South Sydney Rabbitohs players Dylan Walker and Aaron Gray have spoken for the first time since being admitted to hospital for a prescription drug overdose, apologising to family and friends.
The pair did not answer questions but made a public apology, saying they hoped the community learned a lesson from their actions.
Both Walker and Gray were discharged on Friday afternoon, after they were hospitalised in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
We couldn't thank enough the doctors, nurses, ambulance people from St Vincent's Hospital," Walker told reporters.
"I would also like to say sorry to our friends and family. It is a mistake that we have made and it is a lesson that we have learned and we hope everyone can take a lesson out of this."
Gray said it was important to take prescription medication only as directed.
"We really appreciate everything [hospital staff] have done for us, we could not have asked for better care in the last four to five days," he said.
"We would like to apologise to our family and friends for what we've put you through over the past few days as well, it hasn't been easy.
"Thirdly, we would like to say that we've learned from our mistakes and hope that everyone can learn from our lessons, not only rugby league players but just people in general, and just take prescription medication as it is on the prescription box."
The two players were rushed to hospital on Tuesday after they took an excess of prescribed medication, prompting pressure on the NRL to look into the wider issue of the use of prescription drugs by players.
The police and NRL Integrity Unit are investigating the incident which almost led to their deaths.
The pair were at Gray's apartment with two friends when they became ill. One of their friends noticed that one of the players was vomiting and dialled triple-0 avoiding a potential tragedy.
Source: ABC
