Roosters players will be pleased to know that their new recruit Brandon Smith will always put them before their WAGs. Smith recently landed himself in controversy after admitting that he lied to police in order to protect a former teammate accused of violence against women, and he has earned his second nomination for The Fronwlow Medal.
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.
Smith admitted to lying to police about a witness statement he signed in regards to accusations of domestic violence against former Melbourne Storm teammate Curtis Scott. Scott is currently facing court for multiple charges of abusing his former girlfriend, and has also been nominated for Frownlow honours on numerous occasions.
Scott was arrested after allegations of physical and verbal abuse of his former partner during a two-year relationship. The charges include four counts of common assault, stalk or intimidate with the intention of causing fear or physical harm, intentionally choke a person without consent, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentionally choke a person with recklessness. He has pleaded not guilty.
During the police investigation, Smith said he thought some questions on the statement were “anti-Curtis”, and that he was pressured into signing a statement by his own girlfriend, saying:
“Savannah’s obviously on Tay’s side,” he said. “I feel like they were constantly talking and trying to get me to sign (the statement),” he said.
The police prosecutor also supported the notion that Smith puts bros before hoes.
“He doesn’t want to be seen as a person who goes against his teammates,” she said.
“His reputation could be quite damaged in a team environment for ‘dogging’ on a teammate.”
The prosecutor also asked the hooker/backrower if as an NRL player his role was to be an “upstanding member of the community”.
The number of NRL players who have been nominated for Frownlow honours since 2015 would suggest this is not the case.
Smith was also among his bros when he earned his first Fronwlow nomination in 2021, after being filmed partying a little too hard at the end of the Storm’s season.
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The Frownlow Medal 