An accident led to Ricky Montgomery‘s nomination for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame. Not an accident on his part; his actions were very deliberate. It was an accident by police.
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 Manase Fainu 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.
The former South Sydney player was arrested in 2007 for plotting to import 30kg of cocaine into Sydney in 2003. With his two partners in crime, Montgomery attempted to smuggle cocaine into Sydney inside a truck being transported from Panama.
Police discovered the plan accidentally when they were monitoring another man and came across a phone call between Montgomery and his accomplices.
Unfortunately for Montgomery and his buddies, neither the truck nor the cocaine ever made it to the docks in Sydney or into their hands. What followed were two lengthy court trials which involved hung juries and jurors apparently losing their jobs, as well as allegations of jury irregularities. Either way, all three men were eventually found guilty. Montgomery, who had a record, was sentenced to a minimum of nearly 11 years.
It didn’t get any better for the former Bunny. Once inside Lithgow jail, he apparently had the stuffing beaten out of him by fellow rugby league player and Frownlow nominee Les Mara.
Montgomery only played three games at hooker for the Rabbitohs, but that was enough to earn him a nomination for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 