Brendan Fevola admits he could've been jailed for drugs like fallen footy star Sam Fisher

Carlton legend Brendan Fevola has opened up about footy star Sam Fisher's five-year prison sentence for trafficking drugs, admitting that the same thing could have happened to him when he retired.

Ex-St Kilda player Fisher, 41, was jailed last week for five years and four months on drug trafficking and possession charges.

A downward spiral into addiction led him into the interstate trafficking scheme after he had finished his playing career.

'You can either go, it's sad, his life has turned upside down and he went down the wrong path,' Fevola said on The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick for Breakfast show on Monday.

'But I sort of look at this like – Jesus, this could have happened to me. I went down the wrong path. When you're a footballer, it doesn't last forever.

'I was very lucky that I went on a show, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, and I won it. And then I'm very lucky to have this [radio show] at The Fox. 

'But if I didn't have that, I don't know where I'd be because I didn't set myself up. 

'I wasted my money; I didn't have a degree. I didn't worry about school, I never studied - like, I'd literally be stuffed. 

'I wouldn't know what to do with my life, and I think that's where Sam was. And I think a lot of AFL players are in that situation.'

The footy great also highlighted the dangers of players gambling at Crown Casino in their spare time - which he sees as a huge problem. 

Fevola declared bankruptcy in 2013 and had a stint in rehab following a rapid downward spiral towards the end of his footy career.

'I do know that the AFL now make players do stuff outside of footy to keep them occupied. But I remember back in the day, [Fifi] Boxy, we'd have a day off and we'd just go to Crown [Casino] and play poker.

'They'd be like literally they'd be six different (AFL) teams playing poker at Crown because we'd always got the same day off. The whole Crown poker room was full of AFL footy players, just playing poker because we had heaps of money and we'd just gamble. 

'And then you go home, you play footy, and you train… and that's all I knew. That's what most blokes knew.

'The AFL is a big business. I think drugs and gambling is probably the biggest issue.

'Sam Fisher did it himself. He's copped it. He knew he did it, he owned up to it. He's going to serve his time. 

'But just for the young kids that are growing up now and going through the system in any sport or local footy clubs, just make sure you set yourself up.'