Former AFL player Lazar Vidovic has been nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame for behaviour which he blamed on retirement from professional football.
The used-car salesman pleaded guilty to numerous charges of forgery relating to his automotive business and his lawyer claimed that he was drinking heavily and suffering from stress at the time of the incidents, all because of “post football blues”
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.
The lawyer also argued that Vidovic “…learnt to party hard at St Kilda” and that this contributed to his crimes, which included forging the signature of a magistrate in order to avoid punishment for infringement notices pertaining to cars he owned.
He was fined $7,500 as punishment.
The ex-ruckman was unable to convince the judges of the court and will have to wait until late 2018 to learn if he has done enough to persuade the Frownlow judges and earn a coveted position in The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.
Image:Nuna
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