AFL 2019: ‘Always our brother’ — Nic Naitanui throws his support behind Chris Yarran

Nic Naitanui has taken aim at an “unnecessary” front page regarding AFL player Chris Yarran, who was sentenced to prison on Thursday.

West Coast star Nic Naitanui has taken aim at The West Australian over an “unnecessary” front page regarding AFL player Chris Yarran, who was sentenced to prison on Thursday.

Yarran was jailed for five years for a meth-fuelled crime spree in November across Perth, which included assaulting a policeman and trying to steal his gun.

He pleaded guilty to offences including dangerous driving, aggravated robbery and criminal damage.

The West Australian led Friday’s paper with the headline: “Three mates. Two legends, One addict in jail”.

“Three mates just leave it at that. The sad reality of mental health struggles doesn’t need to be exacerbated by being front page news,” Natanui said.

Unnecessary cover today, three mates just leave it at that. The sad reality of mental health struggles doesn’t need to be exacerbated by being front page news 😔 #disappointing pic.twitter.com/jtB6Z1690C

— Nic Naitanui (@NicNat) May 30, 2019

Yarran played 119 games for Carlton before he was traded to Richmond ahead of the 2016 season, but was delisted and never played a game for the Tigers.

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Yarran’s footy dream was enhanced by his close friendship with Naitanui and Fremantle forward Michael Walters, who all lived on the same street as children in outer eastern Perth suburb Midvale.

Yarran and Naitanui grew up six houses apart, developing a deep friendship as kids that still remains strong. Naitanui always claimed Yarran was the most talented of the trio growing up.

“Always our brother,” Naitanui wrote on Twitter.

The Eagles ruckman also uploaded a 2008 picture of him, Yarran and Walters with their mothers before they were all drafted to AFL clubs.

Always our brother ❤️ pic.twitter.com/60o0mM5ac9

— Nic Naitanui (@NicNat) May 30, 2019

Before Yarran and Naitanui met for a game in 2011, the then-Blue revealed the duo continue to “speak all the time, like every week”.

“We are close and always will be because we grew up together and did things as kids,” Yarran told the Herald Sun.

Chris Yarran and Nic Naitanui tangle in the Eagles-Blues final in 2011.

On the day he was drafted in 2008, Yarran visited his father in prison before moving to Melbourne and linking up with the Blues to begin a new life.

Speaking to the North Coast Times, Sean Gorman — an academic and chronicler of Australian rules football’s Indigenous heritage — said Yarran’s journey wasn’t unique.

“There’s been a long history of West Australians and Aboriginal players going to Carlton and playing,” Gorman said.

“The expectation was there, he was a blue-chip player.

“He grew up on Bushby Street (in Midvale), where (Nic) Naitanui, Sonny (Michael) Walters and Chris grew up.

“And Chris had the most potential — but he was the quietest.

“His father was in jail, jailed for a long period of time.”

Chris Yarran from Swan Districts in 2008.

Yarran, 28, has been in prison since his dramatic arrest for the November crime spree, which started on the city’s suburban fringe and ended in the CBD where he was tasered.

He headbutted and punched the policeman who tackled him, then tried to remove the officer’s Taser and gun, partly unclipping it from its holster. It took several officers and Taser attempts to subdue him.

On Thursday, when Yarran was jailed for five years, the West Australian District Court heard his life started to unravel when he began taking meth in 2014 while playing for Carlton.

It “quickly took over” after one of his closest mentors left the club and moved from Melbourne to Adelaide, leaving him feeling alone, his lawyer Terry Dobson said.

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Yarran underwent rehabilitation in Sydney in 2015 but immediately starting using again.

In 2016, he retired from professional AFL and returned to Perth. His use spiralled out of control in 2017 when his niece died, then his cousin Shane Yarran — also a former AFL player with meth use problems — took his own life.

“From that point on, his use of meth skyrocketed and he saw no point in life,” Mr Dobson said.

Originally published as AFL 2019: ‘Always our brother’ — Nic Naitanui throws his support behind Chris Yarran