Fabulous Fred

Fred Cook began his football career with Footscray in the VFL. But he really made his name in the game after crossing to Port Melbourne in the VFA.<br /> <br />His prodigious goalkicking in the 1970s earned him the nickname of &apos;Fabulous Fred&apos; and fame at a pop-star level. He appeared on TV, on radio and wrote newspaper columns, and he mixed with Melbourne&apos;s sporting and entertainment elite.<br /> <br />But he fell in with a criminal crowd, formed a drug habit, lost everything and did three spells in prison.<br /> <br />Cook has led a remarkable life, going from hero to zero. He&apos;s always wanted to tell his story, which features football, crime and drugs, and the wider issue of sportspeople who struggle with normalcy once their careers have ended.<br /> <br />Fred Cook&apos;s name still resonates, thirty years after his career ended. Last year he was nominated for the Australian Football Hall of Fame.