'In denial': Ben Cousins lifts lid on scare that left AFL great in hospital
West Coast great Ben Cousins says he has never been in more pain after revealing details of a recent health scare that left the 46-year-old in hospital. The former AFL premiership winner attended last week's State of Origin Game 2 in Perth but was left in agonising pain shortly after he got home, and ended up needing a hernia operation to fix the problem.
Speaking to Triple M on Tuesday night, the former Brownlow Medal winner admitted he'd noticed a suspicious lump on his body a couple of months ago. But the Eagles legend - who won an AFL premiership with West Coast in 2006 - had been putting off seeing a doctor about it and hoped he could get through the footy season first.
Cousins joined Channel Seven's commentary team this year to help call games for the Eagles and Fremantle Dockers in Perth, where the champion former player is based. But after returning home from watching the Maroons' gutsy two point win in Origin Game 2 at Optus Stadium last Wednesday night, he noticed something wasn't right when he put his daughter to bed.
'I'm a little tender actually. I went in for a hernia op on Friday - not much fun,' he told Triple M. 'I had a little bubble or lump pop up where it probably shouldn't a couple of months ago, and I've been in denial, if you like.
'I hadn't gone in and had the ultrasound and I thought I'd put it off until the end of the footy season, I'd hang on for 12 more games - you'd swear I was still playing. But I went to the State of Origin on Wednesday night, it was a great game, got home, and then I went in to put my daughter to sleep, and I sat on her bed, and then out of nowhere, this pain came.
'I may have been in pain (before), but I have never been in more. I was ready to pass out, all this sort of stuff, couldn't talk. I did go down (like) Autumn leaves.' However, it wasn't until the next morning when Cousins woke up and was still in serious discomfort, that he realised he had to go to hospital.
'So, the next day I did my best to try and get seen as quickly as possible, so I went in (to hospital) the next day,' he added. It continues a difficult couple of months for Cousins, who was at the funeral service for former West Coast teammate Adam Selwood and also lost his close friend, Chass Guthrie.
Cousins has turned his life around in recent years after a well-documented drug addiction that saw him spiral out of control and spend time behind bars. And his foray into commentary is the latest positive development for the once troubled star.
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The West Coast great played 238 games for the Eagles but his off-field troubles cost him the club captaincy in early 2006. After a Brownlow Medal in 2005 and a premiership in 2006, Cousins was sacked by the club after the 2007 season. He returned to the AFL in 2009 to play 32 games for Richmond before he retired at the end of 2010.
Cousins has had multiple run-ins with the law since his playing days ended and was jailed at one point, although he's been on the straight-and-narrow for a number of years. The AFL great has been working with 7News Perth for their 6pm bulletin, and made a triumphant return for the Brownlow Medal night in 2023 after also attending last year's gala event.
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