Ben Cousins drags Polo and McGuane into the spotlight.

Ben Cousins is a legend of The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame and his reputation has drawn two former AFL players into contention for Australia’s most prestigious inter-code award. Dean Polo and Luke McGuane earned their nomination after they became involved in a drunken incident in which Cousins punched teammate Daniel Connors outside a Sydney hotel in 2010.

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. Former NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015 and Jarryd Hayne 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.

Polo and McGuane received a one-week suspension from Richmond for their part in the incident but of more importance is their nomination for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame, which could see their names listed alongside some of the true greats of Australian football.

For the full list of current nominees for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame, go to www.instagram.com/thefrownlowmedal/

Image: NuNa

Is Payne Haas a Friday Muslim?

NRL player Payne Haas has confirmed his status as a Friday Muslim via a drunken fight with teammate Albert Kelly.

Haas received a nomination for The Frownlow Medal as well as punishment from the NRL and demonstrated that his religious beliefs are flexible. Haas converted to Islam in 2019 and has since confirmed his status as a Friday Muslim with various off-field scandals which have earned him three Frownlow nominations.

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 Jarryd Hayne is the most recent recipient.

Friday Muslims adhere to the strict rules of their faith only on Fridays, which is the traditional Islamic day of prayer. On this one day of the week, they dress appropriately, abstain from alcohol and other vices and devote themselves to prayer, reflection and the Koran’s teachings of peace and tolerance.

During the rest of the week, Friday Muslims choose whether or not to abide by the rules of their religion. Haas chose to drink alcohol on the day he got into a fight with his Broncos teammate, and forgot about the teachings of peace, forgiveness and tolerance, eventually punching Kelly in the face.

His previous Frownlow nominations were earned for refusing to cooperate with a NRL Integrity Unit investigation. He was also suspended for three games, and fined $50,000, after pleading guilty to intimidating police in Tweed Heads in 2021, for which he was handed a two-year good behaviour bond by NSW Police.

Despite this, Haas declared in a newspaper article in 2020 that ‘Islam is everything.’ He said he understood his status as a role model to his younger siblings, and that he would avoid scandals as a result of converting to Islam. He also observed Ramadan during the NSW Origin camp of 2020. Two years later, he got so drunk recently that he punched his own teammate.

While committing all of these off-field scandals, he has been one of the most dominant props in the game, and one of the youngest, proving that he obviously plays better as a Friday Muslim.

Image: Matt Roberts

Payne Haas vs Marcelo Montoya.

Who wins in a head to head battle between Payne Haas and Marcelo Montoya?

Both NRL players recently earned nominations for The Frownlow Medal for separate incidents and received different punishments.

So, who comes out on top, the prop or the winger?

Let’s examine the incidents.

Warriors winger Montoya called Kyle Feldt a ‘fa//ot’ during a recent game against the North Queensland Cowboys and received a four week suspension for a homophobic slur. Feldt is married with children and there is no suspicion that he is gay. In addition, Feldt has been playing in the NRL for many years, and has played State of Origin for Queensland. He has given and taken sledges before, and has no doubt developed a thick skin. Yet, Montoya claims he was simply trying to get under Feldt’s skin and put him off his game when he used the term. Did it work against such an experienced player?

Also, how many members of the public actually heard Montoya use the word?

Furthermore, if Feldt is not gay, as we can rightly assume, is a homophobic slur actually offensive? Yes, it’s offensive to gay men throughout the world, but is it actually offensive to Feldt?

Haas, meanwhile, received a one week suspension for alcohol-fuelled violence. He got drunk and punched his own teammate, Albert Kelly, in the head during a physical altercation. He was also fined $10,000, despite the fact that he has a record. He received two prior Frownlow nominations; for refusing to cooperate with the NRL Integrity Unit in 2019, and for intimidating police in 2021.

Kelly was also suspended for one week, and fined $5000, for his part in the fight, and is also known to The Frownlow Medal.

Four weeks for a homophobic slur. One week for alcohol fuelled violence.

Image: NuNa

Another bucking Broncos bromance.

Payne Haas and Albert Kelly are the latest Brisbane Broncos to have a public lovers tiff and earn themselves nominations for The Fronwlow Medal.

Haas and Kelly were caught on camera in a drunken brawl at a team hotel recently, and a video of the expletive-laden fight was circulated on social media, prompting a police investigation.

The video appears to show Haas calling Kelly a f***ing c***, while also holding his hand to his throat and delivering a punch to Kelly’s head which would earn him an automatic red card during a game. He then shoves the playmaker in the face in such a way that Kelly would definitely be sent for a HIA.

The passionate bromance brings back memories of Corey Oates and Justin Hodges, who earned Fronwlow nominations in 2017 for a drunken fight while at the Broncos.

