Sydney Roosters NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall could lose his 2015 Frownlow Medal following the outcome of a recent court case in Sydney.
The New Zealand international won the inaugural title following accusations of assaulting and stalking his former girlfriend Jessica Peris, but is now in danger of losing the title after all charges against him were dropped in court.
The decision could see Kenny-Dowall stripped of The Frownlow Medal, which 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 NRL, Australian Football League (AFL), the A League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition.
Kenny-Dowall won the medal ahead of fellow Roosters backline player Michael Jennings, Gold Coast Titans player David Taylor and Karmichael Hunt, who has played top level NRL, AFL and Rugby Union.
The decision could also prevent Kenny-Dowall from enjoying the prizes which complement the medal:
- Two nights twin share in the famous government lodgings in Long Bay, on Sydney’s beautiful eastern beaches, including one complimentary interactive spa experience and one complimentary individual portrait photography session.
- A three month volunteer internship with an Australian federal service agency.
- One complimentary RSA course from a nationally accredited training provider.
- 12 month cab charge.
Should the medal be stripped, it is most likely to be awarded jointly to Taylor and Hunt, in recognition of their services to the pharmaceutical industry.
Kenny-Dowall himself declined to comment on the court case or its implications, but his lawyers expressed his desire to concentrate on the 2016 NRL season and his efforts to complete a PhD in Classical Literature and Linguistics.
First published March 2016
Image: Nuna
The Frownlow Medal 