Mowman
Brownlow Medallist
- May 19, 2013
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AFL 2022: St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt pleads with AFL after Sam Fisher charged with drug trafficking
Nick Riewoldt has declared Sam Fisher’s plight as a line in the sand moment for the AFL. And he said the response from the player’s union was deemed inadequate.
Jon RalphFollow
@RalphyHeraldSun
4 min read
May 23, 2022 - 7:32PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
10:09
Riewoldt's POWERFUL plead to Fisher
AFL: [6:34 pm] Max Laughton (MEL) can we get this Riewoldt chat about Fisher for the site please? Riewoldt on jailed ex-teammate. Former St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt speaks honestly about his former teammate Sam Fisher being in jail on drug charges. li
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St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt says too many ex-players are slipping through the cracks with issues including drug addiction as he urged the league to make transition from the game the greatest issue in football.
Riewoldt spoke for the first time on Monday about the plight of long-time teammate Sam Fisher, who is in jail after being charged with trafficking a large amount of illicit drugs.
He could face up to 25 years in jail, with Fisher battling to find an identity post-football and spiralling out of control until a major police raid early last Wednesday.
Riewoldt told Fox Footy’s On The Couch in an emotional plea that teammates attempted to intervene when they realised Fisher was in deep trouble but realised it was too late.
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Nick Riewoldt has issued an emotional plea for players post-football. Picture: Colleen Petch.
He said he asked the player union earlier this year to intervene in recent months on Fisher’s behalf as well as for other ex-players but believed the response was inadequate.
It comes as the AFL throws up radical proposals including not allowing players to sign the second contract of their careers if they are not enrolled in an education program or finding work outside of football.
It is understood the AFLPA had helped Fisher, who retired in 2016, over the years, but the union told the Herald Sun on Monday it has strict confidentiality provisions to safeguard players and would not comment.
“It is a cautionary tale. Enough is enough. There are not a lot of Sam Fisher type incidents but there are a lot of players slipping through the cracks,” Riewoldt said.
“That would be my experience that so many players are slipping through the cracks and when they come out the other side their lives are ending up in pretty horrific condition.
“Let this be the line in the sand moment that enough is enough. This is the cautionary tale.”
“The AFL and the AFL Players Association will concede the players’ transition out of the game is the greatest issue in football. Somewhere along the line it’s not working because the condition too many players are finding themselves in post-career is not at the level it should be. And we can do more as an industry. The AFLPA in particular needs to champion this cause and take the lead on this cause to stop this occurring.”
Riewoldt said the upcoming collective bargaining agreement talks were the perfect chance for AFL players to take less money in their pay packets but invest in programs that helped players exiting the game.
It is understood Fisher was a recreational drug user at times in his St Kilda career but his addiction issues only reached fever pitch when he left the game.
Riewoldt said the issues for players included drug use.
“Drugs are a massive part of it. At the moment the (illicit drugs) policy that exists is one that allows players wiggle room to tap into those things. I think that is an issue. “Players who take drugs in the AFL system do so because the system allows them to.”
The AFLPA told the Herald Sun on Monday night there were extensive services available for past and current players, but would not confirm if it had helped Fisher after his career.
“We have a range of services, including a national mental health and wellbeing network of 300 qualified psychologists and psychiatrists. We also provide assistance for those going through financial hardship and subsidise past player medical costs,” Marsh said.
“Many of the issues players are confronting are complex and, to ensure the best outcome for them, it’s important the AFL industry employs a collaborative approach with all stakeholders – AFL, clubs, players, coaches and player agents – because these are shared issues.
“While we have helped hundreds of players through a range of problems, we won’t speak to the specific support we provide individuals as this damages the confidentiality that is integral to our role. We do the majority of our work behind closed doors and it’s vital it remains that way, so it doesn’t discourage any individual member from coming to us to seek assistance.”
Riewoldt says he and teammates attempted to intervene when they realised Fisher was in dangerous territory but did not have the expertise.
“It landed pretty heavy, for everyone close to ‘Chips’,” Riewoldt said.
“A lot of his close teammates knew he had some issues. To this extent when it was laid bare a lot of us were surprised just how bad the situation had become. Then you do a little bit of inward reflecting on what more could we have done, the reflection on our group, our time as teammates. It has been a pretty tough week for all of us.
“Absolutely you do (feel some guilt) but I also know there have been a lot of Sam’s teammates that have done as much as they could, myself included, and some have gone to extraordinary levels involving conversations with family and friends and those close to Sam
“As a group we did as much as we could for Sam but at a time like this you realise how out of your depth you are when a teammate is facing challenges of the kind Sam has faced. I understand the questions will come about us and our group and our leadership but you can put your head on the pillow knowing you did as much as you could.”
