ADELAIDE stalwart Simon Goodwin says his battle with a gambling addiction has made him sympathetic towards the plight of West Coast Eagle Ben Cousins.

Goodwin was the biggest name caught up in a AFL gambling investigation during the pre-season, the discovery of his prohibited bets forcing Goodwin into a public apology, a fine of $40,000 and an ongoing rehabilitation program.

The matter was made to look like a storm in a tea cup by the onset of damaging drug allegations against the Eagles, but Goodwin said he could certainly relate to Cousins.

"Absolutely, I certainly understand what Ben's going through, the important thing for Ben is that he gets himself well and that should be his No. 1 priority," he said.

"Get yourself well, then get back and play some good footy and I think what he's done has been courageous to get some help and treatment and I wish him all the best."

Of his own problem, Goodwin was candid, saying he would probably never be able to clear his name of the stigma attached to his actions.

"I don't think you'll ever forget, I think I'll carry that with me for the rest of my career and probably the rest of my life, but it doesn't faze me ... I look back on it and think I'm glad it happened, it'll be a life changing experience and something I can work on in my skills in life," he said.

"There are a lot of people out there who've suffered with addiction, and I'm not at all embarrassed to say that it was a problem in my life."

In addition to the gambling issue, Goodwin has also battled through a series of injury frustrations, starting with a badly corked thigh that kept him from playing any meaningful role in the Crows' round one loss to Essendon.

Calf and back soreness followed, while all the time Goodwin was engaging in an intense gambling rehab course that kept him away from the club for long periods.

"It certainly wasn't the ideal situation leading into the season, that's for sure. Mentally, it's been a tough nine weeks, I've undergone a nine week rehabilitation program and it's going to be ongoing for another 12 months," he said.

"The last month's been a difficult period for myself, the body hasn't been feeling great, I've had some minor injury problems, but getting on top of them now and starting to feel good."

Goodwin reaches the 200 game milestone this week at a time when he has plenty of company in the injury department at the club, but he said the Crows' current battles would be beneficial in the long run.

"I don't think we've ever had the injuries that we've had but at the same time I don't think we've ever had the depth in the squad we've got ... if we can keep performing and developing the guys we've got in the team, then I think it'll hold us in good stead for the end of the year," he said.

"To play 200 games for the club you grew up playing and watching, it's great to be involved and a great honour for myself."

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.