Daniel Connors Biography

Ex-Tiger Dan Connors will be watching the Tigers, and best mate Dustin Martin play Adelaide in the 2017 Grand Final.

Their lives have gone in different directions since the fateful night five years ago when they each took sleeping pills as part of a series of events that saw them miss training the next day.

Richmond terminated Connors' playing contract – after many warnings – while Martin copped a two-week suspension and was forbidden from socialising with his fellow Bendigo Pioneer product.

They still speak multiple times a week, and Connors, who played 29 AFL games across six injury-marred seasons, is full of admiration for the man who remains a mystery to most.

"I was very proud watching him and it was good to see not only him playing well, but the other boys as well – and taking it to another level," Connors said.

"He's a bloke that will pretty much do anything for you, no matter what – even if it puts him out. That's the type of guy he is. He'll literally do absolutely anything for you to help you or to further you any way in life possible.

"He's my best mate and someone I'm pretty proud to call my mate.

"It's sort of a shame on one hand that people can't see what he's like, but on the other one, it's one of the things that makes it so good about him."

Richmond say they are not opposed to Dustin Martin's decision to live sacked Tiger Dan Connors.

"We are aware that Dustin has moved in with Dan and it's not a concern," Richmond football manager Dan Richardson said.

Richmond have reportedly told young midfielder Dustin Martin to stop socialising with troubled former teammate Daniel Connors.

"Dusty is my best mate, but I don't think the club is real keen on him hanging out with me,'' Connors said.

"They told him he's not allowed to hang out with me, but I can still speak to him on the phone. I still speak to him every day.''

Connors, meanwhile, says he longs for another shot at playing AFL football.

"I didn't think I'd miss is that much, but I've been out of the system for a while now and I'd definitely rather be in there than not,'' Connors said.

"I'm just hoping that somewhere down the line I get another chance. Being out of the game and missing it, you see how lucky you are to be in the system."

Richmond has announced several list changes, with six players cut from its list.

With Kel Moore and Brad Miller both retired, and Daniel Connors departing mid-season, the Tigers have cut ruckman Andrew Browne, Jeromey Webberley, Dean MacDonald and rookies Addam Maric, Piva Wright and Gibson Turner.

"The Richmond Football Club acknowledges the contribution these players have made, and wishes them all the best in their future endeavours," the club said.

Ex-Tiger Daniel Connors will return to country football this weekend, making his debut with Shepparton United.

Shepparton United football manager Jason Kelly told the Shepparton News that the Demons were unconcerned with Connors' off-field record.

"We believe we've got a really good structure at United,'' Kelly said.

''We've got the best coach in the competition and Marc Quarrell has a no-nonsense approach to everyone — whether you're the 19th man, the 21st man or a superstar.

''Our culture and what we've built over the last two years will, obviously, be a beneficial factor and a great influence on Daniel.''

Channel Nine reports that Daniel Connors and Richmond coach Damien Hardwick almost came to blows and had to be restrained after a heated discussion prior to Connors departing from the club.

Daniel Connors walks away from the Richmond Tigers after both him and Dustin Martin missed a training session as a result of taking sleeping medication the night before.

"We have set a standard as a football club and there is a clear expectation that our players meet that standard," Richmond football manager Craig Cameron said.

"Adhering to training requirements is not negotiable. Daniel has failed to meet club expectations on a number of occasions and this latest incident can't be considered in isolation."

The manager of ex-Tiger Daniel Connors Anthony McConville says his client may go public with his side of the story.

"It's important to let the dust settle and just see what takes place," McConville said.

"At this stage that's premature, he needs to sit back and get back into normal life and then I suppose a decision will be made as to what he does with his football career."

Daniel Connors boots three goals for Richmond in his first game for the club in 2012.

"It's been a real credit to him that he's fought his way back into the side," Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said.

"He had to earn the trust of the playing group and coaching staff again and he's done that."

Dan Connors has settled back in at Richmond after serving a 12-week suspension for off-field issues.

"Dan's in really good nick," teammate Shaun Grigg said.

"He's training as a forward. He'll be really lively down there. He's fitted back in really well. He's well liked. It's good to have him back."

Troubled Richmond midfielder Daniel Connors concedes he has a problem with alcohol and is working his issues.

"Back then that's all I knew how to deal with what I was going through. It wasn't the right way, but that's the only way I knew. Drinking was an escape. It helped me deal with my frustration," he told the Herald Sun.

"It was a tough time for me. I don't want people to feel sorry for me because that's footy. But I can deal with those issues better now. Back then that's all I knew how to deal with it.

"I'm not saying right now I'm fixed, but I'm improving and I'm working on being a better person."

Field umpire Stuart Wenn admits his words and demeanour towards Richmond player Daniel Connors were inappropriate after vision and audio of the Tigers' clash with St Kilda showed Wenn telling Connors: "You're batting out of your league, pal. You're batting so far out of your league."

"My comments to Daniel and my body language were not in line with how I normally communicate with players," Wenn said.

"I have spoken to Daniel and I acknowledged that I should have handled the situation more appropriately."

Richmond's Daniel Connors says he feels he owes the club after his indiscretion earlier this season.

"I owe them for giving me another chance. I've just got to do everything right and dot my i's and cross my t's from here on in," Connors said.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says he is happy with Connors' progress as a defender.

"We've always known he was going to be a very good player for us. He's just started to get that maturity," Hardwick said.

"It's taken him a long time. It's his fourth year at the club and we're starting to see the benefits of the development that Justin Leppitsch as a defensive coach has put into him."

Mistakes made on a road trip to Sydney could have cost the career of Daniel Connors, but the young Tiger is vowing to return better than ever.

"As soon as I got the punishment, I was asking: 'where to from here?'," Connors said.

"I could either let it fall by the wayside and let everything get too much and get carried away and lose the plot, or I could think: 'I stuffed up, I have to cop it on the chin, I want to do everything right to prove to the club that I want to come back a better and stronger person and redeem myself'."

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick says suspended players Daniel Connors, Luke McGuane, Dean Polo and Ben Cousins have let him down after indulging in rowdy drunken antics at the team hotel in Sydney.

"I think all four have let me down. Dan needs to take some responsibility for his actions," Hardwick said.

"I just don't think they handled the situation well enough though. If someone actually had the balls to stand up and say 'Listen Dan, enough's enough, go to bed' [then] none of that would have happened."

Ben Cousins accepts responsibility for punching a Richmond teammate Daniel Connors in in an attempt to restrain him during a rowdy night fueled by alcohol at the team hotel in Sydney.

"I take responsibility for my actions for being in that situation," Cousins said.

"It became a question of, you know, trying to get him to calm down because of the security and not wanting to cause too much disruption.

"When something like that happens I guess everyone that was there or was involved has to ask themselves if they could have done more to prevent the situation from escalating.''

Yound Tiger defender Daniel Connors is hit with an eight-week suspension, including a six-week ban from training with the club, after being intoxicated and engaging in unruly behaviour at the team hotel following the club's loss to the Swans in Sydney.

Ben Cousins, Luke McGuane and Dean Polo were also suspended for a match for their involvement in the incident.