Benny was a jet. On the field, Ben Cousins was among the best ever: he ran opponents ragged on the way to a Brownlow, a flag and a swag of awards. But off the field, he was a player. In the bars and saloons of our own wild west he was treated like a prince who could do no wrong.
The truth was he did plenty. Insiders should have known he was running with gangsters but they didn't want to tell the fans who kept the turnstiles clicking. While he was kicking goals it was easier to look the other way.
No-one wanted to act until it was too late. That's why the champ now looks like a chump. And the bad guys have moved on.
This is Australia's underbelly.