Fevola - Controversies and Legal Issues

Controversies and Legal Issues

Fevola's successful on-field career has been continually contrasted with his controversial off-field behaviour. He has been diagnosed with depression, and underwent 51 days of extensive rehabilitation in 2011; both his agent and manager have associated many of Fevola's antics with his depression.

In 2001, he was involved in an attempted theft of jackets from a drycleaners in North Melbourne; he was fined $8000 by Carlton for the incident. On 8 March 2004, he was involved in an incident at Crown Casino; no charges were laid, but he was suspended by Carlton for a week. In 2006 Fevola assaulted a barman during a tour of Ireland in 2006 with the Australian International Rules team, and was sent back to Australia. In March 2008, Fevola was fined $10,000 by the club and stood down from the leadership group after urinating on a window outside a Melbourne nightclub. After this incident, Carlton did not suspend or delist Fevola, saying that taking such action would not assist Fevola in addressing his problems, but he was put on his final warning.

In September 2009, Fevola was fined $10,000 and banned from appearing on the Grand Final Footy Show after behaving inappropriately at the 2009 Brownlow Medal count. Fevola withdrew from the traditional lap of honour by the Coleman Medallist at the 2009 AFL Grand Final and did not attend Carlton's award night. As a result of the incident, he was traded to the Brisbane Lions, and did not return as a panellist on The Footy Show in 2010.

On 2 March 2010, Lara Bingle started proceedings to sue Fevola for breach of privacy, defamation and misuse of her image for the release of a nude photo in Woman's Day released on 1 March 2010; but on 9 April, Fevola was cleared of the charges against him. In September 2010 it was announced that Queensland police had launched a formal investigation into claims that Fevola had flashed a woman at a Brisbane park during a football clinic, but again there were no charges laid; the Brisbane Lions Football Club also suspended him independently while it conducted its own investigation into the event.

Early on 1 January 2011, New Year's Day, Fevola was arrested in Brisbane on charges of public nuisance and obstructing police. He was released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on 18 January. The Brisbane Lions Football Club granted him indefinite leave, before terminating his contract after receiving medical advice.