles won an AFL grand final in 2006.
