Former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles has smoothly slipped his way into the list of nominees for the 2016 Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame following his charming seduction of England Rugby Union coach Eddie Jones during the post-match press conference in Brisbane.
Hoiles penetrated the press conference before posing a bizarre and inappropriate question which did not impress his former Wallaby coach and, worse still, awarded the England team an aura of comparative respectability, after they had already defeated Australia 39-28.
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. The first medal was awarded to Sydney Roosters and New Zealand representative Shaun Kenny-Dowall in 2015.
The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame honours former players who receive media attention for similarly scandalous behaviour and its inductees include Ben Cousins and Todd Carney.
The nomination is the first for Hoiles and the first for a member of the Rugby Union family in 2016, after a season dominated by NRL and AFL players.
Hoiles now looks set to join NRL ‘comedian’ and fellow Frownlow nominee Beau Ryan on a travelling comedy road show to be aired on Australian TV later this year.
First published in June 2016
Image: Nuna
The Frownlow Medal 