West Coast midfielder Daniel Kerr is asking for fellow premiership player Ben Cousins to break his drug addiction in jail and turn his live around.
Kerr spoke to the Sunday Herald Sun about his own issues back in 2015, and how that experience is one that he hopes Cousins can learn from too.
The 220-game Eagle spent five days in a Perth prison after attempting to set a friend's house on fire, and the 12 hours per day he spent in a jail cell quickly reaffirmed to Kerr that he needed to change his ways.
“As much as it was only the blink of an eye, when you spend time in jail you either make a decision to live a life of breaking the law and accept you are going to end up back there, or you make a decision to pull your head in and start living a more respectable life," Kerr said.
“I went in and it just wasn’t for me. Everything you take for granted as a free person gets taken away from you and you are locked in a very small cell for 12 hours a day so it is horrible.
“The night I got locked up I made the decision I couldn’t lead this life any more.
“I have hope for Ben. His mental state ebbs and flows. I really do hope this extended time away from drugs and partying gives him an ability to make rational decisions on where he wants to go with his life when he’s eligible for parole in August.”
With his 12-month corrective services order now behind him, Kerr was free to travel to Victoria to play the first of 15 games for various clubs across Victoria, pulling on the boots for Tyabb in the Nepean Football Netball League.
In the pre-match function, Kerr spoke about the scenario Cousins will face in jail with drugs, and hopes that it changes the future of the Brownlow Medallist.
“I don’t think this enforced rest off the drugs will be a bad thing for him," Kerr said.
“I love the guy to death."
According to Kerr, the fact that Cousins won't have access to his usual supply of drugs in jail might help him kick is addiction.
“I don’t think it is any secret there are drugs in jail but there is not the ability to go on prolonged benders and not get noticed.
“Hopefully this period in jail for Ben, he has time to sit down and reflect and it gives him the ability for his brain and body to recover.
“When I am out in the community with the kids, I talk about healthy bodies and healthy minds making healthy decisions.
“Hopefully his mind gets healthy and from there the decisions he makes are about a healthier way to live.”
