The AFL Player Spectator

Interview: Kade Carey

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:40:00 +0000

In this Speccy special, we present an interview with the convicted footballer, Kade Carey. Carey - nephew of the notorious Wayne Carey - gives a somewhat guarded insight into the mentality of today's young footballers. While he's never played at AFL level himself, he got close and knows the scene intimately. He's also no stranger to strife, having been found guilty on violence charges stemming from the infamous Federation Square bashing incident in December 2001.

[Editor's Note: This interview was conducted in the weeks before Kade's "Bad Uncle" Wayne Carey got caught up in his most recent allegations of domestic violence, celebrity drug parties, assaults and foreign court cases came to light. As a courtesy to the Carey family, publication of this interview was delayed several weeks.]

The Speccy has been following the Fed Square brawl and trial since 2005. Kade Carey (Essendon, VFL), Dane Swan (Collingwood, AFL) and Aaron Ramsay (Williamstown, VFL) got drunk and, while at Federation Square, Carey kicked off a brawl that resulted in a number of people being hospitalised. Apparently, he threw himself on the bonnet of a passing car, breaking the windscreen. Evidence was presented at trial that he then lead the beating of a cleaner and three security guards, that he kicked a guard until police arrived, and that police had to use capsicum spray to subdue him after he threw a punch.

After several years, the three were finally found guilty at trial. Carey received a suspended sentence, a $3,000 fine and 200 hours of community work. Swan and Ramsay were also convicted, but escaped the suspended sentence and fine and had to do 100 and 120 hours respectively of community work. The judge's sentencing remarks ephasised their provocation. Naturally, we were outraged. Here was a blatant example of the worst kind of thuggish footballer behaviour going more-or-less unpunished by our legal system.

About two years after the verdict, Carey got in touch with this blog via a comment he left in January, 2008. Since this was a prime example of the kind of behaviour (and response) that we've railed against for some time, I seized the opportunity to do an interview, to take a journey into the heart of darkness. After thrashing out some ground rules, Carey agreed.

Naturally, I was concerned for my physical safety. After all, I had repeatedly and publicly described Kade Carey and his mates as thugs, dickheads, idiots etc. Other commentors had described him unflatteringly too. (For what it's worth, he had his apologists and I was abused with far worse threats and insults.) And let's not forget, he has prior convictions for violence and his Uncle Wayne to gave character evidence on behalf of (now slain) underworld hitman Jason Moran. His father, Dick Carey, is hardly the shy retiring type either.

So we agreed to an email interview, with some caveats around legalities (especially defamation). Of course, I can't be absolutely certain that my correspondent really is Kade Carey. I've satisfied myself of his bona fides and he's given me no reason to doubt his assertion. So what follows is the transcript of that interview, where Carey's responses have been lightly edited by me for spelling. The interview took place between 10th and 17th of January, 2008. Carey's response to this post is underneath.

Interview

The Speccy: The media reported you as being a VFL player for Essendon, but not in the AFL. How did you get into footy? What's been the highlight of your career to date? Where is your career presently at and what are your plans?

Kade Carey: I started playing footy in Wagga for the North Wagga Saints when I was very young. My father coached the seniors there and with Wayne playing in the AFL it was an easy choice. I moved to Melbourne when I was 16 and started a glazing apprenticeship. I then went on to play with the Calder Cannons for two years. The second year I was lucky enough to play in a premiership, that was certainly a highlight. Unfortunately I didn't do well in the draft, and the best I could do was a [support] list spot at Essendon, which means I'm only on the VFL list. I am currently playing in the EDFL for the Doutta Stars.

The Speccy: So is it fair to say you've been brought up in the footy culture? Was there an expectation growing up that footy was your future? Is the AFL still on the cards? Oh, and did you finish your apprenticeship?

