Sam Kerr leads a list of illustrious female footballers who are challenging men for Frownlow honours.
Kerr earned her nomination for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame after clashing with police, while Nita Maynard-Perrin was the first woman to threaten the male domination of Australian sport’s highest honour.
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 AFL player Noah Balta 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.
Kerr captains the national football team and clashed with a taxi driver while intoxicated, then divided the nation with a race-based insult at the UK police who arrested her. The former Perth Glory striker is captaining the Matildas again.
Maynard-Perrin broke through the glass ceiling. The NRLW player has represented New Zealand and a number of clubs, but will go down in infamy for failing to leave Northies nightclub at Cronulla and clashing with security. She was arrested and charged with two counts of common assault
Haneen Zreika has the most nominations of any woman with four. The devout Muslim from the GWS Giants refuses to wear the rainbow jersey in the AFLW Pride round every year and is subsequently dropped from the team.
Maddie Studdon was recently nominated for the hall of fame for allegedly stalking and threatening her ex-girlfriend. The former NRLW player once captained NSW in State of Origin and appears to hate her ex more than she hates Queenslanders.
Deni Varnhagen refused to be vaccinated during the COVID-19 epidemic, despite the AFL rule that all players and football staff had to be fully vaccinated. She was dropped from her team and was one of many footballers to earn nominations during COVID lockdowns.
Jess Hosking was caught driving a jet ski while under the influence of alcohol in Surfers Paradise. She also attracted attention for a message on her strapping tape while playing for the Richmond Tigers, but there’s no proof it read ‘Jet Ski Jess’.
Millie Elliott (nee Boyle) earned her nomination for a public toilet tryst with her husband, Adam, who is also a rugby league player and Frownlow nominee – cute couple.
Alexia Hamilton and Paige Sheppard from the Sydney Swans were found to be in possession of an illicit substance while outside a hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and charged in December 2023.
Amelia Miller is not a footballer, but earned a Frownlow nomination after attacking the former partner of Nick Stevens. Miller was dating former AFL player Stevens while he was tried for charges of horrific acts of domestic violence, and she appeared to take great pleasure in criticising the victim on social media.
The Frownlow Medal does not discriminate. The Frownlow Medal has always judged players on their actions and not their gender, race, colour, religion, sexuality or nationality. Players need only represent an Australia – based team from one of the four major codes in order to qualify. Woman have always been eligible, and these wild women are fighting for Frownlow glory.
Image: Adam Davy / AP
The Frownlow Medal 