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Throughout this week, the AFL grand final re-match, the NRL grand final and the chaos and drama of the Commonwealth Games have dominated the headlines. But there’s one story, more than any other, that we should all be talking about. Last night, we finally got the full story from Brett Stewart about the sexual assault trial that threatened to put him in prison.
On Wednesday, at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney, Manly Sea Eagles’ star fullback, Brett Stewart was found not guilty of sexually and indecently assaulting a 17-year-old girl.
Last night on the NRL Footy Show, after over a year of his name being dragged through the mud, Brett Stewart finally got to tell his side of the story.
It was a broken man that told of the series of events that have forever ruined his image.
On March 6 2009, after the club’s season launch, Stewart was accused of digitally penetrating and kissing a 17-year-old girl outside his townhouse in Manly.
The ensuing investigation and court case took 18 months until the matter was settled on Wednesday with Stewart’s acquittal of all charges made against him.
During the entire ordeal he had the support of his family and friends. The trial included favourable testimonies from his girlfriend Jamie Baker, Manly coach Des Hasler and of all people, deputy senior Crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen, who handled the Skaf gang rape trial.
Upon hearing the not guilty verdict, his supporters were overjoyed, while Stewart was in tears. And last night’s interview showed that the relief of his acquittal had not yet sunk in.
Tensely clasping his hands, with tear filled eyes he told of the difficulty in knowing he did nothing wrong yet, “sitting back and copping everything that has been said.” He was grateful for the support of his family and the friends who stuck by him, and helped him “through the low points.”
It was found that his accuser, now 19, and her father were dishonest and that she even suffered from mental illness.
But nevertheless the damage to Brett Stewart had been done.
Before the allegations were made, as a fullback with exceptional talent, Brett Stewart was one of the most celebrated players in NRL.
In the year prior to the accusation, he was Manly’s leading try-scorer and had played a central role in Manly’s win over Melbourne in the 2008 grand final. He represented New South Wales in State of Origin, he was selected in the Kangaroos squad, and helped Manly win the World Club Challenge. With his excellent reputation on and off the field, it was no surprise that the NRL wanted to use him in a flashy advertising campaign to promote the 2009 season.
However, upon the allegations being made, the NRL pulled his image from the advertisement, he received a four-match suspension and his club received a $100,000 fine (officially for ‘drunkenness’ at the club launch). He only played five games in 2009 – partly due to a knee ligament injury – and he played just one game in 2010 before his knee injury re-surfaced and ended his season.
Stewart told Phil Gould that due to the trial, he couldn’t fully concentrate on football, and one can only sympathise with the emotional toll it would have had on him having to juggle a professional football career and an off-field drama of such magnitude.
But he was hit hard financially too, allegedly spending around $300,000 on legal fees.
In the interview, Stewart said he had done everything to avoid the situation and despite the suspension he had incurred from that night, he denied being heavily intoxicated, asserting that he was always in control.
The sad story of Brett Stewart should be a reminder that though there a few footballers who stray, they are not all the same and like any other citizen, they are innocent until proven guilty.
Why is it that we are all so quick to condemn the footy star who is embroiled in some off field controversy? Sure there are some bad eggs, but of the hundreds of footballers, it’s only a very small ratio that misbehaves.
In this case it appears that his accuser was taking advantage of the vulnerable position sportspeople, particularly footballers, today find themselves in, and this should be a warning to other players – the mix of alcohol and footy players seems to be a dangerous mix, whether in control or not, it’s not just your own actions you must be wary of.
Stewart told Gould that he has plans to be back to his best when his knee injury improves, and with the backing of his club, who have stood by him throughout the trial, there’s still hope for Stewart to get back in the headlines, this time for the right reasons.
But though found innocent, the name ‘Brett Stewart’ will forever be associated with the words ‘sexual assault’. And for a man of his talent, that’s a damn shame.
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