Norwood premiership star David Payne on beating alcohol addiction and getting his life back on track
David Payne was on top of the world as a 19-year-old, but then spiralled into a life of alcohol addiction. Now, he’s back on his feet after conquering his demons.
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During September 1984, a 19-year-old David Payne was at the peak of his powers.
He had broken into the senior side at the Norwood Football Club and was one of the heroes as the Redlegs defeated fierce rival Port Adelaide in the SANFL grand final.
However, two decades later, the father of three’s life spiralled as problems with alcohol took over, as he spent time in a men’s shelter before getting his life back on track.
In an interview with friend and media identity Mark Aiston and his new video series ‘Gift of Hope’, the 54-year-old opened up on his spiral and how he became a recovered alcoholic.
“At 19, it was a rise for me, I was playing under 19s at the beginning of the year … I had no aspirations in 1984 and I didn’t think I could possibly play league football,” he said.
“I can’t put a definite finger on why things changed for me … I know being in a sporting environment, there’s commitment, dedication, adrenaline and you’re on a high of constantly bettering yourself.”
With his football career over, Payne thought with the absence of adrenaline, he was “looking for something.”
“I’d always drunk and drank reasonably well until I was in my mid-to-late 30s and early 40s,” he said.
“I diverted back looking for that adrenaline and that early feeling, and I felt that alcohol made me feel better.
“There was drinking through the footy days and through the Saturday nights, and obviously the weeks off, the end of season trips, the boys stuff, going to the cricket.
“It was part of a culture that if you didn’t do it, you weren’t part of the gang.
“Once being out of that culture, I felt a bit lost and replaced it with the drinking.”
His drinking began to impact his work and home life, and Payne eventually left home and stayed with his brother before seeking somewhere to stay in Adelaide.
“It was my wife who gave me some instructions,” he said.
“I moved into my brother’s house for a week or so, I felt like I was being a burden.
“I made a decision, they came back from being on holidays and I got the gist and the feel I was in their way, and I decided that was it and headed into town.
“I rang either Lifeline or Anglicare and stayed in Whitmore Square at a men’s shelter for two to three weeks.
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“That time wasn’t the best, but looking back now, it’s what I needed … you’ll find people will say ‘the lowest I’ve ever felt’, your self-esteem is down and you think you’ve hit rock bottom when you hit the bottom of the house.
“But, I’d hit the cellar, I was under that, I’d gone deeper.”
However, Payne’s family came to the rescue in February 2013, just a few weeks after he’d started staying in Whitmore Square, and he began rehab.
“It was ‘David, we’re coming to pick you up, we’ve made a reservation for you at Naracoorte, and you’re going to Karobran Rehabilitation Centre’,” he said.
“They asked, ‘are you happy with that?’.
“Looking back at it, that’s what I needed, I needed to be down that low for me to regain my sanity and any self-respect … I needed to get myself right.
“My family was fantastic, my brother John and sister Lynette were the two leaders and the communication in the family was very good.”
Payne said it was a “relief” to go into rehab and begin the process of getting his life on track.
“I remember the day I got picked up, the drive, I remember my first encounter going up the driveway,” he said.
“I can remember everything about it, it was just a relief for me.
“You’re entering the unknown, I didn’t know what rehab was all about, I’ve never been in that situation.
“I was open to anything that would get me on track.
“My kids and wife came in, I had one of my close friends, James Fantasia, come in, he checked in to see how I was going.
“The kids would ask ‘how are you going’, they were very appreciative, they’ve been amazing through that haunting period there.”
Now, Payne said he can’t remember the last time he had a drink, and said it comes down to self-control.
“We had a fantastic Pastor Dean, who was a farmer from the West Coast,” he said.
“He was a great fella and loved his footy, he often said this isn’t going to happen overnight, it’s a daily process you’ll have to go through.
“It’s called ‘control’, and you have to have that self-control … I’ve seemed to manage that quite well in recent times, and that’s the key.”
Payne now works at the Redlegs and said he’s enjoying it.
“I work around alcohol and gambling every day and I have to be strong to do that, it’s not a challenge for me anymore, it’s my ritual virtually.
“I stick to my guidelines and that’s it and I enjoy working for the Norwood Football Club.
“I’m at a stage now where I’m proud of myself, I’m happy with who I am and I think you’ll find my family and friends and hopefully my colleagues feel the same.”
Following the interview, Payne said he was “happy” to share his story.
“I suppose once you get to the stage when you’re clear, you don’t have any problems telling the truth,” he said.
“I felt quite comfortable talking about it … I’m happy to share that story and we couldn’t fit everything into 42 minutes, so there’s a lot more I can add down the track.
“The interview came across really good and I answered his questions and I was really honest.”