Josh Curran is old style. He runs hard, tackles hard, parties hard and rocks a mullet. He also earned his Frownlow nomination the old-fashioned way.
While some footballers are disgracing themselves on social media, protesting climate change or punching Uber drivers, the New Zealand Warriors forward got himself into a good ol’ pub fight.
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.
Curran got into a brawl at a pub in Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast, which allegedly left a teenage boy with facial injuries and a few missing teeth. The melee took place on grand final night at a club called Level Up, and that’s what Curran has been doing all year. He’s been told to level up against some of the biggest, baddest men in the game and to live up to his heroes, and his mullet. Only this time he attracted the attention of the police, the NRL Integrity Unit and the judges of The Fronwlow Medal.
Curran will be glad to hear that his retro style will be more than welcome at the awards night for The Fronwlow Medal and The Fronwlow Medal Hall of Fame later this year, where nominees can enjoy some good old-fashioned bonding.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 