Disgraced footy star Sam Fisher breaks down and waves a tearful goodbye to his family as he’s jailed for trafficking a kilo of meth

A former AFL champion’s two-year criminal trial has ended in tears in a Melbourne courtroom as he was led from the room by two custody officers.

Ex-St Kilda player Sam Fisher, 41, was supported by his parents and partner as he returned to the County Court of Victoria on Thursday.

He was in tears when he was jailed for five years and four months for drug trafficking and drug possession.

Wearing a gray suit, Fisher waved to his parents and gave his lawyer Dermot Dann KC a final hug before being led away by authorities.

The court was told the 13-year veteran of the game was arrested in 2022 after a ‘suspicious package’ in Western Australia was found to contain $129,000 in cash sent by Perth man Julien Morvan, 35.

The 228-game St Kilda veteran struggled after retiring in 2016, finding himself some sort of money after the collapse of a property project he was counting on.

Police then intercepted a second large package, addressed to Morvan, containing 996 grams of methamphetamine and 82 grams of cocaine, hidden in an extractor hood.

On Morvan’s phone, police found text messages with Fisher, who picked up the range hood from a store in Harvey Norman and delivered it to Morvan’s father six days later.

A raid on Fisher’s home on May 18 of the same year uncovered quantities of drugs including ketamine, LSD, methamphetamine, diazepam and steroids.

Fisher was due to stand trial in early April, but pleaded guilty to all charges a week before the trial began after receiving a sentencing recommendation from Judge Mullaly, who found he played a “courier-like” role in the crime.

In sentencing, Fisher’s lawyer Dermot Dann KC said his client’s life had “spiraled out of control” after he retired from AFL due to injury.

When police raided Fisher’s home, they discovered the star was in possession of LSD, ketamine, Valium and testosterone

He told the court Fisher’s recreational drug use had “intensified” amid the Covid-19 pandemic and a failed property development.

“To his credit, and what makes this situation even more tragic, he has since dedicated himself to his rehabilitation,” he said.

Judge Mullaly agreed, saying his life after sports had deteriorated rapidly, with his mental health declining without his support network during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

“You now recognize that you were heavily addicted… in those circumstances you began to move in circles of those involved in drugs,” he said.

‘I accept that this was a very terrible and uncharacteristic episode in your life.’

After serving 48 years in custody, Judge Mullaly said Fisher had taken significant steps to rehabilitate himself, including spending months in an inpatient program and speaking publicly about his struggle.

“You are now a long way from where you were in mid-2022,” he said.

The former footy star will be eligible for parole in three years

The court was told Fisher had been given a maximum life sentence, but Morvan’s “compassionate” sentence in Western Australia and Fisher’s “landlord” role in the plot meant his prison sentence would be shorter than normal for the crimes.

At an earlier hearing, Judge Mullaly said the two-time best and fairest and all-Australian winner should be recognized for the efforts to turn his life around.

“No matter how talented you are, drugs can take hold of you and ruin your life; that is the message he conveys so that others can avoid his path,” he said.

Morvan was jailed for six years in March 2023 after pleading guilty to similar charges in Western Australia.

Fisher will be eligible for parole after three years.