The West Coast Eagles concede Ben Cousins is unlikely to attend the 2006 premiership reunion on Thursday night, even though the Brownlow medallist was released from hospital on Monday evening after an incident in which he was reportedly found "incoherent" on a busy Perth road.
In a week when the Eagles will remember, if not awkwardly celebrate, the 10th anniversary of the flag, Cousins' off-field troubles were always going to be mentioned. But for it to be in this latest manner is as regrettable as it is sad, again highlighting the interminable hold drugs can have.
Cousins, 37, was taken to hospital after police were called to an incident on on Sunday night. Reports were that Cousins was "incoherent" when found and had even been trying to jump on the back of a motorcycle, almost causing the driver to lose control. He had also been seen trying to direct traffic.
Eagles chairman Alan Cransberg said on Monday the club remained unclear as to whether Cousins would attend any of the reunion festivities.
"I'm not sure. He's obviously invited and we would have loved to have had him there," he said.
"We knew 'Cuz' wasn't going well and I know there are some people trying to help him and what I do know is that it's very sad."
The '06 side will be given a room at Domain Stadium to toast their flag. They will also be presented to the crowd at half-time, as the next generation of Eagles take on Essendon.
The night was chosen, in part, because former coach John Worsfold is back in town, this time in the red and black. But there will not be an official function. Rather, they have also been given a room at a nearby pub to reflect on that one-point win over the Swans, a reversal of the result of the preceding year.
Many from that period would also like their time again, for some industry figures believe that win was tainted to a degree, certainly in a welfare and cultural sense, for several players have battled addiction issues.
Amid the furore last week over Eddie McGuire's comments about The Age's chief football reporter Caroline Wilson, and Brad Scott's attack on the umpires, comments made by Glen Jakovich, arguably the Eagles' greatest player, were largely ignored.
During an interview on Fox Footy's Open Mike, Jakovich was asked by journalist Mike Sheahan whether he thought that '06 flag was tainted. Jakovich, who had retired by that stage, gave a surprising response.
"To a certain extent, on face value, yes [it was] because what happened post that [win], there were a few other incidents, a few other players in trouble, there were three or four that were in trouble," he said.
"If you want to look at it from that perspective, was it tainted from a small minority, because we are expected to behave a certain way, as stand-up role models for the community through our football, I understand that.
"But my question ... if you are going to do that, go and look at the last 30 premiership cups, I am sure that you will find a few that are tainted in those eras when there wasn't much media and publicity."
Jakovich then delivered sobering comments about the scourge that is the stimulant, ice.
"The club gets criticised a lot, but I don't think the people over here [in Melbourne] realise how much the club tried to do to help Ben and then when he went to rehab in America. Ian Miller, who is a close family friend of the Cousins, of Brian, obviously played footy with him, he is the welfare officer of the West Coast Eagles now ... he minded Ben right through that period," he said.
"For people to say the club swept it under the carpet, weren't helping, it was the club's fault, everyone had an opinion, and that's OK , everyone was quite critical, which, from outside looking in, that was understandable.
"[But] now you have got the national drug average, double in WA for ice, and my role now being in recruitment, and I see what it does to families, you can't criticise it because you don't understand what the addiction is doing."
Jakovich also reflected on the Cousins he first met in 1996, describing the events of '06 and the subsequent years as "tragic".
"Ben was a great footballer, he was a great lad, he was a cheeky lad, he was a kind person, a very grounded person," he said.
Daniel Chick is another who is unlikely to attend on Thursday after a recent rant about being let down by the club. Daniel Kerr and Chad Fletcher are others who have had troubles.
While footballing "what ifs" are insignificant when it comes to life's big issues, Jakovich said his disappointment for the players of that '06 side was that the "tainted behaviour" probably cost them another flag. He never thought the Eagles would boast a better midfield than the one he had played with - Dean Kemp, Don Pyke, Peter Matera and Chris Mainwaring - but a decade later along came Dean Cox, Chris Judd, Cousins and Kerr.
"You see what Geelong did from 2007 onwards - I sometimes look at them [Eagles] and think they should have at least had a crack at one more," he said.
