Jamil Hopoate has challenged his father for Frownlow supremacy after being arrested for a driving offence.
Jamil and John both played NRL and have both received multiple nominations for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame for off-field scandals.
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.
Jamil was arrested recently after allegedly crashing into a parked car on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Reports also indicate that he may have failed a roadside breath test. He is only 31 and could realistically still be playing in the NRL, but cannot keep himself out of trouble.
As early as 2012 he lost his contract with Parramatta over behavioural issues at a rookie camp. He also caused trouble at Manly and Brisbane, and was later sentenced to three years in prison over his involvement in an attempted cocaine importation, and was released in 2024.
Jamil holds the rare honour of being nominated for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame in the same year. He achieved the feat in 2021 after being sacked for one incident, then being involved in a separate incident in the same year. He also earned a Wife Beater Tattoo after being found guilty of violence against women.
Hopoate senior is most famous for inserting his finger into a place it should never go during a game, but has also been involved in numerous off-field scandals. They earned him induction into The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame in 2016, but he also had himself nominated in 2024.
The Hopoates just can’t can’t get enough of The Frownlow Medal. Who do you think is winning the Father-Son battle?
Image: NuNa