Haas and Kelly have both been nominated for Frownlow honours before, increasing their chances of winning the medal this year.

Haas was suspended for four games in 2019 for failing to co-operate with a NRL Integrity Unit investigation, and was banned for three games in 2021 for an altercation with police in Tweed Heads.

Kelly, meanwhile, was nominated for The Fronwlow Medal Hall of Fame in 2016. He was involved in the Cronulla Sharks supplements saga in 2011, and suspended by the Newcastle Knights in 2012 for an incident at a nightclub. He spent a few years playing in England and is trying to revive his NRL career.

Oates and Hodges later kissed and made up. Broncos fans will be hoping their star prop and their half can do the same.

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Andrew Lovett nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.

Former AFL player Andrew Lovett has been nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame following a string of off-field scandals, including an accusation of rape.

Lovett was accused of raping women during a drunken house party in 2009. During the party, a fellow St Kilda player reportedly asked Lovett:

What the f–k is going on with this chick crying at the front door?…Did you chop her?

During the highly-publicised court case, the jury heard that Lovett met the girl at the apartment of teammate Jason Gram and had sex with her after drinking at a pub earlier that night. Lovett maintained that the sex was consensual but the woman argued that it was not.

A friend who was at the apartment claims the alleged victim was too drunk to move, and that she had placed her on the bed in Gram’s room to sober up.

Following the trial, it was discovered that the same night Lovett went home and had sex with a second woman.

The allegations led St Kilda to suspend Lovett indefinitely but he was later acquitted of the charges in 2011.

This was not Lovett’s only contact with the police during his playing career. In 2005 he was charged with driving without a licence and being drunk in public, and in 2006 he was accused of locking his ex-girlfriend in his car and repeatedly beating her.

The allegations of rape at the party involving a number of St Kilda players drew an official statement from the AFL at the time.

Adrian Anderson, the AFL’s general manager of football operations at the time, claimed players now have a much higher level of understanding of their personal responsibilities and accountabilities and around the issue of consent in their dealings with women.

“[There’s] a far greater understanding of their obligation not to be a bystander and if they notice things going wrong, to take steps to intervene and a greater understanding of the dangers inherent in combining alcohol, drugs and sex,” he said, “and a far greater understanding of the societal issue of violence against women.”

Other groups also commented on the incident and its implications, including Carolyn Worth from Centres Against Sexual Assault, who said:

“The footballers need to be clear about their status as role models for young men and women…”

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Nathan Daly Nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame.

Former NRL player Nathan Daly has been nominated for The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame following his arrest outside a Brisbane casino in 2010.

The former Bronco was accused of causing a public nuisance, alongside Johnathan Thurston, both inside and outside the casino in the early hours of the morning.

Daly will find out later in the year if he has been inducted into The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame alongside some of the greats of Australian football.

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James Tedesco launches $Quid Games.

NRL player James Tedesco has called out professional footballers during the launch of his new reality TV show $Quid Games, which will feature Frownlow nominees whose scandals have cost them at least $10,000.

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 AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.

Tedesco was inspired to create the show after his own recent controversy involving accusations of racial vilification and reference to the South Korean Netflix series Squid Game. The NSW captain was accused of calling out the name of the show at a woman of Asian descent after a night of heavy drinking with teammates. The incident resulted in a $10,000 fine and charges of drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Squid Game is based on a fictional reality TV show which is similar to the shows on which many footballers appear after an off-field scandal destroys their public image. For this reason, Tedesco was motivated to provide yet another opportunity his colleagues to rescue their personal brand.

“It’s like ‘quid’ you know, like the word for money,” he explained during the launch.

“It’s called quid, with a dollar sign, because any player who wants to go on the show has to have committed a scandal for which they were fined at least $10,000, and have at least one nomination for The Frownlow Medal. So, like, it has to be pretty serious, more than just public urination or getting caught with ecstasy.”

The Sydney Roosters star went on to explain that players who have not been fined a minimum of $10,000 could still join other Frownlow nominees in a quinella, trifecta, quadie or ‘$Quid Game Multi’ and combine their fines for a chance to be included in the show.

Once selected, players will be supplied with copious amounts of alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription drugs, sports gambling accounts, smart phones, internet, toilet cubicles, social media accounts, motor vehicles and access to the opposite sex, and be prompted to commit as many disgraceful acts as possible each episode. Fans will then vote for the role model who has committed the greatest scandal, and that player will be crowned the winner.

What does the winner receive?

The most prestigious prize in Australian sport: The Frownlow Medal.

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A Burgess Brothers Take-Over.

