Brendan Fevola sold Coleman medal to feed gambling addiction

Brendan Fevola revealed he sold his Coleman Medal to fund a crippling gambling addiction — but how did it end up on eBay?

Brendan Fevola has revealed he sold his Coleman medal to feed his gambling addiction. Picture: Getty

Brendan Fevola has revealed his crippling gambling addiction saw him hock one of his most prized medals from his headline-grabbing AFL career because he wanted to bet.

Fevola’s Coleman Medals have been a source of mystery and intrigue over the years. He won the Coleman Medal twice — 2006 and 2009.

The 2009 medal was stolen from his Brisbane home and listed for sale on eBay in 2012. Now, he has revealed he also sold one of his medals for cash to gamble with.

Great intrigue surrounded the April 2012 eBay appearance of Fevola’s 2009 Coleman Medal, which he won as the AFL’s leading goalkicker of that season.

Fevola denied via a statement to the Herald Sun at the time that he was the seller of the treasured item and police were reportedly even called in to investigate a possible theft of the memorabilia.

Two of Fevola’s other awards — his 2008 and 2009 All Australian trophies — were listed for sale at the same time. Little fuss was made about those awards being on the market but the medal’s route to an eBay listing appeared to be a mystery.

Brendan Fevola has admitted he had a crippling gambling addiction. Picture: Supplied

It was an intriguing chapter in Fevola’s colourful career that was never solved.

But Fevola casually revealed on FOX FM’s Fifi, Fev and Nick show this week that he had sold his medal to feed his then-vicious gambling addiction.

Little fuss was made about those awards being on the market but the medal’s route to an eBay listing appeared to be a mystery.

“I sold my Coleman, that was mine,” he told the show. “I did that.

“Mate, I wanted to punt so I sold it for cash. Bought it back though.”

While not elaborating on the timing of his cash sale, it appears to have taken place sometime around 2010 and 2011.

The medal was not in Fevola’s possession when it was listed for sale on eBay. Fevola did not list it for sale.

At some point, Fevola bought it back. He did not want to elaborate on the mystery of the medal on Friday.

The former Carlton star has spoken openly in recent years of his gambling addiction and the destruction it caused to his life.

In 2010, his troubles became public and in early 2011, he sought help for his gambling along with other issues.

In 2017, Fevola recalled his biggest loss on the punt.

“I started off on a Wednesday, it was up in Brisbane and I started off with $2000 in my bookie’s account and ended the day at 2am and I was betting on Hong Kong and I had won $365,000 in one day,” he said.

“I tried to get it out from the bookies and you are not allowed to get it out because you have to wait until the Monday.

“Then by the Sunday I was $20,000 down and that was the point where I thought, ‘whoops, there is something wrong here’.”

Even now, as he has rebuilt his life and forged a new career in radio, Fevola has nothing to his name.

“I have nothing man, I got nothing in my name,” he told FOX FM.

“Everything is in (his ex-wife, now-fiancee) Alex’s name.”

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