Brendan Fevola lived ‘like a bogan’, Mark Philippoussis bought FIFTEEN motorcycles while Mark Bosnich didn’t listen to John Terry’s advice: Australian athletes wasting their millions

Lucrative contracts in sports are incredibly difficult to earn, with only the best in their field winning the huge payday that so many athletes crave.

But as hard as it is to reach the top of the money tree, it is just as easy to fall back down.

Ny Breaking Australia looks at the Australian athletes who have lost millions and how they turned their lives around.

Brendan Fevola

Carlton hero Brendan Fevola explains in four words how he lost the millions he made as a footy player.

‘I was a bogan.’

The 42-year-old has spoken openly about his personal problems since retiring from the AFL, with gambling causing him to throw away his earnings.

‘I did it. I made millions. Millions. And I lost it all because I was a bogan,” he said.

‘I almost wasted it all. During my football career we had seven houses. I lost it all because I kicked.

‘Pop. Stupid. Because I had money since I was seventeen. Big money. Everyone else worked hard for their money. I didn’t have to work hard. I just played football. I thought money would come easily. Winning the lotto – easy money. Let’s spend it.’

Fevola eventually went on to do I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here to recoup his losses, but said his appearance on the show was a low moment.

“You get money, you lose it all and then you end up on a stupid show Celebrity Get me out of here. That’s what happens’

Lucas Neel

Former Socceroos captain and Premier League star reportedly earned almost $40 million during his illustrious football career, but was declared bankrupt in Britain in 2016.

During the glory of his career, Neill reportedly earned $5 million a year during his time at West Ham United.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Neill was heavily involved in the original bid for a western Sydney A-League club, with his business partner and then manager, Paddy Dominguez, which ultimately fell through.

However, a potential deal was mired in controversy when Sydney ace Michael McGurk was shot and killed, and it was revealed he had connections to Neill’s bid.

Dominguez said at the time that there was no connection between the two, and that Neill had only asked McGurk to act as an intermediary to secure more investment.

Since missing out on the Socceroos’ 2014 World Cup squad, he has largely kept his distance from football. He now lives in Lancashire with his wife and two children, and coaches his son Marcus’s junior cricket team at local club Lowerhouse.

Ben Neven

Most Australian sports fans know the story of Ben Cousins ​​all too well. The 2005 Brownlow Medalist has hit rock bottom due to his addiction to ice, cocaine and pills.

The West Coast legend spent a stint in prison in 2018 over a number of crimes related to drugs, violence and stalking.

In 2016, Cousins ​​admitted he was having a “little bit of a hard time” after finding himself sitting alone outside a police station in Perth – without knowing who to call to pick him up after a two-day stint in custody.

His struggle with drug addiction resulted in the loss of five properties and his fortune.

‘It’s hard to know where to go. I’m living out of a backpack at the moment,” he told News Corp.

That stint in prison was the catalyst that inspired Cousins ​​to turn his life around and he has since built a career in media at Channel Seven.

After leaving prison, he returned to playing park football, re-established a good relationship with his two young children and was back on the red carpet attending AFL events within a year.

He was at this year’s Brownlow evening, the first time he has attended the event since winning the award 18 years ago.

Owen Craigie

NRL prodigy Owen Craigie turned to drugs, alcohol and gambling and believes he lost around $2 million in the process.

Craigie burst onto the scene at the age of 17, signing for the Newcastle Knights on a $200,000 per year contract. He quickly bought a house, but this wise financial decision-making fell into the grip of addiction after his retirement in 2005.

“I was a threat… I lived in a fast way 24/7,” he said via SBS.

“The people I loved most are the people I pushed away.

‘When I needed help for my mental health and my addictions, nine out of 10 people ran for the hills.

‘My wife has left. She had every reason to leave – I put her through hell.’

Craigie has since turned his hardship into happiness. After a period in rehabilitation, he is now in regular contact with his children and is working on a number of business ventures.

Mark Bosnich

Modern football fans will recognize Mark Bosnich as the affable former Socceroo who provides excellent analysis in his handful of expert roles.

But some may not be aware that the ex-goalkeeper had a turbulent time off the pitch during his playing days.

Bosnich was sacked by Chelsea in 2002 after failing a drugs test and later revealed he had a cocaine problem, leading to a five-year absence from the sport. John Terry had warned the Australian of the dangers of getting involved with the wrong people, but ignored him because he felt ‘bulletproof’.

His career evolved into drug abuse, depression and tabloid stories about sex.

In 2008, Bosnich was declared bankrupt by a London high court, with friends telling The Sun that the former Man United star, who once earned $87,000 a week, had “hit rock bottom” and “doesn’t have a penny to his name”.

He strongly denied the ruling, insisting: “I am not insolvent.

‘I have been in contact with my lawyers and it concerns a small debt (legal costs). Only a few thousand dollars.

“I left things in people’s hands (before I left England),” he said.

Mark Philippoussis

Australian tennis hero Mark Phillippoussis once rose to number 8 in the world rankings and earned almost $7 million during his career.

However, his ‘ridiculous’ lifestyle, in which he spent enormous amounts of money out of boredom, led him to buy a legion of flashy sports cars and about fifteen motorcycles.

He even paid $100,000 for a brand new Dodge Viper because he didn’t want to take a cab home, and sold the car the next day.

His extravagant spending finally caught up with him in 2009 when he was declared bankrupt as he could not afford to pay off the mortgage on a Townsville property he owned.

“When you’re an athlete, the last thing you want to think about is… They always say, ‘Save for a rainy day.’ And I feel like you’re weak if you feel like you’re going to get hurt and need something to fall back on – that’s a sign of weakness,” he said of SAS Australia in 2021.

“You can’t think like that because you have to keep going, you have to come back from injuries and you’ll be fine.

‘I was out for a few months. Actually, I couldn’t afford much. I had to ask friends to buy food.

‘We used to eat cabbage pasta for seven days in a row, which ended up being one of my favorites, but my mom calls it ‘poor food’ because it’s so simple: it’s just cabbage with some spices and pasta.

‘I felt very ashamed because they gave up their dream for me and it was my responsibility to take care of them. I was in a dark place and had depression. There is no greater pain in my heart than seeing my loved ones suffer because of my actions.”