Judges of The Frownlow Medal have advised Jonathon Patton to offer more of himself if he wants to win the most prestigious award in Australian sport. The AFL player earned his nomination for allegedly sending unwanted lewd images to several women for an extended period of time.
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 AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.
Patton is accused of sending multiple revealing images of himself to several women via social media even after the women asked him to stop. After the scandal broke, he checked himself into a medical facility claiming he was suffering from mental health issues.
Judges have told the Hawthorn Hawks player they need to see a lot more of him due to the strength of nominations in 2021. Three NRL players have been nominated for alleged sexual assault while another is under investigation for assault and drink-driving. If Patton wants to keep The Frownlow Medal in the hands of the AFL, he will have to do more than send a few racy pics.
Patton has been stood down by the Hawks while an investigation is carried out into the incident, which includes allegations that he called a woman on FaceTime and appeared fully naked when she answered, and that the calling and messaging continued for a total of three years.
News outlets reported that Patton publicly revealed his intention to find a girlfriend and settle down at the beginning of 2020. He obviously has a unique way of fulfilling his New Year’s resolution. Only time will tell whether his methods are successful in finding love or in winning The Frownlow Medal.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 