The most popular figure in Australian football, Wendell Sailor, has finally been nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame. Fans of the Frownlow and Sailor have been calling out for his nomination since the award’s inception and have finally had their voices heard.
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 former NRL player Ben Barba 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.
Sailor was nominated for returning a positive test for cocaine in 2006, while he was playing for the Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition. The duel international received a further nomination after being suspended for a clash with a fellow patron in a pub in South Africa.
The great news for Sailor’s fans is that he is now guaranteed to attend the Frownlow Medal awards ceremony as a nominee and a correspondent for one of the media networks who utilise his services.
Fans can also see his smiling face at www.instagram.com/thefrownlowmedal/ alongside a host of Australia’s football heroes.
Image:NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 