NRL player Anthony Cherrington claimed that violence against women is a sign of masculinity while he assaulted his partner in 2009.

The assault earned Cherrington a nomination for the Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame and very nearly earned him a jail sentence.

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.

Cherrington assaulted his then girlfriend when she trying to leave him and court documents reveal that during the assault, he told her;

“It takes a strong guy to hit a woman”

The former Rabbitoh and Rooster pleaded guilty in court to assault occasioning actual bodily harm after it was revealed that he had kicked at the woman and even threatened to harm himself with a knife as she tried to exit the front door. He had also smashed her sunglasses and mobile phone and caused damage to her father’s car.

The judge ordered Cherrington to perform 150 hours of community service and commented that he was yet another young male who lacked the ability to “…treat members of the opposite sex with respect” and that the hard-running forward was yet another footballer who thought he was in a special class of people.

Cherrington also had an AVO placed on him.

The burning question now is…

Does it take a strong guy to enter The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame?

Image:www.dailytelegraph.com.au

First published in February, 2018.