AFL Sign of the Times

A sign was confiscated from a fan at the Essendon v Richmond Round 23 game at the MCG on Saturday night 31 August, 2013.  It was bizarre incident that bordered on impinging on freedom of speech. What is going on with our game?

Firstly, if you really wanted to be offensive and have a sign forcibly removed from you there are several levels of protest/offense one could inflict on the AFL that might justify such an action.

For example:

1. Subtle

“Vlad the Impaler”

2. Less subtle

“Demetriou the Destroyer”

3. Direct

“The AFL has brought its own Game into Disrepute”

4. Cranky

“James Hird has been denied natural Justice by the Arrogant AFL”

5. Very cranky

“Definition of Demetriou : Liar, Bully, Miscreant?”

6. Run to the Hills

“Good Evening Mr Demetriou the Australian Crime Commission are Watching”.

Now any of these could signs could be considered offensive by the AFL and laughing boy Demetriou.

But instead a literal “little ol lady” and Essendon member of 50 years held up a sign that preposterously roared: “AFL can take whatever it wants but it can’t take our Passion!”

In a nutshell, a fan wants to express their passion for their football club who rightly or wrongly in terms of severity has been sanctioned by the AFL.

Any fair minded person would agree the sign was not offensive and if anything completely understandable from an Essendon supporter in the circumstances. In other words, you can take our finals spot but you will never take our passion for Essendon.

I was located in the adjacent bay to the incident and keenly observed many fans telling MCG security to politely go away.  Ok it was perhaps a bit crankier than polite especially from those around the poor woman.

However, there was no need for the intervention in the first place. As 2 then 3 security guards tried to justify their actions the protests become louder. This had the potential to boil over into something more serious. The security guards were summarily booed out of the bay and had to return with the Police to extract the sign. (Yes they called the Police)

Essendon fans have put up with a fair bit of vitriol these past 6 months and are genuinely angry with the AFL and certain media types for how they have allowed and participated in the excessive vilification of the club and its people.

It was not an occasion to mess with Essendon fans that deserved a final chance to voice their support. Anyone who witnessed the scenes post siren as Essendon players came to salute the fans will understand. (We Are Essendon – had to get that in)

Rohan Connolly mentioned the sign incident in this article:  

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/integrity-cuts-both-ways-20130901-2syyq.html

Connolly subsequently told SEN radio that the AFL had contacted him to advise they did not request the sign’s removal.

I believe Connolly took the call from the AFL and that even in this instance perhaps that they did not specifically request intervention, but one has to wonder if the “policy” for MCG security to follow was set long ago.

The message for fans is that the AFL deems their actions beyond question. I thought the fans owned the game. The fans certainly own the football clubs who via the AFL Commission own the game.

Is dissent not allowed? Is the AFL Commission so precious to be miffed by an elderly lady who is passionate about their own club?

Something stinks Demetriou – there’s a sign.

What do Essendon & Cronulla have in common?

As the calamitous events around Cronulla unfold, the inevitable comparison with Essendon has begun.

The obvious common factor is sports scientist Stephen Dank. Dank worked at Cronulla for 3 months in 2011 and for 9 months at Essendon in 2012.

Dank is alleged to have stepped over the WADA line with both clubs with his use of supplements/drugs and intravenous injections. A clutch of NRL clubs are also under suspicion as they engaged Dank at some point. That is quite a trail of potential destruction to reputations due to one man.

However, it does not necessarily follow that what has occurred at Cronulla will be replicated at Essendon in terms of potential ASADA breaches and subsequent sanctions. Nor that the likely fallout and management action by the two clubs will follow the same course.

For starters, the investigation into the two clubs is quite different.

In the Australian Crime Commission’s report into Organised Crime & Drugs in Sport it makes mention of a club being under suspicion for systemic banned supplement use.

Most media commentators now assume this was a reference to Cronulla as they appear to be at the pointy end of the ASADA investigation compared to Essendon whose investigation has only been running for a month or so.

At the time the report was published most assumed ‘Page 17’ of the report must have referred to Essendon as it was the only club identified.

The Cronulla situation came to a head when media reports suggested up to 14 players were to be offered 6 month bans in exchange for a guilty plea due to alleged use of equine drugs banned by WADA.

What followed at Cronulla was a shambles. 4 senior staff sacked & the coach suspended by the Board, followed by the Chairman of the Board himself standing down.

This is not a way to manage your club in a crisis, hardly a blueprint for other sporting organisations to follow.

The NRL has had no choice but to parachute in management and key staff to rescue the club.  Although in the NRL’s case it might suit another agenda.

There has been no such collapse at Essendon, despite a similar threat posed by the ASADA investigation.

