DRINK-DRIVE SUN WAS TAKING TOT TO CHILDCARE
Harbrow over limit on day-care run
GOLD Coast Suns player Jarrod Harbrow was driving his young daughter to childcare when he was pulled over by police and blew twice the legal blood-alcohol limit. A remorseful Harbrow said he was prepared to take any punishment after he recorded a 0.108 reading on Monday morning. “I’m incredibly embarrassed and ashamed of my actions,” Harbrow said yesterday.
GOLD Coast Suns player Jarrod Harbrow was taking his young daughter to day care when he was pulled over by police and blew twice the legal blood-alcohol limit.
A remorseful Harbrow said he was prepared to take any punishment beyond the club’s initial one-match ban after he recorded a 0.108 reading on Monday morning.
“I’m incredibly embarrassed and ashamed of my actions and I just want to apologise to the football club, the supporters and my family and teammates for letting them down,” Harbrow said yesterday.
“This isn’t acceptable and it is a really poor judgment that I have made.”
Harbrow was drinking at his home on Sunday night. He got up at 7am on Monday and took his young daughter to child care.
Harbrow said the incident was a one-off as he pledged to stay away from alcohol for the rest of the AFL season.
“It was certainly way out of character for me. It’s hard to explain and describe the type of feelings I’m going through.
“The boys were incredibly supportive. I’ll steer clear from (alcohol). It has to be done.”
The 28-year-old, who will miss this weekend’s clash against Hawthorn, said he was concerned about what effect the incident may have on the Jarrod Harbrow Leadership Academy he runs for young indigenous football players.
“I’m very disappointed with how that looks. I’m going to get on the front foot and speak to the boys in my academy and their parents. It is very important for them to know that’s not the right type of leadership that I want to show and I don’t want the boys to be seeing that.”
The Suns have worked hard to improve club culture in the past two years after the alleged cocaine scandal involving former Gold Coast player Harley Bennell.
Also in 2015, the club banned then-forward Charlie Dixon and Jack Martin for drinking the night before a game.
In determining further punishment, Gold Coast football manager Marcus Ashcroft said the club would consider Harbrow’s positive contribution over seven seasons, his work in the community, role on the field, the precedence set by other AFL clubs and the Suns’ desire to stand firm on community expectations.
“We have had a lot of discussions over the last few days with the leadership group, coaches, senior management and we will consider all that,” Ashcroft said.
Gold Coast is yet to sign a new co-major sponsor following the departure of Fiat and Ashcroft said the club was aware of the effect it could have on potential suiters.
I’M INCREDIBLY EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED ... THIS IS A REALLY POOR JUDGMENT THAT I HAVE MADE JARROD HARBROW
VETERAN Suns midfielder Matt Rosa says Gold Coast has turned a corner ahead of their must-win match against Hawthorn.
The Suns have struggled to turn momentum in their favour in recent times, handing wins to their opposition.
But they showed some ticker with the way they held on in a three-point thriller against West Coast at Metricon Stadium at the weekend.
The returning Rosa and Gary Ablett injected muchneeded experience into a young side that were able to retain possession and soak up late pressure from the Eagles. While it wasn’t pretty, the Suns will need to reproduce this tougher style of play against the Hawks.
“It was a really gritty win and it was a tough contest,” Rosa said.
“They are the ones in the past that we have probably let slip so it showed great character to be able to hang in and fight back towards the end there.
“(West Coast) are a classy side and they probably lifted their intensity and then I thought we didn’t let them kick too many goals in a row.”
Rosa made his return to football at the weekend.
The 30-year-old missed two games over three weeks as he battled to overcome the symptoms from successive head knocks suffered in Round 6 and 7 against North Melbourne and Geelong.
A family man, Rosa would have been within his rights to consider his future after 13 years in the AFL.
But he said Gold Coast medical staff have assured him there was no danger of playing on as he focused on keeping any thoughts of potential risk out of his mind.
“You have to block that out – you can’t worry too much about that,” Rosa said.
“Hopefully there is no more for the rest of the year and for the rest of my career.
“I’ll focus on playing footy at the moment and if we come to that than we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
“I’ll just try and keep my head out of the way.”
Rosa sent a scare through the side when he was suffered a head clash with Eagles midfielder Mark LeCras in the first quarter on Saturday.
“I copped a knock on the head early so that was a nice little one to wake me up. But I felt good,” he said
“I probably ran out of legs a little bit towards the end because I haven’t been able to do much in the last few weeks but it was great to get back out there.”
Rosa said recognising his concussion symptoms early enabled him to return fit.
“The main thing I was struggling with was when I got my heart rate up,” he said.
“The headaches would come back so I needed to respect the symptoms.
“Six or seven years ago I probably would have pushed through it but I’m a bit older and wiser.”