“It’s not encouraging but who knows? If he gets the right kind of treatment … maybe he might be able to claw himself out of it.”įormer Olympic swimmer and friend Andrew Baildon said the Gold Coast swimming community was “right behind” Hackett. “To see someone who was, I guess, so dominant and had the world at his feet to now - really, we don’t know what’s going to happen. “He does have days when he’s fantastic but unfortunately it’s becoming that those days are few and far between,” brother Craig said. That year he checked into a US rehab facility to treat his addiction to the powerful sleeping pill Stilnox. In 2011 he trashed the Melbourne apartment he shared with then wife Candice Alley and in 2014 was seen wandering semi-naked through Melbourne’s Crown Casino while searching for his son in the early hours of the morning. In April last year, he apologised after being accused of “forcefully” groping a passenger and “tweaking” his nipple on an interstate flight after a dispute over a seat being reclined too far. Hackett, who represented Australia at three Olympics, has struggled in his personal life since retiring in 2008 and attempting a comeback before last year’s Rio Games. No property was damaged … he didn’t even make any threats but was not what you say is a normal person.”

“He’s big and powerful when he’s not happy … we decided he needed some treatment but there was no way he was going to go so we called the police. “He was raving and ranting a bit,” he said. Craig Hackett, brother of Grant Hackett, speaks outside their father's Mermaid Waters home after the 36-year-old champion swimmer was arrested.

Rage swimmer