Former NRL halfback Craig Field has spoken openly for the first time since completing his eight-year sentence for manslaughter following the death of 50-year-old victim Kelvin Kane in July, 2012.
Field, now 49, was convicted and jailed after assaulting and killing Kane in the car park of the Kingscliff Beach Hotel.
The force of Field's punch rendered Kane unconscious at the scene before later dying in the hands of medical professionals in hospital.
Field was originally facing charges of murder when his hearing commenced in November, 2014, however, by the time a verdict was handed down in December of the same year, these indictments were downgraded to manslaughter.
Following his release from Mannus Correctional Facility on January 3, 2022 the former Rabbitoh, Sea Eagle and Tiger told The Daily Telegraphย that despite his remorse, he was ready to move on with his life.
โThis will be the last time I really want to talk about it,โ Field said in an exclusive interview with the News Corp paper.
โThe only reason I did this interview was to cleanse myself. People will now know that Iโm out. I want to do this once and then I want to move forward.
โItโs a feeling that is hard to describe. There is a lot of adrenaline and emotion. But I have served my time and Iโm looking forward to the next chapter in my life with my family."
While rehabilitating inside 12 correctional facilities throughout New South Wales, the 183-gamer revealed that he had undergone positive changes as a human being.
โI have changed a lot as a human being in areas where I needed to change," Field said.
โI have also changed because of the predicament I put myself into and then the incarceration. But I feel strong, I feel good and I feel mentally tough.
Given his wife and five children have remained with him throughout his prison stay, Field expressed that his family remained his priority.
โWhen I walked out, it was the best feeling Iโve had for a long time. I would never say anything is better than the birth of your children but for me, freedom, thereโs nothing like it." he continued.
โMy main goal in life is to get out and look after my family. That is my number one priority. My second goal is to make sure I donโt close any doors on the passions I still have because of the mistake I made.
โI really feel that I still have a lot to offer. Hopefully, an avenue opens up.โ
Although a concrete employment path is yet to be walked, the former halfback claimed that he held a desire to help kids that ran the risk of repeating his ills.
โWork-wise, Iโm very hungry and Iโve got a good story to tell. I have been from the bottom to the top and then back to the bottom," Field stated.
โIf I can help kids in any way that have had troubled pasts or are on a road in their lives where they need some guidance, I would like to grab them and tell them that they donโt want to go where I went because itโs not a good place.
โI want to do things with the community and get my name back out there as the good person I am and then maybe opportunities might arise. I want to make a difference.
โI know Iโve got a lot to offer when it comes to challenges and hurdles that people are going to meet because I have been there and I have made a few mistakes in the past, and with mistakes there are consequences."
Field also suggested that his guidance counseling would prove beneficial within NRL clubs.
โThe processes and procedures in place in the NRL probably arenโt where they should be," he said.
"That comes down to someone who has a diploma or is a coach or teacher, not someone with life experiences. I can help with my story. A 30-minute chat can make a difference. Sometimes thatโs all it takes. You canโt beat someone who has walked the walk.
โIf an opportunity arises with mentoring or education, I want to be ready. I could deal one-on-one with blokes.
โIf I get a phone call from a club that wants some help in welfare or mentoring, that is something Iโd love to do.โ
Despite being the cause for Kane's untimely death, the man who made his first-grade debut as a teenager believed that he was a "good person".
And after taking a "look in the mirror" and digging his heels in to find this answer, the ex-South Sydney skipper said that he was now out to change perspectives.
โI want to be a good person and I want my kids to be good people. Thatโs my main perspective in life. I want to turn things around and be known as someone who did something good, not something bad," Field divulged.
โI owe it to my wife and family to go out and be that good person and give back to the community."
