Rugby League legend Brett Kenny has been granted permission to use his signature headbutt move when he headlines Frownlow Medal Fights 1 against an unspecified opponent.
Kenny will be able to fight any past or present player from Rugby League, Rugby Union, Football or Aussie Rules, provided they have also been nominated for The Frownlow Medal or The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.
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 NRL star Jarryd Hayne 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.
Kenny’s opponent has not been decided but the favourites include footy players turned boxers such as Paul Gallen, Sonny Bill Williams, Justin Hodges and Barry Hall, and possibly renowned pugilist Anthony Mundine.
The former Parramatta, NSW and Australian legend earned the right to headline FMF 1 after being charged with assault. Kenny was arrested for allegedly headbutting a man at the Police and Community Youth Club in Bateau Bay on the NSW Central Coast on April 12. The arrest earned him his Frownlow nomination and the right to fight in the main event at FMF 1.
Kenny is currently deciding which player to face in the ring, but the list of contenders is long. He could also face any member of The Frownlow Medal Wife Beaters Club, but it is believed they don’t want to be in a fair fight, while many punters are demanding he fight Beau Ryan.
Ryan is a Frownlow nominee who has never fought in a real boxing match, but a huge number of fans would apparently love to see him step in the ring.
Kenny has also been given permission to choose the venue for FMF 1, and possible sites include Bateau Bay PCYC or venues which have produced many Frownlow nominations, or nominees, including The Star Sydney, Northies at Cronulla or Hillsong Church.
Image: http://www.nrl.com
The Frownlow Medal 