Sam Burgess has made another bid for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame despite having been inducted in 2020. The former NRL player was recently caught driving without a valid NSW licence and using an unregistered vehicle, and allegedly failed a drug test. Some media outlets claim he tested positive for cocaine, and was on his way to pick up his children.
Who says footballers are not great role models?
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.
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.
Burgess was inducted into the hall of fame last year after a massive controversy which saw him accused of domestic violence, violence against women, intimidation and drug and alcohol abuse. His former club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, was also accused of covering up some of his misdemeanours and providing false samples for drug testing. The investigation into the incident continues.
Burgess received Frownlow nominations in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and first attracted the attention of judges when he posted a photo of himself on social media using his phone while driving. He has come a long way since then.
The rampagining forward, who is famous for playing in a winning grand final team with a broken bone on his face, will now be remembered for a sordid family scandal riddled with drug and alcohol abuse, violence and self-destruction – exactly what is expected of inductees into The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 