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SYDNEY Swans premiership hero Shane Mumford is reportedly still a strong chance of resuming his AFL career next season after a video of him snorting white powder emerged yesterday.
Footage of the former Swans and GWS Giants star being cheered on by a group of men chanting his nickname as he snorted a line of white powder — filmed in 2015 after he suffered a season-ending injury — spread on social media and former Australian cricketer and GWS community liaison officer Gavin Robertson said Mumford was suffering after the footage went public.
“I know Shane reasonably well,” Robertson told Fox Sports. “He’s made a mistake in life but he’s not sitting back on a banana chair at home lapping life up.
“He’s not in a great place and he’s really upset with the choices that he’s made.”
The Giants were reportedly made aware of the situation on Sunday and soon after contacted Mumford, who appears to have recently returned to Australia from an end-of-season family holiday overseas.
Mumford retired at the end of 2017 and this year was a ruck coach for the Giants. But he was considering making a comeback to footy for the western Sydney club in 2019 and GWS had identified him as a back-up ruck option.
While the furore sparked by the video initially cast doubt over his comeback plans, reports suggest the Giants are still on track to bring Mumford back onto their roster.
The Herald Sun on Tuesday reported he is still likely to play for GWS again and Fairfax football writer Jake Niall said today the 32-year-old will almost certainly wear the orange guernsey again next year.
Niall said given the footage is three years old, combined with the Giants’ depleted roster after a horror trade period that saw them lose superstar midfielders Dylan Shiel and Tom Scully and ruck/forward Rory Lobb, will work in Mumford’s favour.
“More likely they will go ahead with their plan to keep him as a player,” Niall told SEN Breakfast. “From what I think will happen I think they will go ahead. One of the reasons is it was three years ago not three weeks ago.
“In the end it’s most likely they will go ahead, bearing in mind it was three years ago, bearing in mind he has a contract with the club, albeit as a staffer.
“He’s a kind of player that works well with their midfield and he’s a popular figure at the club.
“His track record and the situation the club’s in and the work they’ve done, it will go ahead.”
During the trade period GWS football manager Wayne Campbell highlighted the club’s interest in getting Mumford out of the coaching box and back onto the field.
“He’s been our ruck coach. There was one training session where I think he touched up all the rucks, so we thought, ‘Gee, we should maybe explore this’,” Campbell told NAB AFL Trade Radio.
“There’s a fair bit of water to go under the bridge, but we’ll have a look at what happens over the next four to six weeks and potentially look at having Shane on our list for 2019.”
The Giants released a statement on Tuesday saying it was “distressed” by the footage and announced Mumford will take part in a rehabilitation program.
“The Giants are aware of an incident, and badociated footage, regarding Shane Mumford from three years ago,” the statement said.
“The club understands the incident took place in 2015 shortly after Shane had suffered a season-ending injury in round 11 that year.
“The club is extremely distressed by the footage and views Shane’s actions as completely counter to the club’s values.
“The club is disappointed in Shane’s choice of actions at this time and also understands that Shane requires a level of medical support with his health and wellbeing in mind.
“The club will be working with Shane to ensure he engages in a rehabilitation program along with a range of other measures.
“Shane has expressed deep remorse, embarrbadment and distress in relation to his actions. He understands he has let himself, his family and the club down and caused great embarrbadment to those around him.”
The video appears to show Mumford snorting one of five lines of powder on the surface in front of him — prompting screams and cheers from the men alongside him.
“Oh my god, oh my f***ing god,” one man can be heard saying.
Other men are heard in the video chanting Mumford’s nickname “Sausage” as he snorts the biggest of the five white lines in front of him.
After snorting the powder, Mumford is seen sticking his tongue out in the direction of the camera filming the proceedings.
An AFL spokesman said the league was investigating the video.
“We are aware of a video currently circulating and are looking into the matter,” league spokesman Jay Allen said.
“We won’t be providing any further comment until we have all relevant information and have completed our inquiries.”
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