NRL player Brent Naden was a little upset after losing the 2020 grand final, so the Penrith Panthers centre sought solace in cocaine. On the day of the big dance, he tested positive to the illicit drug and earned himself a nomination for The Frownlow Medal.
Naden has been provisionally suspended by the Panthers while his B sample is tested, and chose to go into rehab to deal with his drug use and personal issues.
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.
The talented centre was clearly shell shocked by the outcome of the grand final, when the Melbourne Storm steam rolled the young Panthers side and dominated the entire game. Naden and his team mates were left wondering what went wrong and that is obviously when he reached for the white powder.
It’s not known what Brent would have done if the Panthers had won.
After the disappointment of the grand final, Naden can now look forward to the awards night for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame, which is fast approaching.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 