Ex-football star Robert Trajcevski jailed over heroin charge

Former Wollongong football star Robert Trajcevski, who played for Australia during the '90s, has been sentenced to jail for supplying heroin.A talented striker, Trajcevski represented NSW and played for the Olyroos for more than a year, Wollongong District Court heard yesterday.He fell into depression and drug addiction after injury forced him to retire from football. Trajcevski's international career had been cut short at the age of 17 when he injured his ankle, the court heard.He continued to play in lower representative sides, earning $700 a week, until a second injury at 24.Trajcevski, 30, of Kemblawarra, was unable to cope with his sporting career coming to an end and became depressed and addicted to heroin, the court heard.At the time of the offence, Trajcevski had been unemployed for seven years and began dealing heroin to support his habit.Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to supplying heroin on three occasions to an undercover police officer.Each of the offences took place near Wollongong train station between August 26-27, 2008, according to the agreed set of facts. Trajcevski sold the undercover officer a total of 1.1g of heroin for $600.Trajcevski's lawyer Jane Healey told the court that at the time of the offence he was involved with Port Kembla Soccer Club, performing duties such as carrying equipment and serving oranges at half-time.Since the offence, Trajcevski had been given a coaching role with the club and was using his experience to prevent young players from making the same mistakes."(He is) using his talents both as a soccer player and life experience ... to encourage young people to not take the path that he's taken of falling into idleness and drug use," Ms Healey said."(He is working with) players that are 16 and 17 ... the people most at risk of being supplied illicit drugs and of having their lives turned around from engaging in sport ... (to) being essentially converted into drug use and to the crime it attracts."Judge Paul Conlon sentenced Trajcevski to 18 months' periodic detention, with a minimum 12 months. He will be eligible for parole on November 21, 2010.