- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Messages
- 6,378
- Reaction score
- 9,183
Former NRL star Brett Finch has opened up about the alcohol and drug addiction that plagued his post-playing career.
Finch represented the Canberra Raiders, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm throughout a stellar career, during which he scored 66 tries in 270 NRL games.
Speaking on the Turn Up The Talk podcast, Finch said “rock bottom” came when he was stood down by Channel 9 in 2016.
The 40-year-old revealed how he deceived his partner into thinking he was working, when in actuality he was visiting his “dealer”.
“I pretend to wake up, put my radio shirt on because I was working for 2GB Continuous Call at the time … I’ve already called Ray (Hadley) to tell him I was sick,” he recalled.
“Get in the car, go straight to me dealer’s house. My missus is from Melbourne, she’s not going to be listening to the radio.
“I’m thinking, ‘Finchy, you magnificent bastard,’ … I’m just going to go get on it all day.”
However, Finch’s girlfriend left him after she found out about the scheme.
“Elli knew exactly where I’d gone,” he explained.
“She said, ‘I’m out, I’m going,’ and packs her bags and goes back to Melbourne.
“I get home, now I’m stood down from both jobs, and I go to my account and I’ve got minus $10. Eighteen months earlier, I had hundreds of thousands.
“And my first thought is, where can I pick up, where can I get another one from?
“It’s taken everything from me but my thought is, I still want another one. It’s ridiculous, I’ve just lost everything.
“I sat there and — not that I’ve ever contemplated suicide — but I sat there and went, mate, this is not living, this is existing.
“I don’t have a dollar to my name, I’ve got no job, me missus has left, this is not living.”
Finch married his partner Elli Johnston in 2018 and the couple welcomed a baby girl together in 2019.
“I learned a lot about myself and the things that I’m dealing with. I had to realise I’m not going to get the highs I had in footy and for so long I was chasing that,” he said.
“People say they’re going through hell. Well, if you’re going through hell, keep going.
“Why stop? People give up because their life is hell. Keep going! Who wants to stay in hell?
“I could have given up many times, I’m so glad I didn’t. People didn’t give up on me.”
Finch represented the Canberra Raiders, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm throughout a stellar career, during which he scored 66 tries in 270 NRL games.
Speaking on the Turn Up The Talk podcast, Finch said “rock bottom” came when he was stood down by Channel 9 in 2016.
The 40-year-old revealed how he deceived his partner into thinking he was working, when in actuality he was visiting his “dealer”.
“I pretend to wake up, put my radio shirt on because I was working for 2GB Continuous Call at the time … I’ve already called Ray (Hadley) to tell him I was sick,” he recalled.
“Get in the car, go straight to me dealer’s house. My missus is from Melbourne, she’s not going to be listening to the radio.
“I’m thinking, ‘Finchy, you magnificent bastard,’ … I’m just going to go get on it all day.”
However, Finch’s girlfriend left him after she found out about the scheme.
“Elli knew exactly where I’d gone,” he explained.
“She said, ‘I’m out, I’m going,’ and packs her bags and goes back to Melbourne.
“I get home, now I’m stood down from both jobs, and I go to my account and I’ve got minus $10. Eighteen months earlier, I had hundreds of thousands.
“And my first thought is, where can I pick up, where can I get another one from?
“It’s taken everything from me but my thought is, I still want another one. It’s ridiculous, I’ve just lost everything.
“I sat there and — not that I’ve ever contemplated suicide — but I sat there and went, mate, this is not living, this is existing.
“I don’t have a dollar to my name, I’ve got no job, me missus has left, this is not living.”
Finch married his partner Elli Johnston in 2018 and the couple welcomed a baby girl together in 2019.
“I learned a lot about myself and the things that I’m dealing with. I had to realise I’m not going to get the highs I had in footy and for so long I was chasing that,” he said.
“People say they’re going through hell. Well, if you’re going through hell, keep going.
“Why stop? People give up because their life is hell. Keep going! Who wants to stay in hell?
“I could have given up many times, I’m so glad I didn’t. People didn’t give up on me.”
