The Frownlow Medal has issued a formal apology to rugby league legend Paul Kent for taking so long to nominate him 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.
Kent is one of the greatest players to have ever pulled on a pair of footy boots and this is why he is such a respected commentator. He should have been nominated for Frownlow honours long ago after being charged with domestic violence offences, but judges waited for him to be involved in a drunken street scuffle to bestow upon him the honour he deserves.
Why?
Because his achievements in the game are overwhelming.
Among a huge list of former footballing stars from across four codes and from across the globe to be nominated for the hall of fame, Kent stands out. Not because he’s a rugby league immortal or AFL hall of famer. Not because he played for NSW, Queensland, the Wallabies or the Socceroos, but because he truly earned the status of rugby league legend.
How?
He played one game for Parramatta.
Not one season.
One game.
The master commentator played one game for the Eels in 1989.
Kent finally earns the chance to enter the hall of fame after being involved in a drunken street scuffle in Sydney late one night. Phone camera footage shows him arguing with some random guy before picking a fight and eventually being thrown into a tree.
It hardly stacks up against the behaviour of other hall of fame nominees, but it stands out because Kent has made a living criticising NRL players for doing exactly the same thing.
How will players react when they see him at the awards night for The Fronwlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame later this year?
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 