The Frownlow Medal

Three codes, two drug charges; Karmichael Hunt has firmed as favourite for The Frownlow Medal in 2018.

Just days before the start of the new year, Hunt was arrested and charged with drug possession in Queensland, for the second time in his code-hopping career.

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.

Hunt began his career in Rugby League, where he rose to international level, before switching to AFL with the Gold Coast Suns and then to Rugby Union, with the Queensland Reds.

His first drug charge occurred just after he had signed with the Reds in 2015, for which he was fined $2,500, then $30,000 and suspended from Super Rugby for six weeks. The charge was part of a wider Police investigation into drug possession and trafficking involving players from the Gold Coast Titans as well as a number of ex-footballers, who have since been found guilty and been nominated for Frownlow honours.

This latest drug charge comes at a time when the talented footballer had just forced his way back into the Wallabies.

If Hunt could sing, dance and act, this triple threat would truly be unbeatable in the race for The Frownlow Medal in 2018. To find out if the drug charges alone are enough to win him Australia’s most prestigious inter-code award, stay tuned to this page or check out http://www.instagram.com/thefrownlowmedal.