Drugs and denial toxic mix

FALLEN AFL football star Ben Cousins will die if he doesn’t beat his drug addiction, his estranged partner has said.

Maylea Tinecheff, who also is the mother of his two children, told Channel Seven’s

Sunday Night program last night that he “doesn’t get how unwell he is”.

“It’s got to a point now, where if this continues on Ben will die, and his children need him,” Ms Tinecheff said.

“To be a parent you can’t just love your child. Love’s about sacrifices, especially for a child, and you have to do what’s right for them. He’s chosen drugs over everything.”

Cousins, 38, is serving a 12month sentence for stalking Ms Tinecheff, repeatedly breaching a violence restraining order and possessing meth. He will be eligible for parole in August.

The Brownlow Medallist played 270 AFL games with West Coast and Richmond.

His playing career ended in 2010 and his battle with drugs and often bizarre behaviour have continually made headlines since he first fled from a random breath test in 2006.

Ms Tinecheff said the children, aged three and five, had not been told that their father was in prison, instead being told “he’s away at work”.

“When he’s clean he’s an exceptional father. He just needs to work out you can’t be in that (drug affected) state and be a good parent,” she said.

“I know he’s in a lot of pain. I know that he’s humiliated by what’s gone on, certainly I know he’d be sitting in there thinking he’s probably hating me to bits in there thinking that I’ve done this to him, but the drugs have destroyed him.

“He’s a broken man. It’s very sad.”

Ms Tinecheff said Cousins’ battle with methamphetamines had been worse than most people knew.

She also said she still loved Cousins.

“The kids need you, we need you, come home to us.”