New goal for ex-player

Relationship break-up triggered descent into drug hell

A FORMER star suburban footballer has walked from jail after being sentenced for drug dealing.

Leigh Clifford, 35, pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday to charges including trafficking ice and using a stolen credit card.

During the 2000s, Clifford was a three-time leading goalkicker for Corio Football Club and was once a runner-up in its best and fairest award.

He also had stints as a key forward with North Shore and Drysdale.

In October 2016, police nabbed him in Geelong sitting in a car with 3.5g of ice inside his underwear.

The court heard some of the drug was for personal use, while the rest was intended for friends as repayment for previous ice use.

Although Clifford was not set to make any money from passing on the ice, Magistrate Ann McGarvie ruled it constituted a planned drug deal.

Ms McGarvie jailed the father-of-two for 64 days, but with time already served he was allowed to walk free from Marngoneet Correctional Centre.

Clifford was also in court for a series of driving offences committed between August 2016 and May last year, when he repeatedly drove while disqualified.

He also pleaded guilty to using a stolen credit card to buy three meals from Corio McDonald’s in February last year, while he was on bail.

Defence lawyer Michael Brugman said his client’s life had unravelled in 2016 after splitting from his long-term partner.

Mr Brugman said Clifford started using ice and eventually became homeless.

“He got himself into a hole and just kept digging deeper and deeper until he ended up in prison,” he said.

“But he’s told me, ‘I’m glad I got locked up. I needed the jail time’.

“His mind is now focused on getting better.”

Two character references were provided to the court, including one from current Drysdale coach Wade Chapman, who played with Clifford at North Shore in the mid-2000s.

On top of the jail term, Ms McGarvie fined Clifford $800 and ordered him to complete 120 hours of community work.

He was also banned from driving for 12 months.

“This is your chance,” she said. “Your family is in court to support you.

“But if you keep offending the way you’re going, they will eventually drop off. They can’t keep going.”

“He got himself into a hole and just kept digging deeper and deeper until he ended up in prison.” DEFENCE LAWYER MICHAEL BRUGMAN