Ex-AFL player Grant in bid to avoid jail

When a woman ended up in hospital with injuries inflicted by Shannon Grant, that should have been warning enough that the former AFL star needed to change, a judge says.

"That should have been a very, very loud warning sign," Judge Susan Cohen said in the Victorian County Court on Thursday.

Instead, it took until Grant was charged by police and faced court, to address his drinking and anger problems, she noted.

The 41-year-old Norm Smith medallist has pleaded guilty to several assaults against the woman over a six-month period between 2017 and 2018.

These include throwing her to the floor and stomping on her bare foot after she got out of a bath.

After one incident, the victim felt unable to leave her house for two weeks because the bruising was so bad.

On more than one occasion Grant snatched the woman's mobile phone and accused her of communicating with other men.

On Thursday Grant appealed a six-month jail sentence he was handed in June, arguing his remorse and participation in Alcoholics Anonymous, anger management counselling and psychotherapy meant a custodial sentence was unnecessary.

His lawyer Ian Hill QC instead asked the court to consider a five-year community corrections order involving voluntary work and ongoing therapy.

Mr Hill also argued that Grant had suffered more than usual for this type of crime because his case had been widely publicised.

Grant has lost his jobs coaching the St Kevin's Old Boys football team and his AFL commentating role with the ABC, the court was told.

He is now unemployed and has no professional skills other than football.

"The thing that hurts him the most is his inability now to provide financially for his children," Mr Hill said.

Judge Cohen noted Grant could have turned away from his alcohol-fuelled violence from the very first time he saw how much he'd hurt the woman.

The victim told the court via a statement that Grant's abuse caused her to suffer ongoing psychological problems including post-traumatic stress disorder, trouble sleeping, being in constant fear and loss of motivation to work.

Grant, who remains on bail, was in the court on Thursday flanked by friends and family.

Judge Cohen is expected to make a decision on the appeal on Tuesday.