Former NRL player Zane Tetevano has exposed the frailties of Australia’s legal system after avoiding jail for a second time.
Tetevano earns his second nomination for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fameand his second Wife Beater Tattoo, after being found guilty of domestic violence for a second time.
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 men’s and women’s 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 Ezra Mam 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.
Tetevano was recently found guilty of pulling his girlfriend’s hair while she was driving, pinning her against a wall and throwing a burrito at her in 2015. This abuse occurred at the same time that he was facing charges for abusing another woman.
During this time, Tetevano maintained a successful NRL career, which began in 2011 and included a premiership with the Sydney Roosters. He also spent time playing in the English Super League, when many argued he should have been behind bars.
The former prop was handed a $1,500 fine and a two-year community corrections order for the most recent offence. The magistrate presiding over the most recent charges described how Tetevano had failed to learn from his past mistakes.
Maybe the real questions is, did the legal system learn anything from Tetevano’s past mistakes?
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 