COUSINS' 'DENIAL' OVER HABIT

FORMER partners of high profile West Coast Eagles footballers have
spoken out about the club's drug crisis - now embroiling up to eight players.

The growing toll of drug abusers came amid revelations that Ben
Cousins was still in denial over his alleged $3000-a-week habit.

The club also revealed Cousins missed about five training sessions
before being suspended indefinitely this week and was not turning up
for training in a "professional" state.

Cousins' former girlfriend, Samantha Druce, has vowed to stand by the
fallen star.

West Coast coach John Worsfold yesterday revealed Daniel Kerr - who
was implicated in a police drugs operation involving convicted drug
dealer Shane Waters this week - also admitted using drugs.

Worsfold said up to eight players made similar admissions.

"Daniel has admitted to me that he has made mistakes," Worsfold told
a Perth radio station yesterday.

He said Kerr wanted to "move on". He refused to name the other players.

"I would suggest that it would be half a dozen, maybe eight players,
that have admitted they have used an illicit drug," he said.

He also revealed that Norm Smith medallist Andrew Embley decided to
take the Cousins issue into his own hands when he confronted teammate
Daniel Chick at Chick's home.

Worsfold said the pair again came to blows the next day at the club,
but that he (Worsfold) broke them up and counselled them.

The players had since patched up their differences.

The latest bombshell comes as a former partner of a current player,
who did not want to be identified, accused the Eagles of turning a
blind eye for years to players using drugs.

"It's ridiculous what the club has allowed them to get away with,"
she said. "Some of the boys have big problems - not all, several."

She blamed the hard-partying mentality for her relationship breakdown.

"It was definitely a party club," she said.

She said she was worried about the effect Cousins could have on
impressionable young players.

It is said that Cousins was spending about $3000 a week on drugs from
his annual salary of $800,000.

Sources close to Cousins believed the 2005 Brownlow medallist was
still in denial over his problem and that Cousins thought he could
kick his habit without a rehabilitation program.

In a statement issued to the Sunday Herald Sun, Cousins's former
partner, Ms Druce, who split from Cousins weeks ago after eight
years, said his return to the football field was secondary to him
regaining his health.

"When I have been asked the question, 'Do I think he will make a
comeback to footy'? my answer is that that needs to be second to
Ben's health," she said.

"The most important thing is that Ben sorts himself out as a person
first, rather than as a football player."

She said the past year of their relationship, including the incident
when Cousins fled a booze bus leaving her stranded in their Mercedes
hire car, had been difficult and that both needed time out from their
relationship.

Ms Druce, who was by her partner's side for the Eagles' triumphant
premiership win last year and wore a singlet featuring "I (love) Ben"
during the Grand Final parade, said she understood that people were
looking to her for answers and insight.

"I can only hope that everyone understands that the wellbeing of our
lives is our first and foremost priority," she said.

West Coast chairman Dalton Gooding revealed Cousins had been turning
up to training in an unprofessional state.

"Under a player's contract, he must present himself in a professional
manner to train and that wasn't happening with Ben," he said.

"And he was missing training sessions."

But Mr Gooding said the Eagles had substantially reduced drug use
within the club.

"I would hope that it has been eradicated," he said.

"But, you know, I can't put my hand on my heart and say it has been
completely eradicated."

Eagles' chief executive Trevor Nisbett ruled out an independent
investigation into substance use among his players.

"I don't know what more we can do," he said.

"We've had all the necessary seminars, lectures, workshops and
counselling that we can have. It's at saturation point."