Ignore the poor odds against David Williams securing a place in The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame. The Wolfman stands a chance. The former NRL player received his nomination for betting on rugby league games in 2014, for which he was banned from the NRL for a portion of the season.
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 and 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.
Williams may not have spent time in prison, pooed in someone’s shoe or beaten his wife, but he may still find a place in the Hall of Fame alongside players who have. Anything can happen in the world of gambling and Williams created a career as a winger by scoring tries and stopping them when the odds seemed to be stacked against him.
What’s more, the judges of The Frownlow Medal would be very excited at the prospect of installing a plaque which reads “WOLFMAN”.
Image:Nuna
The Frownlow Medal 