In light of former St Kilda star Sam Fisher being jailed for drug-related offences, Carlton great Brendan Fevola has opened up on his own struggles, after his AFL career came to an end after 11 years.
The former full-forward built an impressive career across 187 senior games for Carlton and 17 for Brisbane between 1999 and 2010, but found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in its latter stages.
Last Thursday, Fisher was sentenced to a maximum prison term of five years and four months after his drug addiction led him to become involved in an interstate trafficking scheme.
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In court, Judge Gerard Mullaly said Fisher’s drug use had spiralled out of control after the former St Kilda star retired from professional football in 2016 and struggled to find consistent employment.
Speaking on The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick, Fevola admitted that he could have shared a similar fate to Fisher if not for his broadcast career post-football.
Fevola has previously opened up on his struggles with drinking, gambling and depression following his retirement.
“You can either go, it’s sad, his life has turned upside down and he went down the wrong path,” he said of Fisher’s sentence.
“But I sort of look at this like, Jesus, this could have happened to me. I went down the wrong path.
“When you’re a footballer, it doesn’t last forever.
“I was very lucky that I went on the show I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here [in 2016] and I won it. And then I’m very lucky to have this [job] at The Fox. But if I didn’t have that, I don’t know where I’d be because I didn’t set myself up.
“I wasted my money; I didn’t have a degree. I didn’t worry about school, I never studied — like I’d literally be stuffed. I wouldn’t know what to do with my life, and I think that’s where Sam was. And I think a lot of AFL players are in that situation.”
Fevola highlighted drug abuse and gambling as “the biggest issue” faced by AFL players as they transition to life after football.
While he recounted himself, teammates and opposing players spending their days off at Melbourne’s Crown Casino — the 43-year-old believes the behaviour is still relevant for the young men playing today.
“I do know that the AFL now make players do stuff outside of footy to keep them occupied but I remember back in the day, we’d have a day off and we’d just go to Crown and play poker,” he said.
“There’d be like literally six different [AFL] teams playing poker at Crown because we always got the same day off.
The whole Crown poker room was full of AFL footy players, just playing poker because we had heaps of money and we’d just gamble. Then you go home, you play footy, and you train… and that’s all I knew. That’s what most blokes knew.”
With Fisher in mind, Fevola issued a warning to all up-and-coming AFL and local footballers to plan for life after football.
“Sam Fisher did it himself. He’s copped it. He knew he did it, he owned up to it,” he said.
“He’s going to serve his time. But just for the young kids that are growing up now and going through the system in any sport or [even] local footy clubs, just make sure you set yourself up.”
The AFL’s illicit drugs policy is currently under the microscope after Federal MP Andrew Wilkie made explosive allegations as he addressed parliament in March.