Triple Hawthorn premiership player Brian Lake banned from playing football at all levels

It's not been the greatest 12 months for fallen AFL star Brian Lake and now the triple Hawthorn premiership player has been banned from playing football at all levels. What did he do?

Former AFL star Brian Lake leaves the Sunshine Law Courts. Picture: Alex Coppel

Triple Hawthorn premiership player Brian Lake has been banned from playing football at all levels.

The former Hawk and Bulldog has been deregistered as a player and official. 

Brian Lake in action for WRFL club Caroline Springs.

All players are subject to the national deregistration policy, which states that if a player accumulates 16 weeks or more of suspensions throughout their career, they will be automatically removed from the game at all levels. 

Players returning from AFL to local competition are given a 25 per cent "discount" on all suspensions incurred at the top level. 

Lake, 37, received a two-match penalty for striking in Caroline Springs' 33-point win over Sunshine on Saturday, which tipped him over the 16-week threshold. 

"That's why I got de-registered, because of all the suspensions you have through AFL - it even comes up from Under 19s," Lake told the Herald Sun. 

"I was 17 (then), so it's a 20-year span that you're talking about that you can get suspended in. 

"I'm playing footy for an escape, because I need something. 

"To get reported like that is not great, but to be de-registered ... you want players playing in the league, don't you? You want AFL players coming back to support their local clubs."

The three-time premiership Hawk and Norm Smith medallist kicked four goals and was named in the best players for Western Region Football League club Caroline Springs during its win over Sunshine.

Lake revealed the suspension on Instagram, where he posted a photo of a letter with the caption “Tag a mate that’s had a worse 12 months than me! #lawnbowlsnow.”

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The letter, sent by the Western Region Football League, says the deregistration is “in line with the National Player and Official Deregistration Policy".

Lake will be unable to play football at any level for more than 12 months.

It is understood Lake's local coach, former Collingwood midfielder Brodie Holland, also reached the suspension threshold and was deregistered in recent weeks. 

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Lake will not be able to play football until at least 26 May 2020.

The AFL's national player and official deregistration policy states that because it is an automatic system, there is no appeal process. 

Lake said he was considering his options. 

"The guy came at me, and I made contact but it was with an open hand," he said. 

"The video footage shows that there's no contact, but the umpire said that I made contact once, but the player said (otherwise). 

"And it's gone from two weeks to de-registering. 

"I got sent an email. I don't know how I can appeal it - I've got no understanding of the rule. But the way the letter reads, I can't appeal for another 12 months' time."

Lake was warned in May last year that he had accumulated 15 weeks' suspension - taking into account a 25 per cent discount on the 16 weeks he tallied in the AFL between 2004 and 2014, which included a Grand Final suspension worth double - and that he was sitting dangerously close to the automatic de-registration total. 

He was officially de-registered today and received notification via the Western Region Football League.

Former AFL star Brian Lake leaves the Sunshine Law Courts. Picture: Alex Coppel

Brian Lake has been banned from playing football.

Lake has had a tumultuous last 12 months.

He spent a week in a Japanese prison after allegedly having an altercation with a local while playing in an AFL Asia tournament, while he was recently found guilty of a series of offences including stalking, trespass and property damage.

Earlier this year, Lake sought help at a mental health clinic.

Only last month  Lake walked free from jail after pleading guilty to a suite of stalking, assault and trespassing offences.

The former premiership player was released from the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court at the start of April after spending two nights in custody following a violent incident at a home in Melbourne’s west.

The court heard the former Hawthorn star went to a woman’s house after receiving a distressing text message which read: “I’m sick of this life”.

Lake tried to contact the woman, who cannot be identified, several times but his calls went unanswered.

His lawyer told Magistrate Jennifer Grubissa this interaction prompted the accused to go to the woman’s home, but conceded it was “no excuse for his behaviour” which involved stealing her phone and becoming aggressive.

Lake handed himself into police the next day but gave mostly no comment responses and made no admissions, court documents reveal.

He was charged with stalking, theft, criminal damage, breaching the peace and committing an offence while on bail.