The Frownlow Medal can now reveal that the Veggie Vandal is former AFL player Chris Judd, who earns his first nomination for 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 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.
Judd was punished recently for illegally clearing vegetation on a holiday property he owns with his famous wife in Arthurs Seat. Judd’s company, Three Zebras, was found to have pulled out 3500sqm of preserved vegetation. They had also burned, or prepared to burn, 11 piles of scrub.
The former Carlton and West Coast hero claims the land was cleared because he feared snakes and bushfires.
However, authorities stated he was only allowed to remove a total of 500sqm as a bushfire deterrent, and that more needed to be done to protect the illegal removal of protected vegetation.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 