Disgraced cricket star Stuart MacGill opens up about his struggles after being convicted of dealing cocaine - and why he's jobless and worried for his kids
In May, the 54-year-old former leg-spinner was found guilty of taking part in supplying drugs for a deal between his regular dealer and his brother-in-law in April 2021.
Jurors found him not guilty of taking part in a large commercial drug supply but found him guilty of the lesser charge of supplying an indictable quantity of cocaine.
In his first interview since the high-profile court case, MacGill admits he has been unable to find full-time work and that he has become reclusive and 'doesn't open the curtains too much' these days.
'I am very lucky because depression has never been a big thing for me,' he told the Howie Games podcast.
'I get anxious. I won't lie about that. I get very anxious.
The former Test cricket star, who played 44 matches and claimed 208 wickets, says he leads a quieter life than he used to
'People talk about the half-full half-empty situation - well, I've always said I'm neither of them, I'm completely empty.
'And the reason I say that is because if today is the worst day of your life, tomorrow is going to be slightly fuller. '
MacGill, who played 44 Tests for Australia and took 208 scalps, says he is drawing on techniques from his playing days to get his life back on track.
'If you hit rock bottom there is sunshine ahead,' MacGill said.
'If anything particularly bothers me, I just don't think about it. I learned that through playing Test cricket.
'If you have a bad day, don't buy a paper. If you have a good day, buy every paper in the stand.'
The cricket great said he worries about the stress his recent legal troubles have placed on his children.
'My kids have had to put up with it,' he said.
The Test great (pictured with Joe Root) said it's easy for him to shut the media off, but it's harder for his kids
'I can just turn the media off but... it is very difficult for kids to turn social media off.
'I don't care what people are saying about me, but I do care what was happening to the kids and I know it has been very difficult for them.'
MacGill also confessed he's been impacted mentally by his inability to find full-time employment, although he has got some work as a cricket coach.
'I'm doing my coaching but other than that I'm not really working much which is a pain because I have a pretty active mind and trying to shut that off is hard work,' he said.
'Lots of TV. But I don't mind my own company, which is a good thing.'
'I get lonely sometimes, but I think that's happened to a lot of people since Covid...
'My network used to be a big part of who I was.
'I knew a lot of people and I have closed that right down since I have needed to manage my own environment a little bit more carefully.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE First stop disgraced Salim Mehajer made minutes after walking free from jail - even before he'd seen his family
Bankrupt property developer and disgraced ex-politician Salim Mehajer walked free from jail on Friday - and headed straight to a cosmetic dentist to get his teeth fixed. Mehajer didn't even stop off to see his family at home before speeding down the M2 to visit a dental surgeon in Hornsby in Sydney 's north to repair his prison teeth. He made a brief diversion on the way there to get a new driver's licence from Service NSW in Westfield Parramatta before spending an hour getting dental work. Mehajer, 39, was notorious for the cosmetic work he had done before his downfall, with gleaming Hollywood white teeth and apparent facial fillers as his hallmark style. The disgraced former deputy mayor tried to dodge Daily Mail Australia by jumping out of his black 2018 Mercedes S450 limo at traffic lights near the surgery. He emerged from the surgery just after 1pm - wearing $900 Louis Vuitton sunglasses - but brushed off questions about his health through clenched lips with a muttered: 'Good, thanks.' Mehajer, wearing a blue suit and pink-striped tie and sporting a manbun-style ponytail, appeared to have added a few centimetres to his waistline while inside jail. His suit appeared crumpled and ill-fitting after his five years in prison, no longer tailored to his previously svelte frame. He emerged from the dentist after 1pm refusing to smile or bear his teeth and brushed off questions about his health through clenched lips with a muttered: 'Good, thanks' He also seemed to have been given a recent prison haircut, despite his ponytail, with hair closely trimmed at the sides. Mehajer politely opened the door for another client leaving the clinic complex, which also houses cosmetic surgery salons, before heading back to a waiting chauffeur. He had earlier dismissed questions about his future as he walked through the Parramatta shopping centre to the Service NSW outlet. 'I'm going to respectfully decline to comment,' he said. The one-time millionaire, who flaunted his wealth with an extravagant wedding and luxury marble mansion, had earlier tried to dodge cameras when he left the John Morony Correctional Centre in Windsor, 55km northwest of Sydney on Friday morning. The eldest of Amal and Mohamad Mehajer's eight children, will be relying on his parents' support if he follows through on his plan to rebuild his failed property empire. The former Auburn council deputy mayor has been in prison since November 2020, when he was jailed for lying to a court, and has served back-to-back sentences for multiple offences. The NSW State Parole Authority (SPA) decided last month to grant his release on conditions including that he undergo drug and alcohol testing, participate in domestic violence programs if directed, and not communicate with any outlaw motorcycle gang bikies or associates. He is also banned from contacting his DV victim or entering the Central Coast. Mehajer was declared bankrupt during a previous prison stint in 2018 when his property business, SM Project Developments, was liquidated. Creditors included the Australian Taxation Office