Ben Cousins has clearly been one of the stars for the West Coast Eagles this season and he is one of the major hurdles standing between Essendon and victory this weekend. Cousins is fourth in the AFL in disposals with 344, he is sixth in kicks (207) and 10th in handballs (137). He fitness allows him to get plenty of the ball at both ends of the ground and he has capped off his good work up forward with 14 goals. The question is: How does Essendon keep the Eagles' captain quiet?

The Essendon match committee probably has three options when it comes to tagging Cousins - Damien Peverill, Chris Heffernan and Mark McVeigh. Peverill would seem the most likely candidate having built up a solid record on proven players. His best tagging effort of the season came in Round 11 against Port Adelaide when he kept Josh Francou to just nine touches.

Heffernan has had the job on Cousins in the past and been reasonably effective. He has spent time in the middle and in defence this season - he is creative but can be a very effective stopper. He runs and reads the play - two things you need if you are going to shut down Cousins.

McVeigh might be the wildcard. He has played in the middle and up forward this season and has been a very good contributor for Essendon. he has tagged in the past but he might be more dangerous in an attacking role. Adam Ramanauskas probably falls into the same category - he can tag but might be too creative to put into a negative role.

So Peverill would appear the favorite however all three might get the chance at some stage during the course of the match. A rotation would help them combat Cousins' exceptional fitness.