Has anyone seen Majak Daw recently?
Is he ok?
Because the last time he appeared in the media he was drowning in euphemisms and receiving a 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 Talatau Amone 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.
Daw was recently released from North Heidelberg Football Club in Victoria, where he was supposed to lead the team with the experience he brought from the AFL. The star recruit, however, will not play for the Bulldogs this season and will instead spend the rest of the year negotiating the customary euphemisms that accompany off-field scandals.
The club claimed it had ‘parted ways’ with Daw ‘effective immediately’, which happened to be on the eve of the season.
The club’s legal advisors were busy, as they wrote,
“From a club perspective, there are reasonable expectations and commitment levels that are non-negotiable that apply to all our senior listed players and unfortunately Majak has failed to meet those standards over the pre-season.”
They didn’t say what those commitment levels are or how Daw failed to meet them.
The club then signed off on their announcement with the usual euphemistic platitudes towards a player who has failed to meet expectations, saying,
“We wish Majak all the best in the future.”
If Daw is drowning in a sea of indirect language, this is of serious concern, because the first time he earned a Frownlow nomination in 2018, he fell (or jumped) off Bolte Bridge in Melbourne and was later revealed to be experiencing serious mental health issues.
Then, in 2023, Daw was punished after being found guilty of driving on the footpath while three times over the legal alcohol limit. He was fined $2500 and banned from driving for two years, because he’d also crashed his car while intoxicated just weeks before the incident.
At the time, the former Kangaroo was working for the AFL visiting schools to promote cultural diversity. Such a great role model.
Daw earns another invitation to the awards night for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame later this year, where no amount of euphemisms can explain the behaviour of the guests.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 