Kade Carey: Footy culture? Your interpretation of footy culture and mine, from whatI have read in your blogs, varies a fair bit. Obviously footy was a big part of my younger years, it was all around me, so yes I always played football, at school, at home, and on the weekends because I loved it. It still is a passion for me but no there was no expectation for me to make the AFL from my family or friends,only myself. It was my goal to make the AFL when I moved to Melbourne, but I started working as soon as I arrived and always intended to make a career for my self, regardless. Yes, I have completed my apprenticeship, and am still working for the same company. I think I gave up hope of playing in the AFL after my court case and all of the bad media surrounding me and my friends. I still play football because it is something that I enjoy doing.

The Speccy: The Federation Square incident was reported as kicking off when you ran onto the road and jumped on the bonnet of a passing car, driven by a young woman, breaking the windscreen. You were then apparently verbally abused by the passenger before being dobbed into the security staff at Fed Square, which is where things got violent. To my knowledge, the public has never heard any explanation or account as to why you smashed that windscreen. Can you recall what you were thinking at the time? What do you think about it now, some four years later?

Kade Carey: The incident with the car and the three young ladies, I've been replaying in my head for the last four years, and I'm still not any clearer on It. You have heard their version of events. From my recollection I just got out of a taxi at Fed square, on Flinders Street. From the video it shows that myself and Aaron Ramsay have a little wrestle and I stepped onto the road, from there the video cuts out. The next thing I remember I was on the ground. The girls said that I ran at the car and jumped into the windscreen 'body-slam style'. I doubt that very much, I would never purposely jump onto a moving car for no reason, I doubt anyone would. The girls said that they were not moving, but the security guard who was patrolling that area, told the court otherwise. Though he said he didn't see what happened, he heard the tyres of the car skidding. I remember the girls getting out of the car and start yelling at me, I told them it was not my fault, but they insisted It was. They were screaming abuse at me and I remember looking at Swany, (Dane Swan) and he didn't want any part of it for obvious reasons. So we just simply ran off because we didn't want any dramas. However looking back on it now I take full responsibility for what happened with the car.

I should not have been messing around near the road whilst under in influence of alcohol. And obviously I should have stayed and waited for the police to sort it out. The situation only got worse from that point on.

The Speccy: The Herald-Sun reported that you "initiated the fight, beating up a cleaner and three security guards with the help of his two mates." It also reported that the "court was told Carey resisted attempts to arrest him, punching a police officer in the face before being subdued by capsicum spray." The Age also reported that a witness "told police that two of the men had stopped attacking the security guards but the third had continued kicking a guard until the police arrived." I think there was one bouncer and one cleaner hospitalised. During sentencing, the judge acknowledged that you were "provoked", while Swan and Ramsay joined the fight to help defend you.

Did you dispute (substantially) this version of events in court? Did you plead guilty to the charges? What was the nature of this "provocation" the judge referred to?

Kade Carey: What happened next was, we were running along the river. Dane was way out in front of myself and Aaron. I was about 20 metres in front of Aaron and he yelled out to me to wait up for him. I stopped and walked for a bit to wait for him. When he caught up we just kept walking. All of a sudden we heard people running and yelling at us to stop. There were from memory five security guys, or bouncers, as they are known. And one other man who I was told after the incident was a cleaner. And the girls following them. At this stage Dane was about 200 metres ahead of us. I remember thinking we are so out numbered by these guys, we are going to get bashed. All the bouncers surrounded me and I felt threatened. I told them to leave us alone. It has nothing to do with them, because we were not in Fed square. I told them to piss off and get out of my way. They said they were not going to let me leave, they then all walked in towards me. (This was all on camera.) I reached out and pushed one of the bouncers. That is when they all attacked me and got me to the ground. Dane must have seen it from where he was standing, and came running back to help me. I remember covering my head up when I was on the ground. I looked up and seen Aaron tackle the bouncers off me. I got to my feet and just started fighting, anyway I knew how. I remember being hit pretty hard with something, but I was that fired up I just kept fighting. When we got the video of the fight, it turned out I had been hit in the head by a mag light. Which is a big police torch, by the cleaner. Which he admitted in court. The three of us ended up getting the better of them. Dane and Aaron started running I didn't see them leave. The police turned up and I took off. One of the officers tried to tackle me. I never punched the officer, just tried to break the tackle. That's when I was arrested.