The Chairman, CEO and Coach at Essendon fronted a press conference and announced they were calling in ASADA and the AFL to investigate. This was followed by a request for an external management review of ‘irregular’ practices at the club.

The only similarity was the removal of the High performance Manager at each club, although in Essendon’s case Dean Robinson was stood down not sacked.

It would be naive though to suggest that both Cronulla and Essendon did not have some idea of a massive problem prior to these events. To that end there will be consequences at Essendon once the facts are known but not kneejerk sackings.

The type and nature of supplements in use at Cronulla v Essendon is a complete unknown. There appears to be evidence by virtue of the 6 month offers to players that banned substances have been taken at Cronulla.

External and internal messages to date suggest Essendon maybe in more trouble for the methods used (injections) rather than performance enhancing drug use.

A whistleblower exists in the Cronulla case, none to date at Essendon.

If the worst case occurs for both clubs and ASADA bans multiple players or the whole club, the outcome will also be different in terms of how each governing body manages the impact.

The NRL is behind the AFL in its expansion plans. It has designs on a team in Western Australia and South Australia where it has no presence. There is also an extra team in Queensland and New Zealand as possibilities.

The NRL perhaps might have engineered the removal of the entire management structure at Cronulla so it can effectively control the destiny of the licence depending on the severity of the ASADA bans.

The AFL on the other hand has already taken bold steps in expansion with two new clubs in NSW and Queensland. Consolidation is the mantra for the AFL. There is no need to weaken Essendon anymore than it deserves.

Cronulla is a relatively unsuccessful club with a small fan base. Essendon has been a very successful club for much of its existence with an enormous fan base.

The attitude of NRL v AFL fans is also different.  NRL fans of other clubs see a crippled or missing Cronulla perhaps as an opportunity; AFL fans in the main see a crippled or missing Essendon as unfavourable to the competition as a whole.

I think the latter response is correct for both NRL and AFL fans as the whole situation is tragic for the fans of the clubs involved and there are unforeseen serious consequences to the respective competitions.

The bottom line is that no-one really knows what has occurred so it is too early to make bold statements that Cronulla and Essendon are on the same trajectory.

White Line Cure

In the aftermath of the announcement of ASADA’s investigation into Essendon, Bomber fans feared for the first time in our lives for the actual survival of the football club.

That first week was truly gut wrenching. Running into fellow Bomber work colleagues the pervading feeling was despair at the possible fate of Essendon.

Caroline Wilson of The AGE and Patrick Smith of the Australian stabbed all Essendon fans through the heart with their attack on James Hird calling for him to be sacked.



James Hird is held in the highest regard by Bomber fans, this premature attack only compounded the pain and galvanised Essendon fans who banded together on Twitter and radio to share the pain and anger.

Amid constant media speculation a few voices of reason like David Parkin spoke out in defence of not only Essendon but also James Hird. The main message was we have to give ASADA time to investigate before passing judgement on what has occurred.

The mood has certainly turned, only a few people believe the Bombers have deliberately instigated a program of performance enhancing drugs or worse one conducted by James Hird.

Essendon are still potentially in trouble for some of the practices adopted by the sports science department. However, a glimmer of hope has emerged that it could have been a suspect by association due to a wider ACC/ASADA investigation into supplement importation and the shady characters that lurk around the corner from the local chemist.

You tend to become a news junkie in this situation reading everything on the subject fair or unfair. In the end more questions than answers emerge, the angst remains.

The ASADA investigation is likely to take at least 3 months so we won’t know the fate of the players, coaches, officials or club as a whole for awhile yet.

The boys from AFL360 at half time,
 no doubt the ASADA investigation
 dominated discussion.

I attended the first NAB Cup game at Etihad Stadium with a group that included two Collingwood and two other Essendon fans. Some pre game beers and good conversation that touched on the drug issue which had permeated all football fan thoughts of late, well Essendon fans anyway.

Essendon were to be playing Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs.

I fully expected Essendon and its fans to cop a barrage of abuse from fans of the other clubs. Lining up for a ticket the queue was populated with all denominations, not a peep from any of them.

Entering the ground Essendon received a raucous welcome from the Bomber faithful, barely a boo could be detected.  This was unusual!

After occupying standing room on the first level I noted a good crowd of around 27,000 had come to the ground.

The game between Essendon and Bulldogs got under way and the relief was tangible, footy is back. Players chasing the Sherrin, calls for holding the ball, a great mark, snap at goal, some good teamwork. “Whose the new kid, no. 38 for Essendon looks a likely type?”

A game of Australian football, the reason we are all here was being played. It is the reason we come to watch and care about our club.

This wasn’t white line fever it was white line cure.