This is it! This is definitely Zane Musgrove‘s last warning. If he is found guilty of obstructing police he’ll be kicked out of the NRL. Except, he’s already been kicked out of the NRL – when he was on his first last chance.
Musgrove was kicked out of the NRL in 2018 when he earned his first nomination for The Frownlow Medal. He now earns his third Frownlow nomination, and the Wests Tigers might be wondering if he is worth the trouble.
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.
Musgrove and teammate Asu Kepaoa were taken to Maroubra police station recently after allegedly refusing to move on from outside the Coogee Bay Hotel in the early hours of the morning. They were accused of abusing police and were reportedly issued with fines, before being released.
Musgrove likes the Coogee Bay Hotel. That’s where he earned his second Frownlow nomination. On that occasion, he and ex-teammate Liam Coleman were charged with indecent assault and were originally found guilty, causing Musgrove to miss the entire 2019 season. Both were later acquitted of the charges and Musgrove resurrected his NRL career with the Tigers. The talented forward first attracted the attention of Frownlow judges in 2018, when he was charged with domestic violence.
Musgrove follows a long line of professional footballers who have committed scandals when on a final warning from their clubs and their governing bodies, only to remain in the sport – some of them even captained premiership winning teams.
Musgrove and Kepaoa must now endure a long wait to find out if they’ve done enough to win The Frownlow Medal, which will be decided later this year.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 