Unfortunately for us it was a committal hearing so we didn't get to tell our story. From the witnesses evidence we were ordered to stand trial, surprise surprise. We had it on good advice that we had a very strong case. However to this point already I had spent $20,000 in legal fees, and was told that it would go close to costing us another $40,000 each. This put myself and my father under a lot of stain. So I had to plead guilty for financial reasons. It should also be noted that the chargers of assault by kicking [and] assaulting police were dropped. We all pleaded guilty to affray, and I pleaded guilty to criminal damage, for the car.

I suffered a burst eardrum and two black eyes. Aaron had a massive cut under his eye. In hindsight we should have charged them. We were told we may be charged, but we thought it would blow over because they were fighting just as hard as us. We were not charged till one year later.

The Speccy: You mentioned your Dad helping you out. Over the couple of years it took the affair to play out, what sort of support (emotional, financial or otherwise) did you get from your club, mates, employer and family?

Kade Carey: The support I got from everyone around me was awesome. My employer was fantastic, he was happy to give me the time off that I needed and actually came to court to support me. My family were great and my girlfriend's family were just as understanding. I think this was because I am very close to my friends and family and they knew that this situation was out of character and was something that should not have happened. Without my father looking after me financially I wouldn't have got through it. People think cause my last name is Carey, that I'm well off. I assure you I'm not. As you can probably tell this has not only impacted me but also the people around me and forced me to put my plans on hold. Even now I'm still paying for it.

The Speccy: You didn't mention your club. AFL players have no problems accessing lawyers, advisers and publicists when these things happen. Does this support extend to footballers on the VFL list too? If I recall correctly, you and Aaron Ramsay were playing the VFL at the time while Dane Swan was in the AFL. Do you think this off-field incident impacted on your on-field selection and advancement?

Kade Carey: Not at all for myself and Aaron. It was the off-season and had no impact on us. But we both felt for Dane he was copping it from all his peers, but he took it all in his stride and didn't let it bother him.

The Speccy: You mentioned getting "bad media" before. What sort of coverage did the incident itself get? (ie just newspapers, or radio and TV news and current affairs too?) What about the court cases? Did you do any interviews or put out any statements or otherwise try to influence what went on?

Kade Carey: The incident was reported in all the papers, on the news, and on the radio, and for obvious reasons it was all bad. No, we didn't do any statements or interviews, although I wanted too. My lawyer told me not to worry about it. So I have until I come across your blog page. Just seeing what everybody has wrote about us, without knowing what really happened makes me mad.

The Speccy: Obviously it was going to be a news story. What surprised you about the coverage? Were your friends, family or employer worried about the negative media? Did the "Carey" factor play a big role?

Kade Carey: Everybody who knows me was worried about the negative coverage. I was portrayed as a thug and that is not true. Obviously I wouldn't have even been mentioned if it wasn't for my last name. It surprised me that it did get a bit of coverage, but in saying that the media these days are just waiting or even praying for a footballer to get in trouble. I would hate to be an AFL player at the moment, the way it is now the guys have no lives.

The Speccy: The papers referred to some convictions prior to this incident, suggesting it was for violence too. Have you kept out of trouble since the suspended sentence? Is it still hanging over you? Is being out of the top-tier of footy making it easier to stay out of trouble?

Kade Carey: My prior conviction was also for assault, it was a very minor incident that happened in Wagga when I was 17. I actually didn't even throw a punch but was convicted because I was a part of an affray. Yes, I've kept out of trouble since the suspended sentence. I will never put myself in that situation again. The sentence finished in August last year, but if you ask me it will be with me for the rest of my life. Apart from this incident I've never really been in any trouble and don't plan to be, regardless of what level of football I'm playing.

The Speccy: Earlier, you said you think that the media scrutiny means AFL players "don't have a life". In light of their large (and rapidly increasing) salaries, the media work in the spotlight, being kids' role model etc, what do you think is an appropriate level of scrutiny? What "life" would footballers have without the scrutiny (ie what would they do differently)? You also indicated that you don't believe your incident would have made the papers if it wasn't for your surname. What do you think the media would have done with the story if you'd had a different surname?

