Former AFL player Dayne Beams is feeling much better about himself since receiving a nomination for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame for a public spat with a venue manager while organising his wife’s birthday party.
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.
Beams began arguing with a staff member of a venue in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, and the conflict spilled over into the venue’s website, his social media accounts and the mainstream media. The Collingwood premiership player complained that the stress of organising his wife’s 30th birthday, and the conflict with the staff member, had taken a toll on his mental health.
Beams claims he had difficulty with the staff member while trying to finalise the details of the party. The conflict prompted him to write a negative message on the venue’s website, and to threaten the venue with bad publicity across his popular social media accounts. The staff member then contact Melbourne radio station 3AW in response to the negative feedback, and claims Beams threatened to use his AFL status to harm the business.
Beams was quoted as posting:
“My mental health and confidence around organising this has taken a hit because of it and I think Shelley (staff member) should be ashamed. I will be recommending to everyone through my social media platforms and word of mouth to stay clear of Elina (sic) estate and Shelley. Really disappointing.”
One has to wonder how someone who suffers a mental health breakdown while trying to organise a birthday party ever managed to win an AFL premiership.
Fortunately for Beams, he has been invited to the awards ceremony for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame later this year, where he doesn’t have to organise a thing. What’s more, he’ll be surrounded by other wayward footballers who can empathise with his struggles and give him a shoulder to cry on.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 