A former AFL player has been jailed after drugs, theft, and indecency charges—how did it come to this?
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A once-celebrated AFL talent has found himself in the headlines again—this time for all the wrong reasons.
After years of brushes with the law and a career that never reached its full promise, Aaron James has now learned his fate inside a Victorian courtroom.
The 48-year-old was sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty to a series of drug, theft, and driving offences.
James appeared before Frankston Magistrates Court on 19 August, where the charges were revealed to have stemmed from a crime spree between November 2024 and May 2025.
During this period, he stole from shops, removed number plates, crashed a car at an Eastland car park, and twice led police on high-speed chases.
Magistrates also heard that he had failed to attend court on previous matters, which prompted a statewide manhunt before he was eventually arrested on 26 May.
Only last week, James had faced the court via video link over a separate incident, where he admitted to indecent behaviour at a beach on the Mornington Peninsula.
He was fined $1,000 after police caught him behind a beach box in March, cavorting with a naked woman while wearing only his underwear.
Witnesses told police they had seen James rubbing liquid from a green bottle onto the woman as she knelt in the sand, before exposing himself and thrusting his hips at her.
James’s downfall was stark when compared with the early promise of his AFL career.
Drafted to Collingwood in 1993, he managed just 23 games across four seasons due to injuries and off-field controversies.
In 1996, he was charged with affray after clashing with nightclub security, and the following year he was fined for urinating on two women in a South Yarra bar.
The Magpies had seen enough and traded him to Richmond in 1998, where he played 30 games and scored 19 goals before more injuries cut short his progress.
James later moved to the Western Bulldogs, retiring from the AFL in 2002 before continuing in local leagues, where he achieved multiple century-goal seasons.
However, his time in community football also ended in controversy when he was deregistered in 2011 following a violent altercation with a spectator.
Not every headline tied to footy is about downfall—some remind us of unexpected moments where past stars still step up in surprising ways.
While one former player has made news for all the wrong reasons, another has found himself in the spotlight for a very different reason.
It’s a story that shows how quickly a routine day can turn dramatic when sport and real life collide.
Read more: AFL Legend's ‘run’ in with shoplifter ends in ‘footy’ chase at shopping centre
For a player once destined for footy stardom, James’s story now ends with yet another fall from grace behind bars.
After years of brushes with the law and a career that never reached its full promise, Aaron James has now learned his fate inside a Victorian courtroom.
The 48-year-old was sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty to a series of drug, theft, and driving offences.
James appeared before Frankston Magistrates Court on 19 August, where the charges were revealed to have stemmed from a crime spree between November 2024 and May 2025.
During this period, he stole from shops, removed number plates, crashed a car at an Eastland car park, and twice led police on high-speed chases.
Magistrates also heard that he had failed to attend court on previous matters, which prompted a statewide manhunt before he was eventually arrested on 26 May.
Ex-AFL player jailed after statewide manhunt. Image source: Facebook/Herald Sun
Only last week, James had faced the court via video link over a separate incident, where he admitted to indecent behaviour at a beach on the Mornington Peninsula.
He was fined $1,000 after police caught him behind a beach box in March, cavorting with a naked woman while wearing only his underwear.
Witnesses told police they had seen James rubbing liquid from a green bottle onto the woman as she knelt in the sand, before exposing himself and thrusting his hips at her.
James’s downfall was stark when compared with the early promise of his AFL career.
Drafted to Collingwood in 1993, he managed just 23 games across four seasons due to injuries and off-field controversies.
In 1996, he was charged with affray after clashing with nightclub security, and the following year he was fined for urinating on two women in a South Yarra bar.
The Magpies had seen enough and traded him to Richmond in 1998, where he played 30 games and scored 19 goals before more injuries cut short his progress.
James later moved to the Western Bulldogs, retiring from the AFL in 2002 before continuing in local leagues, where he achieved multiple century-goal seasons.
However, his time in community football also ended in controversy when he was deregistered in 2011 following a violent altercation with a spectator.
Not every headline tied to footy is about downfall—some remind us of unexpected moments where past stars still step up in surprising ways.
While one former player has made news for all the wrong reasons, another has found himself in the spotlight for a very different reason.
It’s a story that shows how quickly a routine day can turn dramatic when sport and real life collide.
Read more: AFL Legend's ‘run’ in with shoplifter ends in ‘footy’ chase at shopping centre
For a player once destined for footy stardom, James’s story now ends with yet another fall from grace behind bars.
