Jake Carlisle must work harder than ever at St Kilda to repair his reputation

THE tradie mates who hawked Jake Carlisle’s drug-snorting video to a TV network weren’t thinking about a career intervention.

Jake Carlisle must prove himself to new St Kilda teammates. Picture: Michael Klein

THE tradie mates who hawked Jake Carlisle’s drug-snorting video to a TV network weren’t thinking about a career intervention.

A quick buck was their only real aim, even if the collateral damage was the potential destruction of their friend’s career.

Yet as Jake Carlisle fronts up to pre-season training Monday — no doubt pushing through a battery of TV cameras — it has presented him with just that chance.

Carlisle’s earnings have been cut by $50,000 next year, his reputation trashed, his 2016 pushed back to a Round 3 start and his ears must still be burning after last Wednesday’s verbal savaging by his new teammates.

But instead of the whingeing and carping — remember the “This club is f---ed” outburst at Essendon — he can use it as an opportunity.

He can choose to turn this monumental setback into the defining moment of his life and football career.

Or it can be the first step in him becoming St Kilda’s 2015 version of Andrew Lovett.

Because the only certainty from this whole saga is that he if he rocks the boat again he will be turfed out on his ear.

You get the feeling as his AFL career unfolded 24-year-old Carlisle never believed anything was his fault.

It wasn’t his fault he got caught snorting, it was his mates selling him out.

It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t play forward, even though his teammates believed his lack of workrate was more the issue than the quality of delivery to him.

What stars of the game like Nick Riewoldt and Chris Judd quickly learned is you control everything — your preparation, your form, your attitude, your professionalism.

This could be the best thing to happen to his career.

Now he needs to leave no stone unturned to turn himself into the best centre half-back in the competition.

He is certainly capable.

At his best he hovers across the pack with those huge bucket hands of his, looks every bit a defender capable of dominating the competition.

At his worst he looks disinterested and lazy.

Now that Alan Richardson has whacked him, the coach will attempt to remove every distraction and hope Carlisle works harder than he ever has in his life.

If he does, the rewards will follow.

Here is one simple bit of advice — don’t take illicit drugs ever again.

Jake Carlisle video aired on A Current Affair last month. Picture: Channel Nine

When his A Current Affair video was released it was noted by many including some high inside AFL House that by his assured “white powder”-snorting technique, this likely wasn’t his first rodeo.

We wondered when this story broke whether St Kilda and its leaders would pass the test that Carlisle’s drug-taking set them.

As of today — the first day of the pre-season — they couldn’t have been stronger.

The leaders and club suspended him for the opening two rounds and reminded him the dark days of St Kilda are firmly in the rear view mirror.

In AFL football, the true test is about responding to adversity.

Sam Gilbert’s errors dragged a furious Riewoldt into a nude photo saga and Leigh Montagna hired the Mad Monday dwarf that dragged the club into more controversy.

Jack Steven was suspended after mixing prescription drugs and alcohol on a New Zealand training camp, then a year later suspended after he blew 0.08 driving to training.

All of them have emerged stronger — both as better players and more rounded people.

Over to you Jake.

Originally published as Jake Carlisle must work harder than ever at St Kilda to repair his reputation