BY DAN

Josh Papalii has been charged with allegedly intimidating police and failing to quit a licensed premises.

Let’s start with the obvious and point out innocent until proven guilty. I wasn’t there and neither were you. The legal process will take time and information will likely drip feed over the coming weeks. The police statement is pretty clear in just their version of events. This article from the Canberra Times suggested it stemmed from two brothers wrestling (footballers having a beer and a wrestle is a love story as old as time). Only time will tell if the appropriate authorities find either version of events convincing.

There’s going to be a temptation to want to discuss matters of culture. Papa’s never been a cleanskin in this regard, but it’s been a while since he found himself in a mess like this. But it’s not ideal for younger players to see a leader of the club in such a situation, regardless of how this process ends. Our hope is that this remains a cautionary tale rather than a leading indicator. The Milk have been relatively well behaved in recent years (noting incidents with police that were dismissed). Let’s keep it that way.

The impact on the club obviously depends on the outcome of the case. I am no legal eagle and could barely get through an episode of Law and Order back in the day. My understanding of the ACT Crimes Act is pretty limited but I think it’s safe to say that this is a serious charge with real outcomes for Papalii’s life let alone his ability to play football, should a maximum penalty be reached.

That’s obviously not good for Papa in a football or a personal sense and for a multitude of reasons I hope it doesn’t come to that. Of course the extent of that depends on the nature and severity of the findings. In an extreme scenario Canberra would muddle through – middles in the one place they have depth. It would mean more of those that we wanted more of this year. More Mooney, Mariota, Horse as well as people like Pasami Saulo returning from injury. But no one would argue they’d be better without Papalii around.

We obviously hope it doesn’t come to that. Big Papa is a legend of the club and if he’s put in metaphorical irons I’d much prefer it’s the statue kind. The good news is that he’s due in court later this month. Justice isn’t always lenient but at least it can be swift.

Shouts (again!) to Reggie and others for sending me articles on this. Like the page on Facebook, follow me, Rob, or Viv on Twitter, or share this on social media and I’ll you the best and the worst of me. Don’t hesitate to send us feedback (dan@sportress.org) or let us know if you have a better understanding of the ACT legal system than us.