Former NRL player Stuart Webb has been nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame after police applied for an apprehended violence order against him on behalf of his wife, Kate Ritchie.
Webb came to the attention of police after a recent incident at the home he shares with Ritchie, who is one of the most recognisable faces on Australian TV, having appeared for years on the soap opera Home and Away.
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. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015 and code-swapper Karmichael Hunt was 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.
Webb, who played hooker for various clubs during his NRL career, was charged with mid-range drink driving on a suspended licence earlier this year. This was the third time he had been charged with drink driving. Adding yet more weight to his claim to be inducted into the hall of fame is the fact that he is reportedly prevented from approaching Ritchie after consuming illicit drugs or alcohol.
The release of the story is ideal timing for Webb, as the inductees into The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame for 2019 will be announced within a few weeks.
Rumours of problems within the marriage have been circulating the tabloid media for years, and Webb’s recent behaviour suggests the couple is certainly not getting “…closer each day…”
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 