Former AFL player Shane Mumford has been nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame after a video emerged showing him taking ‘pain relieving medication’.
The former ruck man can be seen snorting cocaine in the video of the incident, which occurred in 2015 when Mumford was recovering from a serious injury.
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, while Karmichael Hunt is the most recent recipient.
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.
Mumford was excited to be nominated for the prestigious award, and happy for the video to have finally found its way into the hands of the media.
“It’s a great honour,” he said, “to be up there with your Ben Cousins’ and your Brendan Fevolas. I’m not saying I’m going to be inducted but just to get nominated is amazing.”
Mumford also hoped the video would serve as inspiration and advice to the young players he mentors in his current coaching role with the Giants.
“It’s a great tool for teaching the guys how to recover after a serious injury, you know, which medication and pain reliever is best,” he explained.
Sydney Swans bosses conceded, off the record, that the incident confirms the unwholesome atmosphere which exists west of Anzac Parade, and were secretly not surprised Mumford engaged in this behaviour after leaving the Swans for their cross-town rivals.
Mumford has also achieved the honour of the being the first footballer to be nominated for the Hall of Fame for 2019, just weeks after the 2018 inductees were revealed.
Image: Mark Nolan
The Frownlow Medal 