Will Powell has followed Israel Folau down the road of homophobia and into a nomination for The Frownlow Medal.
The AFL player imitated Australia’s most famous homophobe with an unacceptable slur and has been suspended from the AFL.
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.
Powell will miss five games for the Gold Coast Suns after directing a homophobic slur at an opposition player during a game against Brisbane recently. He is also accused of leaving comments on another AFL player’s social media account several years ago which call into question a person’s sexuality. The comments have since been deleted.
Folau was famously kicked out of rugby union, after a lacklustre career in AFL, for extremely homophobic comments on social media. Powell did not quite descend to the depths of Folau but made his comments at a time when the AFL and other codes are cracking down on homophobia in any form – perhaps due to Folau’s precedent. Already in 2024, players and coaches from multiple codes have been punished for comments which society finds unacceptable,
Powell and his fellow homophobes might not be welcome at Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, but they are welcome at Folau’s church and at the awards night for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame, where anything goes.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 