Ex-Hawthorn star Brian Lake arrested after a scuffle while in Japan at an AFL tournament

BRIAN Lake remains in jail after being arrested for a drunken scuffle in Japan. It is understood the 36-year-old could be detained for up to three weeks with some advising him to get out as quick as he can - even it it means admitting guilt.

Brian Lake. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

TRIPLE premiership star Brian Lake remains detained in a Japanese jail after a drunken scuffle following an AFL Asia tournament, with motorcycle world champ Wayne Gardner — who spent 12 days in a Japanese jail — saying the Norm Smith Medallist should “get out as quick as he can”.

The 36-year-old, one of the AFL’s most decorated players, is believed to have started a physical altercation with a Japanese local.

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The altercation occurred in an Osaka bar late on Saturday night after a tournament win for the Indonesia Dingoes.

The former Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn star had just finished a successful filming run on Channel 10’s Australian Survivor in Fiji, set to air in coming months.

Then while in Bali he accepted an invitation to play in an AFL Asia tournament for the Volcanoes.

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It’s believed Lake was arrested following an event billed “Sportsman’s Night” at an Irish pub in Osaka’s party district Shinsaibashi on Saturday.

The evening was hosted by the Osaka Dingoes, a team that takes part in Japan’s AFL competition. The Dingoes promoted the pub night as a chance to meet “special guests” including former Essendon premiership player Rick Olarenshaw and former West Coast Eagles premiership player Chad Fletcher.

A barman at the pub said on Monday night there was no kind of scuffle or fight there on Saturday night, with confusion about where the incident occurred.

AFL Asia boss Matt Gale, also the president of the Osaka Dingoes, remains in the city attempting to piece together exactly what happened.

He is yet to speak to Lake, who could remain in jail for 23 days under local laws if he does not complete mediation with the man involved.

Friends are hopeful he will be able to pay a fine and apologise to the Japanese local and fly out of the country by the end of the week.

Olarenshaw told the Herald Sun on Monday that after the party broke up no one had any idea Lake was in trouble until the following day.

“We had a team function on the Saturday night and no one was with him when the incident occurred. On the Sunday everyone dispersed and on my way back to Tokyo I bumped into a Brazilian guy who said, ‘Your friend Brian got into a bit of trouble last night’.

“He couldn’t speak much English but he said there has been some kind of incident.”

Witnesses saw three Japanese police leading Lake into a police van.

Brian Lake celebrates Hawthorn’s 2104 flag. Picture: Alex Coppel

Lake is no stranger to contentious incidents, he and wife Shannon locked up for four hours in 2013 after a drunken night at the Portsea Polo.

They were each slapped with a $563 fine for being drunk in a public place.

He was also part of a drunken group asked to leave the Heineken Park at the Australian Open in 2015.

Lake said later that he believed his wife might have had her drink spiked at the Polo event given she had lost recall.

“The wife was not in very good shape and she still says to today that we should have got her tested afterwards because she had no recollection of what happened,” Lake told Fox Footy’s Open Mike.

“She woke up in the cell as well and freaked out, she didn’t know where we were at that stage. The state I was in, I probably thought I was getting a lift home (with the police).

“Us being drunk outside, being a public nuisance, I probably had two options: leave the wife there and get divorced or get locked up and cop the wrath of that on the way home.”

Lake posted on Instagram a photo of him playing in the Osaka tournament, with the caption: “Playing for the volcanoes in Osaka! What random stuff you get up too when the wife gives you the ass.”

Marty Pask, of Lake’s management company, i50, released a statement on Monday afternoon confirming his client had been “detained by authorities after an incident on Sunday morning (AEST) in Osaka, Japan”.

“We are still gathering all the information, however, Brian is assisting the authorities with their inquiries,” the statement read.

“Given the international constraints involved and out of respect to local governance, we won’t be commenting further at this stage.

“We do ask that the privacy of Brian’s wife and children be respected during this stressful time.”

It is understood the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is now providing consular support to Lake.

When asked about the matter this morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said: “I won’t go into details, but we always provide consular support should we be contacted.”

Sources close to Lake believe that while Lake was involved in push and shove he did not throw a punch at anyone.

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WAYNE GARDNER: JUST GET OUT FAST

— Aleks Devic

FORMER motorcycle world champion Wayne Gardner — who spent 12 days in a Japanese jail — says Lake should “get out as quick as he can” even if it means admitting guilt.

The 59-year-old said his 2016 jail stint was the worst period in his life and spoke of a strict regimen, including being locked up for 24 hours a day — regardless of how serious the crime is.

Australia Wayne Gardner arrives back in Australia after spending 13 days in a Japanese jail in 2016. Picture: Andrew Murray

“They have got a very antiquated and archaic system,” he told the Herald Sun on Monday from his home in Barcelona.

“It’s very Mafioso style and it’s all swayed in their favour.

“He needs to get out as quick as he can — even if he has to plead guilty, even if he didn’t do it.”

The jail cell he described was as wide as an arm span and a bit longer than an average body length.

Prisoners were allowed out of their cell every three days — but only into another room, where they could pace around in circles.

A “very small” bowl of rice, with a pickle, was served for breakfast. This was also for lunch and dinner.

Prisoners were asked to clean the toilets and showers — and Gardner said the smell was horrendous.

“A Japanese jail is not pleasant. It’s very tough and strict. My pillow was a rolled up jumper and you can only shower every three days,” he said.

Gardner was accused of assaulting three men in an alleged road-rage incident while his son Remy was racing in the town of Motegi.

He denied any involvement and was eventually let out.

Gardner said Lake just needed to confess in the first three days to avoid lingering in the jail.

“You can’t win, even if you are right,” he said.