Accused had been focused on footy
LAST year northern NSW man Dru Baggaley was focused on his footy.
Now the younger brother of Olympic kayaker Nathan Baggaley faces the prospect of life in prison.
The Stokers Siding resident is charged with possession of a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
He was arrested on Tuesday following a sea chase off the northern NSW coast.
Baggaley, 36, and co-accused Anthony Trevor Draper, 53, were remanded in custody until later this month following a brief appearance in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Yesterday, Baggaley’s father, Noel, a Brunswick Heads oyster farmer, did not wish to comment on the charges.
Last September, Baggaley spoke of his determination to get back into playing football after spending time away from the sport.
“I made some pretty big mistakes and I can’t run away or change any of that,” Baggaley told the Northern Star newspaper.
As he prepared to play in a final for the Byron Bay Rugby Club, Baggaley said he had a lot of help from the football community.
“I’ve always had plenty of support from people around rugby and that has made a massive difference with getting my life back on track,” he said.
“I’ve been at my lowest point already and at the end of the day people can have an opinion but I’ll let my footy do the talking in that situation.
“Rugby has been a great stepping stone to meet people again and getting back to having a normal life.”
He said playing football aged in his mid-30s was tough but he was happy to get back into the sport after a long break.
“All the guys I played with had finished up and have families and other things now so it made me think about how long I’d been away,” he said.
“I thought I needed a fresh start and I couldn’t be happier with how things have worked out.”