Footy’s most infamous bad boys in the 21st century

FROM Ben Cousins to Ricky Nixon to Stephen Dank, footy has never been short of colourful personalities that have helped shape the game in the 21st century — for better or worse.

FROM Ben Cousins to Ricky Nixon to Stephen Dank, footy has never been short of colourful personalities that have helped shape the game in the 21st century — for better or worse

HERE’S OUR LIST OF THE MOST INFAMOUS MEN IN FOOTY

Stephen Dank was the architect of an supplements program that brought Essendon to its knees.

1. Stephen Dank

Football has never seen a more dangerous, self-promoting blowhard than Stephen Dank, the man who brought Essendon to its knees.

Even worse, Dank gave false hope to Essendon’s players for years when he promised to help them dodge ASADA drug charges then did nothing of the sort.

Dank was the biochemist brought to Essendon by Dean Robinson after experimental work in peptides and supplements with NRL clubs.

Dank was the victim of a drive-by shooting. Picture: David Crosling

Police scour the crime scene in Ascot Vale where Dank’s home was shot at. Picture: David Crosling

He ruined the careers and lives of Essendon players, kept inadequate paperwork (that ironically saved some players from suspension), conned Essendon into believing he had ASADA clearance to use substances.

Eventually he was issued a life ban by the AFL anti-doping tribunal that extends to all Australian sports.

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John Elliott wasn’t sorry for the mess he left the Blues in — he blamed the AFL.

2. John Elliott

A creature of the 1980s who never moved with the times, Elliott set Carlton back a decade though his part in the 2002 salary cap crisis.

He made no apologies after Carlton lost a swag of picks and was fined $930,000, believing the Blues were “done over” by the AFL.

The Blues didn’t forgive, Ian Collins ripping his name off his eponymous stand in 2003.

As the century was about to begin his provocative comments at the Blues best-and-fairest about favourite son Aaron Hamill being expendable saw him leave for St Kilda.

Toot toot Ricky Nixon leaves court during one of his many visits. Picture: Hamish Blair

3. Ricky Nixon

Ricky Nixon was the Fixer, a man who solved the problems of his many high-profile clients.

But the pioneering Flying Start player agent lost everything through an addiction to cocaine and controversies including the St Kilda schoolgirl scandal.

He lost $4 million — and his reputation — as he admitted an inappropriate relationship with the 17-year-old.

At one stage he admitted in an Open Mike interview he considered suicide.

Nixon has sworn off drugs and is back in football helping Daniel Kerr’s return to country football and even playing a Warrnambool reserves match last month.

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Nick Stevens beat his partner and then dragged her through a lengthy appeals process. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Justin Murphy was jailed for attacking his ex-partner.

4. Nick Stevens/Justin Murphy/Albert Proud

These three men are the ugly side of AFL fame, abusive men who spent time in jail for horrific deeds.

Former Brisbane player Proud was jailed for a vicious attack on his ex-partner, fracturing her skull and unable to explain his attacks.

AFL journeyman Justin Murphy, who battled drug addiction, was recently jailed for a serious of “evil” attacks on his girlfriend including maiming her with a blowtorch.

Stevens was jailed after admitting to beating his former girlfriend and threatening to kill her.

He subjected her to more grief with a series of long-running appeals.

“I have nightmares about the abuse I suffered. It is like torture,’’ she said of the ordeal.

Albert Proud’s tattoo says ‘fortune favours the brave’, but there was nothing brave about what he did to his ex-partner. Picture: Liam Kidston

5. Daniel Kerr

Always proud of his bad boy image at West Coast, Kerr’s life spiralled out of control as a result of drug issues post-career.

He was eventually jailed after a series of threats to his estranged wife, threatening to kill her unless he was allowed to see his children.

During that period he splashed petrol on the home of friends and threatened to set it alight.

He found rock bottom in jail and was able to get clean and found a community education program Together We Can, yet it was the end of a decade of tumult.

Daniel Kerr hit rock bottom when his AFL career finished.

In 2002 he and Cousins exchanged blows at a Claremont nightclub, leaving Cousins with a broken arm at the bottom of a staircase.

Later he was entangled in police wire taps involving young Eagle Aaron Edwards with speculation Kerr had brought the drug ketamine back to Perth on a flight.

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Steven May was left with a broken jaw after this incident with former teammate Campbell Brown.

Brown whacks Brent Montgomery, resulting in one of his many visits to the judiciary.

6. Campbell Brown

More loveable rogue than evil villain, Brown’s exploits meant he was a tribunal regular who would also find his way onto the front page for off-field exploits.

Eventually he would be sacked after he broke the jaw of Suns teammate Steven May outside an LA nightspot.

Most of May’s teammates knew May was behaving like a pork chop, but Brown’s rough justice went too far.

It was the end of an AFL career that involved 29 weeks of suspension, with Brown on an AFL suspension when eventually sacked by Gold Coast.

In 2007 his honesty saw him fined $15000 by the AFL for giving misleading evidence after he helped Chris Judd escape an eye-gouging charge.

In 2011 his bar fight at an end-of-season trip in Thailand again saw him as front-page fodder, although as ever Brown believed he was protecting his teammates.

Through it all, Brown has proved one of the most popular and friendly of characters despite his collection of on-field victims.

Former AFL diversity manager Ali Fahour was suspended for 14 weeks, resulting in a life ban and then investigated by police after a cowardly suburban football attack. Picture: AAP

7. Ali Fahour

Fahour’s savage strike on an opponent in a Northern Football League match saw him suspended from all football.

He was also forced to resign from his post as the AFL’s diversity manager, with the sickening punch going viral.

Fahour was given a 14-week suspension for his hit on Dale Saddington, which knocked the Whittlesea player unconscious. Police have now charged Fahour over the strike, alleging he recklessly caused injury and intentionally caused injury.

Ben Cousins was a superstar at the West Coast Eagles.

8. Ben Cousins

“Such is life”, the watery escape from a Perth booze bus, the dramatic Perth arrest, the Crown casino bender after a Grand Final, the fight with Daniel Kerr, the shaved head to avoid a hair test.

The admission to Terry Wallace he had used drugs on the day he was being interviewed to play at Richmond, rushed to hospital as a Tigers player.

His life came crashing down due to drug addiction and poor choices. Picture: Getty Images

Cousins revelled in his bad-boy reputation early and then became one of the AFL’s greatest cautionary tales.

Toby Greene has the unwanted reputation as a sniper. Picture: Michael Klein

9. Toby Greene

On this list with a bullet unless he changes his ways.

Has already been cited a dozen times for an array of incidents including spitting, facial contact, striking and rough conduct.

Also involved in a 2014 assault on a bouncer at Zagame’s in Caulfield where he punched a bouncer despite being on a crutch for an ankle injury.

He escaped conviction and has turned his life around off the field, backed by club and teammates.

But needs to eradicate the continual MRP citations and concentrate on what he does so brilliantly — creating goals out of nothing as a Giants star.