A handful of former West Coast Eagles stars gathered at Optus Stadium in Perth last Sunday to mark the 20th anniversary of their 2006 premiership victory. However, it was the dramatically altered appearance of one club legend that captured attention.
While figures like Ben Cousins and Chris Judd remain easily recognizable despite the passage of time, the same cannot be said for Daniel Chick. The 50-year-old former tagger looked remarkably different from his playing days as he joined teammates David Wirrpanda and Michael Braun in the celebration.
Chick's Unusual Career and Post-Football Life
Chick, who famously had a finger amputated to avoid missing games during the 2002 AFL season, is now believed to be working in construction. The 103-game West Coast veteran has faced several legal issues since retiring from football in 2007.
These include a $500 fine after police found methamphetamine while discovering Chick sleeping in his car, and a $900 fine in 2019 for possessing meth and drug paraphernalia. In 2010, he was also fined $7,000 for importing steroids from Thailand.
Drug Culture Revelations
In 2016, Chick gave a bombshell interview detailing the drug culture within the West Coast Eagles during their 2006 premiership season. He claimed players abused drugs provided through the club, including Xanax, Stilnox, Sudafed, and Valium, to get high.
Chick specifically alleged that Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr, and he himself took massive doses of the asthma drug prednisone, which can have severe side effects. 'At those levels it's the same as being a full-on meth addict,' Chick stated.
These revelations followed years of accusations that West Coast officials repeatedly covered up the wild behaviour of their stars during the club's peak years.
The Gillard Investigation
In 2017, it emerged that the AFL had conducted a secret investigation in 2008, known as the Gillard investigation. The 87-page report by retired Victorian Supreme Court judge William Gillard revealed that cocaine, speed, ice, ecstasy, and marijuana were abused by Eagles players, and that club management turned a blind eye to the illicit drug use.
The report noted that in 2001, WA Police warned coaches about players dabbling in recreational drugs. In another incident, a prescription form stolen from a club doctor was allegedly used by Daniel Kerr to purchase 50 Valium pills, which Gillard suggested could help teammates 'prolong a high'.
The report was highly critical of then-coach John Worsfold and Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett.
