Rugby League player Corey Norman has launched an impressive bid to win back The Frownlow Medal he claimed in 2016.
The Parramatta player allegedly became intoxicated and behaved badly at a Sydney nightspot recently with Eels teammates Michael Jennings, who was nominated for Frownlow honours in 2016, and Nathan Brown, who receives his first nomination.
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 Tim Simona in 2017.
Management of the Sydney establishment reportedly received an email from a patron, who complained about the behaviour of the players. The Parramatta club has questioned the severity of the players’ actions.
Norman won The Frownlow Medal in 2016 after he was arrested for possession of illicit drugs and was photographed with known criminals on social media. He was also involved in the Parramatta Eels salary cap scandal and was the subject of a leaked sex tape. All actions befitting a Frownlow medallist.
Norman’s other Parramatta teammates, Kenny Edwards and Kirisome Auva’a, are also Frownlow nominees, as well as being members of the exclusive NRL wife-beaters club.
The Parramatta playmaker faces tough opposition in his quest for an historic second title, from Rugby Union player George Smith and code-hopping drug dealer Karmichael Hunt.
Norman and his drinking buddies will find out later in the year if they have done enough to win Australia’s most prestigious inter-code award.
Image:www.parraeels.com.au
First published in April, 2018.
The Frownlow Medal 