Ben Cousins: AFL great embraces Dustin Martin and other Tigers players at Richmond training

Ben Cousins was Dustin Martin’s teammate for the star Tiger’s AFL debut — and there’s clearly nothing but love between the pair as they embraced at a Richmond pre-season training session.

Cousins was a special guest on a rainy Melbourne day at the Tigers’ Punt Road base, with a big hug reserved for his fellow Brownlow medallist Martin on the sidelines.

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Martin is one of just two active Richmond players who were teammates with Cousins during his 32-game stint with the club in 2009 and 2010, along with defender Dylan Grimes.

But Cousins has also become popular with the current yellow-and-black group after numerous appearances around the club over the past several seasons.

Richmond’s WA contingent appeared particularly excited to spot Cousins observing training from the dugout.

Liam Baker had a big grin on his face as he came over for a Cousins cuddle, with Nathan Broad also coming over to greet the six-time All-Australian.

Cousins also had a sideline chat with former teammate turned Tigers assistant Chris Newman.

This season marks 15 years since Cousins made his yellow-and-black debut following his high-profile exit at West Coast at the end of 2007 after 238 games which included a premiership in 2006.

Having turned his life around, including thriving in a role as a sports presenter at Seven, Cousins was this week the subject of a declaration from AFL analyst Kane Cornes that he should be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Cousins has been eligible for a Hall of Fame induction since 2013.

“It’s time. There are others in the Hall of Fame who have had a chequered history off the field, and it’s time,” Cornes said on SEN.