AFL player Elijah Taylor beat his ex-girlfriend, and he may have beaten Jarryd Hayne to The Frownlow Medal in 2020. Taylor pleaded guilty to assault and has snatched favouritism from Hayne while the ex-NRL player continues his court case for alleged sexual assault.
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, while NRL player Ben Barba is the most recent recipient.
Taylor pleaded guilty to unlawfully assaulting his former partner and causing bodily harm in circumstance of aggravation in Perth in September. As a result, he has been sacked by the Sydney Swans. The 19-year-old only played his first AFL game in round seven this year, but was soon suspended by the AFL for breaching COVID-19 protocols. Ironically, he was suspended for sneaking his partner into the hotel where the Swans where staying under strict COVID-19 conditions.
Taylor has moved into pole position for the prestigious cross-code award this year while Hayne awaits the outcome of his court case, and while fellow NRL players Jack de Belin and Tristan Sailor await a verdict on similar charges.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 