NRL fans felt sorry for Taylan May when a serious injury kept him out of the game but might not feel the same way after allegations of domestic violence led to his second nomination for The Frownlow Medal.
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.
May was recently arrested for an alleged domestic violence incident which occurred last month and he has been stood down by the Penrith Panthers. It may keep him out of the game for good and see him miss more than the handful of games and the Grand Final win that he watched from the sidelines in 2022.
Many rugby league fans reached out to the talented winger and centre when he was forced out of the game while his teammates conquered all before them, but even at that time he was surrounded by the controversy of assaulting a young man while celebrating the premiership victory in 2021, which earned him his first Frownlow nomination.
He faced court on charges of assaulting a young fan while out celebrating the Grand Final win with Panthers teammates, in an act described as cowardly.
May now firms as the favourite to win the Frownlow in 2024 because of the severity of the alleged incidents. However, he may face tough competition from the mysterious high-profile NRL player who was reportedly charged with sexual assault in Queensland.
It’s an intriguing time for The Fronwlow Medal with players from NRL, AFL and A Leagues being accused of scandals ranging from homophobia, match fixing and violence against women at the same time as the NRL Magic Round, AFL Indigenous round and the A League Mens Semi Finals are held. It just goes to show that highly-paid and highly-praised footballers know how to cause headaches for the games’ administrators
They’re such great role models.
The coming months will determine if May and his colleagues stay on the pitch and whether they all earn an invite to the awards night for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 