Cairns Post AFLCW All Stars assistant coach and best on ground after win over Townsville2:28
Cairns Post journalist Jordan Gerrans speaks with Cairns Post AFLCW All Stars assistant coach Tyson Lane and best on ground Kitara Farrar after their win over Townsville.
Gold Coast Suns players Brandon Matera, Callum Ah Chee, Steven May, Jarrod Harbrow, Jack Martin and Sean Lemmens in the special guernseys they will wear as part of the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round. Photo: Supplied by Gold Coast Suns.
CAIRNS’ Jarrod Harbrow did something very stupid.
Getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol is not just stupid, it endangers the lives of so many other unwitting people on the roads.
The Gold Coast Suns and Far North product was drinking at home on Sunday night before being charged by Queensland Police on Monday morning when he recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.108 — more than double the legal limit.
Harbrow was on his way to the Suns’ training facility and was unaware he was still under the influence of alcohol at the time.
The running defender has been suspended for Saturday’s clash with Hawthorn and will likely face further sanctions.
While what Harbrow did was stupid, he is not a stupid person and his poor decision must lead to him becoming a voice to discourage people, and in particular the kids he mentors, to not get behind the wheel after a few too many drinks.
Suns player Jarrod Harbrow gets a handball away during the round 11 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and the West Coast Eagles at Metricon Stadium on June 3, 2017 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images).Source:Getty Images
The Suns, with the assistance of the AFL, launched the Jarrod Harbrow Leadership Academy in 2015 — a culturally appropriate talent program designed to provide a wide range of support and services to first-choice indigenous athletes from the Gold Coast region, which has since spread to the Far North.
Every cloud has a silver lining and Harbrow knows he stuffed up and this is now an opportunity for him to become a campaigner against drink-driving.
This year Harbrow has provided guidance and support to emerging Far North talent such as Kevin Canendo, Ezekiel Wilson, Timakoi Bowie and Damien Burke, among others.
He is a proud indigenous leader in the community and the weight of the influence Harbrow has on others wasn’t lost on him when he spoke on Tuesday.
“It was pretty tough addressing the group, it’s especially hard to explain the types of feelings that I’m going through,” Harbrow said.
“I’m going to speak to all the boys at my academy, and their parents, about this and tell them that’s not the right type of leadership I want them to see.
“I want to explain to them personally as I think it’s important they hear it from me.”
Originally published as Silver lining beneath drink-driving cloud
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