DEATH OF AN INFATUATED FAN WHO PARTIED OUT OF HER LEAGUE:

CORONER'S WARNING TO SPORTS STARS

The death of a starstruck young woman has put Australia's sporting
heroes on notice of their responsibilities to adoring fans.

The target of the warning, issued yesterday by a Victorian coroner,
was one of the nation's AFL heroes, Gary Ablett.

While Ablett was not found to have directly contributed to the death
of 20-year-old Alisha Horan - a fan who died after joining the former
Geelong star in a five-day drug and alcohol binge - coroner Ms Noreen
Toohey said he had failed to take seriously his responsibilities as a
high-profile sportsman.

And, Ms Toohey said, had Ablett not been so badly affected by alcohol
and, most likely, drugs when Ms Horan fell unconscious in their Park
Hyatt room in February last year, he might have been able to save her
life.

"This case highlights the serious risks associated with drug use and
the need for sporting celebrities, in public and private life, to be
aware of the image they portray to young people," Ms Toohey said.

Ms Toohey echoed concerns expressed by Mr John Smallwood, QC, counsel
for Ms Horan's family, that Ablett had failed to "protect their young
daughter when she was in trouble".

She found that Ms Horan, of Geelong, died as a result of a lethal
combination of heroin, ecstasy and amphetamines. It was most likely
she had smoked or snorted the heroin in the room after returning from
a night out with Ablett, during which she took up to two ecstasy tablets.

Ms Toohey cast doubt on aspects of Ablett's evidence to the inquest
earlier this month.

In an interview with Detective Senior Constable Nairn the day after Ms
Horan died Ablett had talked of ecstasy tablets, known as "green
Mitsubishis", and other white pills being in the room. However, in the
witness box, Ablett could not recall describing the green tablets or
referring to the white ones.

At the inquest, Ablett declined to answer questions about drugs on the
grounds of self-incrimination, although he admitted inviting alleged
drug dealer Clayton Brown to the Park Hyatt for lunch and afterwards
to his hotel room.

It was more likely than not that Brown had supplied the drugs that
afternoon, Ms Toohey said.

Over the five days Ms Horan spent with Ablett, Ms Toohey said, she had
"become enmeshed in a culture of alcoholism and drug taking with her
football hero", a man "nearly twice her age and with whom she was
clearly infatuated". Put simply, Ms Horan had been "partying out of
her league".

Copies of Ms Toohey's finding have been forwarded to sports bodies
including the AFL, the Geelong Football Club and the Australian
Institute of Sport.

Ablett was unavailable for comment yesterday, as was Ms Horan's
mother, Mrs Kathleen Horan. Alisha's father, Mr Alan Horan, refused to
comment.

The Geelong Football Club said it would offer counselling to its
former star.