In the lead up to a recent tribunal case, all the media photographers wanted was a picture of Fletcher to run with the story. Fletcher didn’t train with the main group that afternoon, instead heading to the swimming pool. The paparazzi naturally followed. Now Fletcher was determined not to have his mug appear in the paper the following day. So once in the pool it was head down and bum up. Lap after lap was churned out until the impatient photographers finally gave up. Fletcher got a tap on the shoulder from a teammate and finally had a breather.
It wasn’t exactly an English Channel crossing but Fletcher did put quite a bit of water behind him. So with mission accomplished, Fletcher left the swimming pool only to find the photographers waiting outside. So plan B came into force. Fletcher draped his towel on his head and dried his hair for the duration of his walk back to the rooms. It seemed a good idea at the time but it made for a damning back-page photo in the Herald Sun. Fletcher with a towel draped over his head looked like a guilty man heading to the gallows.
Fletcher was subsequently cleared of a striking charge by the AFL tribunal. The photos and opinions seemingly having little impact on the outcome. The two things we did learn from the whole saga were that Fletcher is an excellent swimmer and his hair takes a long time to dry!