and the company which built the marble staircase at his former lavish home in Frances Street, Lidcombe. He was locked up again in 2020 after he was found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of making a false statement under oath. While behind bars in 2023, Mehajer was again convicted in separate trials for unrelated fraud and domestic violence offences. A jury found Mehajer guilty of multiple counts of assault, one count of intimidation and one count of suffocation relating to his abuse of an ex-partner, and he was sentenced to a maximum of seven years and nine months in jail. He was convicted of assaulting the victim by punching her in the head in his car, suffocating her with his hand over her nose and mouth until she passed out, crushing her hand as she held her phone and threatening to kill her mother. At a further trial while he was in jail, he was found guilty by a jury of fraud on two counts each of making a false document and using a false document. The jury convicted him of creating false statutory declarations and affidavits by forging the signatures of his solicitor, Zali Burrows, and one of his six sisters. Mehajer overcame a raft of objections, including the risk of him reoffending, his refusal to change his attitude and his continued denial of some of his crimes. In granting him a release, SPA said Mehajer had completed all possible programs in prison. It determined his rehabilitation was better served in the community under the supervision of a psychologist and community corrections officers. His parole conditions include being of good behaviour, and ongoing treatment from a private psychologist. Mehajer first made headlines with his over-the-top wedding in 2015, when a reported $1million of gaudy excess closed off a Sydney street. Mehajer and his young bride 'Aysha' - former Wollongong beautician April Learmonth - were married amid a procession of Harley Davidsons, rented Lamborghinis, a helicopter overhead, and a reception with 10,000 red roses and gold-dusted desserts. The flashy party had been delayed until Mehajer's father made his exit from prison, after being released early from a maximum three and half years' sentence. Mohamad Mehajer was convicted of conspiring to defraud the National Australia Bank of more than $3million after attempting to bribe a bank employee to approve a loan that overstated the value of the family property company. Salim's marriage lasted a year. In 2016, Aysha took out a restraining order against him, and thereafter the attention-seeking fraudster became embroiled in legal and financial troubles. Now it's his dad's turn to help his son, who he has previously described as 'the brain' and 'the head' of the family.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Paedophile spotted dressing up as Santa at Beenleigh daycare centre
A convicted paedophile banned from working with kids has been arrested after he was spotted wearing a Santa suit at a daycare centre. The NSW man, 44, was employed to carry out odd jobs at Beenleigh Montessori Early Learning Centre, where his 46-year-old wife served as director. The man was convicted in 2007 of sexually abusing a child. He served eight months behind bars and was prohibited from engaging in any child-related work. In a shock twist more than 15 years later, the man was arrested at his home in Logan, in Brisbane 's south, on Wednesday night. He pleaded guilty to two child protection breaches and was fined $2,000. Police confirmed there have been no reported incidents at the Beenleigh centre. The centre's owner claimed they were unaware of the man's criminal past. In one photo from the daycare, the man was seen dressed in a Santa Claus costume, complete with white gloves, beard and hat. It comes after a 21-year-old man has been charged with indecent treatment of a child at a Brisbane childcare centre owned by embattled provider Affinity Education Group. Police said the alleged offence involved a four-year-old child and occurred on July 10 at a facility in Tingalpa. The Cleveland man has been charged with one count of indecent treatment of a child. Affinity confirmed the man had been stood down after the matter was reported to police. The provider is already under intense scrutiny following the arrest of Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, who faces 70 charges of child abuse. Brown had worked at multiple Affinity centres across Melbourne. Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the recent cases highlighted the urgent need for reform and stronger national safeguards. 'The Coalition stands ready to work constructively with Labor to enact stronger childcare policies,' she said. 'The states also need to step up.' In response, Education Minister Jason Clare is set to introduce new legislation that would allow the federal government to cut funding to non-compliant centres. The new laws would also empower anti-fraud officers to carry out unannounced inspections without a police presence or warrant.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Accused thief critical after jumping over a railing and plunging six metres in Westfield Sydney CBD
An accused thief is fighting for life after he jumped over a railing and fell six metres in a busy shopping centre after allegedly stealing a pair of shoes in Sydney 's CBD. A worker from the store on the corner of Pitt and Market Street gave chase after the 29-year-old man allegedly grabbed the shoes about 4.25pm on Thursday. Police said the man tried on the pair of shoes under the guise of purchasing them before he ran out of the store and into the nearby Westfield. There, the man jumped over a railing and fell six metres. A witness shared a photo of paramedics treating the man as he lay on the ground. His white t-shirt was splattered with blood. He was rushed to hospital where he remains in a critical condition. Inquiries are continuing into the incident and any witnesses are urged to contact local police and Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. More to come.