The Burgess brothers of the NRL have staged a take-over of The Fronwlow Medal Hall of Fame after Luke earned a nomination for a drunken bar fight in Arizona. Luke now joins younger brothers Sam and George as nominees for the prestigious award in 2021.

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 AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.

Luke and teammate John Sutton were handcuffed outside a bar in Flagstaff, Arizona in 2015 during a South Sydney pre-season training camp. They were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. They were forced to sit on the kerb after it was alleged that the bouncer has asked Sutton to leave and Burgess intervened and pushed the bouncer to the ground, drawing blood.

The police report claimed Sutton and Burgess were intoxicated, rude and aggressive towards the bouncer before the fight, and told bar staff to ‘come outside’ upon being asked to leave. The bouncer later dropped charges against the pair after an ‘agreement’ was reached.

Luke has retired from the NRL after playing with the Rabbitohs and Manly, and is now a ride-share driver with DiDi.

This marks the first time three brothers have been nominated for Frownlow honours in the same year. The Silvagni brothers of the AFL earned nominations in 2019 and Matthew and Andrew Johns have both been nominated.

Earlier this year, George was nominated for numerous scandals.

He took two nude selfies in 2013 and they somehow made their way onto the gay porn site and were also circulated on Twitter. No one was able to explain how they ended up on the site, and no action was taken against Burgess by either the NRL or the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

In the same year, he was given a two-match suspension and a $10,000 fine after he was charged by Queensland police with throwing a street sign through a car window in Redlynch near Cairns. He was charged with two counts of wilful damage to a car and was ordered to undertake an anger management program and 50 hours of community work.

To strengthen his bid for a place in the hall of fame, he then got himself involved in a road rage incident in 2021, just weeks after signing a deal with the Dragons to return to the NRL. It is alleged that Burgess left his vehicle after he said he was being filmed by another driver, had an argument, and threw the man’s phone on the ground. He was charged with malicious damage.

Meanwhile, Sam is a perennial Frownlow favourite, having earned nominations for either the medal or the hall of fame in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, for incidents including driving offences, social media scandals and allegations of domestic violence.

Earlier this year he was caught driving without a valid NSW licence and using an unregistered vehicle, and allegedly failed a drug test. Some media outlets claim he tested positive for cocaine, and was on his way to pick up his children. Sam is already in the hall of fame.

Three of the four Burgess brothers are now in contention for a prized position in The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame. The only question is, will brother Tom join them?

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David Nofoaluma winds back the clock.

NRL player David Nofoaluma used an old-school trick to earn a nomination for The Frownlow Medal when he turned up to training hungover. While his NRL colleagues are earning nominations for COVID-19 breaches, Nofoaluma employed a tried and true tactic to stake a claim for the most prestigious prize in Australian sport.

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 AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.

Nofoaluma reportedly arrived at training hungover after attending a wedding the night before. He was not suspended or fined but was sent home and later dumped from the team’s leadership group. He now joins a very, very long list of Frownlow nominees who were part of a football leadership group.

Fortunately for the winger, he won’t have to attend training the morning after the awards night for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame, which will be held later this year.

Image: NuNa

Half-price drinks at Northies.

Northies in Cronulla is offering half-price drinks to any footballer who has been nominated for The Frownlow Medal or The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame. The move recognises the enormous contribution the club has made to the medal, and the enormous contribution nominees have made to the club’s bank balance.

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 AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.

“Northies has a long and proud connection to The Frownlow Medal,” announced the club. “For that reason, we are proud to offer half-price drinks to any footballer who has been nominated for Frownlow honours, especially considering that many of those incidents happened right here.”

“Northies has hosted many scandals which have led to Frownlow glory. 2016 winner Corey Norman got a follow up nomination here just a few weeks ago, alongside his buddy James Segeyaro. Ben Barba won the medal in 2019 and it was here that he got caught with cocaine after the great Sharkies victory in 2016, and got kicked out of the NRL for the first time.”

“Of course, who will ever forget the images of Todd Carney urinating into his own mouth – right here in this very club”

The bar was also referenced by current Sharks player Toby Rudolf during the post-match interview which landed him in trouble, and Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson got themselves into hot water on a night out that began at Northies.

“We are unable to confirm or deny if Toby has pulled here,” the spokesperson stressed.

The popular venue also made history recently.

“We even hosted the first Frownlow nomination for a woman when Nita Maynard took on some of our security guards. We respect diversity so we are very proud to be the site of such a milestone for women.”

The move is also seen as an attempt by the club to earn the right to host the awards night for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame at the end of this year. The party of the year has previously been held at venues such as The Star casino in Sydney or Hillsong Church, but the Cronulla watering hole is adamant it can host the function successfully.

“The number of Frownlow nominations that have been earned here proves that this is a place where footballers can let loose and have fun.”

Image: NuNa