Kade Carey: One thing I cannot stand is people shooting down elite sportsmen or women about there salaries. To me that just sounds like jealousy. They have worked hard and are obviously good at what they do, so good on them. I'm sure we all wish that we could do the same. A lot of the time footballers are not to blame. It's the dickheads in the bars having a go at a Chris Tarrant, just because he's Chris Tarrant and they support Carlton. Then they taunt him by saying something about his girlfriend. Put yourself in that situation. Happens every weekend. If anything was to come of it Chris would be blamed for it. Firstly by the media, then the public. AFL players can't enjoy there lives socially as well as everybody else, which is disappointing. I don't know one footballer or even heard of a footballer that goes out looking for trouble. If I had a different surname I'm sure the media would have pinned the blame on Dane.

The Speccy: Looking back on the incident and its aftermath, what advice would you give yourself, especially dealing with the ongoing legal and media situation? What surprised you about how people reacted? How would your life be different now if you hadn't jumped on that car?

Kade Carey: The advice that I would give myself would be, think before you act. That would be the main thing. I have learned a lot from this dilemma. I never said that I jumped on the car, but if it all never happened - who knows. I'd like to think that I would have purchased a home somewhere, and maybe have had another crack at making the AFL. I know one thing for sure, I wouldn't be sitting here having to explain myself to you.

The Speccy: On The Speccy, I've painted an unflattering picture of you as a dangerous violent thug. I've also criticised the legal system for being too soft on you. Both of these points feed into a bigger theme that our community tolerates off-field bad behaviour from footballers because of their on-field talents, and that we'd all be better off if they were held to a higher standard. How would you respond to the specifics of your behaviour? What about the more general pattern of people being too quick to excuse if someone is good at footy? Do you think the average AFL player is happier and better off now than in the 80s, when most players had jobs?

Finally, is there anything else you'd like to add about the incident, the aftermath or this website?

Kade Carey: The game has changed a lot since the 80s; it is extremely demanding these days. Some clubs train up to three times a day, four days a week. But there are still a lot of players that do have part time jobs. Some even find the time to run there own businesses, or do apprenticeships, to set themselves up for life after football. I don't know about being happier I'm sure the boys would love to only train a couple of times a week. What I find strange is when I [did] my community service I met some interesting people, real criminals! I met one young man who had just held up a service station with a knife. He told me it wasn't his first time. He had 50 less hours than I had and no fine or suspended sentence. Work that one out? I asked around and found out everyone's stories, what they had done in there past, and why they were doing community service. Most of them were drug dealers 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time offenders. Most of them had less hours than me. I told them what I was sentenced to and they all laughed and said that I got punished hard. None of them knew my last name. Everybody should be held to the same standard, regardless of who they are or what they do.

Analysis

What surprised me most about the interview was the absence of open hostility towards me, this publication or even the articles I wrote. I'm sure Carey's not happy about it and there's more than a few digs in that direction, but credit where it's due: no threats and insults and a measured - even reflective - tone throughout. (That said, I've left instructions with my solicitor should I suddenly disappear one day soon.)

I was also interested in the financial impact and what that meant for his work and family. In this, I expect Carey's case differs from most the high-profile court appearances we cover here. Thirty grand in legal fees is a lot for a glazier, but a mere piffle for a professional footballer earning on average $250K a year.

However, it seems to me that Carey is downplaying the impact of his actions on his victims. Sentences like "I got to my feet and just started fighting, anyway I knew how." (translation: "I kicked people in the head while they were on the ground") and "The three of us ended up getting the better of them" (translation: "We bashed people so hard they ended up in hospital") betray a certain lack of empathy. And Carey's assertion that the only reason it made the papers is his surname also shows a lack of understanding about how the community views violent brawls in public spaces. His experiences while on community service also show up some warped values. Dealing drugs versus going on a rampage that hospitalises people with "serious injuries, including eye socket, nose and wrist fractures"? Come on. Let's get some perspective.

