Ben Cousins’ highly anticipated footy comeback is over before it started after the West Coast Eagles great confirmed he is having knee surgery.

Speaking on Mix 94.5 FM in Perth, the esteemed midfielder announced he would not participate in the Legends versus All Stars event at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

‘I stepped up my training in preparation, and unfortunately I’ve done myself a mischief,’ Cousins told listeners.

‘I’m going to need some surgery at some point, unfortunately.’

Cousins – who recently had a hernia operation – also confirmed his preparation wasn’t what he wanted it to be. 

Ben Cousins’ highly anticipated footy comeback is on ice after the West Coast Eagles great (pictured) confirmed he is having knee surgery

He confirmed on Mix 94.5 in Perth that he won’t be on the field for the Legends against the All Stars at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

“I hadn’t been doing much running at all… so, in a short period, I had to significantly increase my training if I planned to be running and kicking,” he explained.

‘It (body) was quite sore the last week (or so). I’ve since had scans and realised I’m getting old.’

Earlier this month, Cousins expressed his excitement about playing alongside other legends such as Nick Riewoldt and former Hawthorn star Cyril Rioli.

‘It’s a big thing; he (Rioli) was such a great player,’ he said.

‘To see him run around and have a kick is so exciting and I’m looking forward to handpassing to him or getting one off him!’

Cousins, who also works with Channel Seven in Perth, has maintained excellent physical condition since his release from jail in 2019, following multiple incarcerations.

His struggles with addiction have been widely reported since they came to light in 2007, following numerous incidents off the field, including arrests and suspensions.

He was suspended from the AFL in 2007 and returned in 2009 to play two seasons with Richmond before retiring.

Earlier this month Cousins said he was looking forward to playing alongside fellow greats such as Nick Riewoldt and former Hawthorn superstar Cyril Rioli (pictured)

Both the Victoria and All Stars squads are stacked with talent, with ex-Essendon captain Jobe Watson a late call-up for the locals.

His father Tim Watson will coach Victoria. 

Some of Watson’s teammates include Gary Ablett Jnr, Luke Hodge and Dane Swan, while the All Stars feature crowd pleasers Andrew McLeod and Nick Davis.

The return of the marquee clash on the AFL calendar follows a six-year hiatus, with funds raised to help support patient care and research collaborations at the Australian Prostate Centre.

The exhibition match was first staged in 1996 to honour Australian football legend EJ Whitten, who died from prostate cancer the previous August.

Team Victoria

Tim Watson (coach), Luke Hodge (C), Gary Ablett Jnr, Brendan Fevola, Dane Swan, Tommy Sheridan, Steve Johnson, Luke Shuey, Campbell Brown, Brent Harvey, Bob Murphy, Dave Hughes, Stephen Milne, Chris Johnson, Paul Dimmatina, Brett Deledio, Dylan Buckley, Travis Cloke, Luke Ball, Heath Scotland, Easton Wood, Luke Dahlhaus, Jordan Roughead, Josh Gibson, Brad Sewell, James Frawley, Michael Hurley

All Stars 

Shane Crawford (coach), Nick Riewoldt (C), Cyril Rioli, Daniel Gorringe, Adam Cooney, Isaac Smith, Andrew McLeod, Andrew Embley, Kate McCarthy, Ollie Geale, Erin Phillips, Nick Cody, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Nick Davis, Zach Tuohy, Tom Rockliff, Nick Daffy, Jeff Farmer, Travis Varcoe, Matt Shirvington, Prime Train, Joel Patfull, Danny Southern, Paul Puopolo, Mitch Robinson, Chad Cornes, Steve Hooker