I wonder – If I punched a colleague and broke their jaw, would I continue to receive ongoing support from a professional association?
Matthew Campbell was offered this support after the former AFL player punched and broke the jaw of teammate Steven May outside a nightclub in Los Angeles (USA) in 2013.
This scandal, and others, earned Brown a nomination for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. Kiwi international Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015 before Corey Norman in 2016 and Tim Simona in 2017.
The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame honours former players and players who received media attention in previous seasons, for similarly scandalous behaviour, and its inductees include Ben Cousins and Julian O’Neill.
While Gold Coast Suns sacked Brown as a result of the scandal and essentially ended his career, it was reported as saying that Brown would leave with the respect of the club.
At the same time, The AFL Players’ Association assured AFL fans that it would
“…continue to provide ongoing support for both players.”
Interestingly, the pair apparently apologised to each other – but only one ended up with plates inserted into his jaw.
The Hawthorn premiership player strengthened his chances of entering The Hall of Fame when he was involved in a bar fight in Thailand on an end of season trip. The one-time All Australian also gave misleading information to the AFL Tribunal during his career.
Brown will have to wait until the end of 2018 to learn if he has been inducted into The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, which colleague has been annoying me lately?
Image:Nuna
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