Brendan Fevola Can’t Kick His Gambling Addiction
Brendan Fevola’s footballing future has been thrown into more doubt with reports he has been dumped by his management. On the day he returned to Australia after a US holiday which caused concern to managers Alastair Lynch and Peter Blucher, Fevola and the firm were said to have split.
"Our total focus is to make sure he gets himself well and we will continue to look after Brendan in terms of his health. But as far as his contract is concerned, we just don't feel we can represent Brendan because he has changed direction several times,” Lynch told The Age.
The split comes after several differences of opinion between Fevola and Velocity, surrounding the holiday, his tell-all TV interview, his ill-advised trip to Crown Casino and his potential VFL club.
Fevola was said to have misled his managers over whether he has spoken to Frankston, after training with Casey before he left for the US. Frankston coach Simon Goosey said last week he planned to speak to Fevola on his return, but Lynch said he knew nothing about the interest from the Dolphins. It's understood Velocity may also have been misled by Fevola on the morning of his appearance at the Melbourne casino.
Mention of Fevola was taken of Velocity’s website. Fevola had trained with Casey Scorpions before he left the country – a move that infuriated affiliate club Melbourne, who felt the move could hinder the development of some of their younger, taller players.
“When Brendan gets back from the US ... he said to me that he would sit down with us and discuss the possibility of playing with Frankston,” Goosey said. “Brendan did not realise that Casey had to play 16 Melbourne players and six Casey players, and we are not dictated to by an AFL club so it probably sits a little bit better with him. “But until we speak with Brendan we don’t know what he is going to decide.”
Fevola’s appearance at the Crown Casino in the hours before a tell-all TV interview had Casey considering their decision to open the door to Fevola. After Fevola was spotted and asked to leave Crown Casino on Thursday, hours before a tell-all TV interview, the Melbourne Demons-affiliate were considering his future. But despite his admission of numerous issues, including ADD, alcohol binges, depression and gambling addiction, Casey president John Sharkie said they would continue their association with Fevola. The club said it would "work with Brendan and his management to support his desire to play football".
Media ManGreg Tingle is a Special Contributor to the Gambling911.com website
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