By Marc McGowan
Richmond footballer Mykelti Lefau will miss round one as part of a club-imposed ban after returning a blood alcohol reading that was more than twice the legal limit while driving at the weekend.
Lefau has lost his driver’s licence for 10 months, while the Tigers suspended him from Friday’s pre-season clash with Melbourne in Ballarat and their traditional season-opener against Carlton.
The 11-gamer will also make a $2500 donation to a relevant charity and undergo alcohol behavioural change counselling.
Mykelti Lefau (right) recorded a blood alcohol reading of more than twice the legal limit.Credit: Getty Images
“I made a really poor choice, and I am deeply embarrassed by what has taken place,” Lefau said in a statement.
“It is unacceptable by any standard, and it won’t happen again. I apologise to my club, my teammates and our fans.”
Victoria Police told this masthead on Monday morning that Prahran police performed a random breath test on a 27-year-old male driver – Lefau – on Wattletree Road in Malvern East about 3am on Sunday.
The Richmond forward, who lives in Surrey Hills, returned a positive preliminary test before returning an alleged evidentiary reading of 0.108.
Tigers chief executive Shane Dunne said Lefau’s decision to drive under the influence of alcohol was unacceptable.
“We are extremely disappointed with Mykelti’s actions, and he is fully aware that his poor judgment put both himself and the community at risk,” Dunne said.
“Mykelti will now be suspended for two matches and undergo counselling to ensure he will learn from this mistake. We will continue to support Mykelti across this period to ensure his well-being.
“He understands he has let his teammates and the club down, and will address them all tomorrow.”
Lefau, who is out of contract at the end of the 2026 season, played just once at AFL level last year after recovering from a season-ending ACL rupture in his right knee against Geelong in mid-2024 before a calf setback sidelined him again.
He had made a promising start to the pre-season, kicking three goals for Richmond in match simulation against Essendon on Friday.
Lefau’s penalty was in line with sanctions for AFL players who were previously caught drink-driving, including club-imposed multi-game suspensions and fines, and being ordered to undergo counselling.
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