AFL: St Kilda player Lance Collard will be headed to the AFL tribunal over an alleged homophobic slur.
At some stage this weekend a footy player , hot under the collar, will fire off a racist broadside at a rival and another will no doubt be provoked enough to slur someone’s sexuality.
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Watch every match of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? But this is footy. It is hard work out there. And while some stars of the game will be racking up touches by the tens, others will be delivering derogatories by the dozens.
They’re commonplace, you see, according to the AFL Appeals Board, as regular as giving away a free kick or having a set shot for goal. Except, of course, that racist, sexist and homophobic abuse is not commonplace, not accepted and, thankfully, now a rarity in the AFL and across the broader sporting landscape.
To state that isn’t the case, as the AFL Appeals Board bizarrely did on Thursday night when delivering its reasoning for reducing the suspension of St Kilda’s Lance Collard, is reprehensible and a significant slur in its own right. What the hell were they thinking? There is much to digest from a complex matter which has raised several questions during the initial investigation, both the tribunal and appeals hearing, and the subsequent reduction in suspension.
Lance Collard has had a nine week suspension for directing a homophobic slur to a VFL rival to four weeks, two of which have been suspended, but the AFL Appeals Board findings have provoked a furore. What unfolded on Thursday night in regards to the suspension is nuanced as the Appeals Board dealt with several complexities, centred by the peril a troubled footballer finds himself in, which also provides cause for considerable debate.
This is evident in statements released by St Kilda, which expressed disappointment with how the matter was assessed when calling for greater clarity and consistency in the AFL tribunal process, and a statement from the league saying it acknowledged the reduction in sanction while reiterating it had “no tolerance” for abusive language, which had been “made extremely clear” to all players including Collard, who is now a repeat offender in this regard.
But the hearing into the use of a derogatory word descended into farce when the reasons for reducing Collard’s nine week ban to four weeks, two of which are suspended, was published featuring this paragraph which defies common sense and is starkly at odds with the current landscape, for good reason.
“We observe that football is a hard game. It is highly competitive, particularly at its higher levels,” the piece signed off by Will Houghton KC reads.
“It is commonplace that players can employ language from time to time which is racist, sexist or homophobic while on the field. ” Words truly matter, both verbally and in print. They matter on the field, which why Collard was investigated and banned. And they matter in official documentation, which is why so many were reeling when reading the findings on Thursday night.
It is why executives at AFL headquarters were steaming on Friday. And every single player, in the AFL or the levels below, should be disgusted with the assertion that racism, homophobia and sexism are commonplace. There have been breaches, with Crow Izak Rankine a notable recent example, that have been regretful and hurtful, provoked discourse, remorse and opportunities to educate and learn from. But they are very much the exception.
The vast majority of players have strong moral compasses, convey respect for their teammates and their rivals and would not for a second contemplate using such a slur. That an official AFL body would suggest it is commonplace is bewildering to say the least, particularly given the league has worked hard over decades to foster a more inclusive environment. There was, as is well canvassed, a murkier time when abuse occurred more regularly and caused significant distress.
The photograph of Nicky Winmar raising his jumper to expose his stomach in defiance towards a baying mob at Victoria Park just over 33 years ago is symbolic of the time but also of how far footy, and the broader populace, has come. The AFL is facing a class action from former Indigenous players led by Winmar and Phil Krakouer for the trauma stemming from instances of racist abuse dating back decades.
When delivering its defence to the class action last November, which denied responsibility and stated the risks were no broader at the time on-field than in the community, the AFL delivered this mission statement in a press release.
“The AFL respects and values all people in our game and is continually working to improve and promote football environments that reflect that respect and maintain standards that are unaccepting of discrimination, in all forms,” it said. It expressed similar sentiments in response to the appeals board sentence last night but prior to the findings being published.
Sadly, and rather extraordinarily, in a case involving discriminatory words used by one footballer, the AFL Appeals Board had delivered a reasoning that casts the broader playing group and league into disrepute. And that should prompt far more than a few harsh words for those who have exacerbated an already disturbing situation.
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