I find the notion of someone defending AFL in-pub thuggishness by bringing up the example of Chris Tarrant perplexing. I mean, this guy is a pin-up boy for AFL thugs! Whether he's playing for Collingwood (involved in vicious car park assault) or Fremantle (obnoxious arse-baring followed by head-punching), the man is clearly out-of-control and a problem for what remains of the game's reputation. Even hardened AFL apologists are embarrassed by him. Why anyone would bring up his example just seems nuts to me.

Lastly, Carey's views on AFL players with their part-time jobs, apprenticeships, businesses and higher education just seems to be two decades out of date. These days, it's sponsorship deals, "Playstation Syndrome", hanging out at the salon and wasted educational opportunities. The reality is that AFL players are getting treated better than ever with skyrocketing incomes and celebrity hero-worship to boot. Sure, a lot of footballers would love to keep the money and drop the scrutiny, especially if it means getting away with taking more drugs more often. But that ain't gonna happen.

Perhaps the best thing that can be said about this whole fiasco is that Carey has paid a price for his "moment of madness" and subsequent violence. Is it just? I don't know, but I'm sure he's had plenty of chances to ponder his actions as a result of the court case. Let's hope that his tale serves as an effective warning to others following on the same path.

Carey's Reply

As part of the interview process, The Speccy offered Carey the right of reply to this article. He initially accepted this but, for reasons best known to himself, has chosen not to follow through. Perhaps it's related to a Carey family media blackout, arising from Uncle Wayne's ongoing personal, legal and publicity problems. However, like everyone else, he is welcome to comment.

*** UPDATE ***
Another chapter has closed on this long-running saga, with one of the victim's of the three footballers settling with them in his civil suit:

Former cleaner Claudio Celano had sought at least $200,000 in damages from [Magpie Dane] Swan, Kade Carey and Aaron Ramsay after he was injured in a fight at Federation Square in December 2003.

The parties agreed to a settlement yesterday in the County Court, removing the need for a retrial. The terms of the settlement were kept confidential. (The Age, 2/9/2009)

From the above interview, I doubt Celano would have gotten much from Kade Carey. Dane Swan, on the other hand, must be worth a few bob ...

Word Count: 4123

Tags: footy, bashing, booze, court, culture

Footballer Psychology

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 05:51:00 +0000

In this article, we take a deep breath and dive deep into the mind of the Aussie Rules footballer. Well, as deep as one can in that wading-pool. What motivates them? Why do they act like they do? Why do they ask for so much, yet contribue so little? What are the dangers for the rest of us? We draw upon ground-breaking academic research, media analysis and of course, footballers' own words to answer these questions.

This isn't the first time we've tried shedding light on what makes an AFL player tick: we've looked at their low education levels and why some take delight in rape. But, in light of recent press coverage, we're going to tackle this psychology head-on.

For starters, what does the scientific literature have to say? Associate Professor Lindsay Fitzclarence has specialised in the study of these distasteful specimens:

"Games such as football that actively foster tight bonding between players also have the capacity to objectify those not in the group as outsiders, creating an environment of 'group-think' where females can be treated as less than equal," Dr Fitzclarence said.

"Another factor within the ranks of elite sportsmen is the development of an exaggerated sense of entitlement and a diminished sense of responsibility and empathy, in which personal and group wants and desires dominate over consideration for others.

"When you add this to a set of unwritten laws of conduct in which drug abuse, excessive alcohol use and violence are prevalent, the sorts of scandals that have surfaced recently are no real surprise."

Fair enough: footballers go tribal, indulge in pills and booze and commit gang rapes. Sadly, it plays out time and time again. But what motivates them to do this? For an example of this "exaggerated sense of entitlement and diminished sense of responsibility and empathy", let's look at how footy players see themselves, in their own words. Given that many of them are functionally illiterate and media-managed so as to avoid speaking in public, this is actually a difficult task.

One source I've turned up is Peter di Sisto who (perhaps through a ghost-writer) pleads for public sympathy for the struggles of being a professional footballer:

I’m your average AFL player. Sure, I earn a sweet salary for my age – in fact, many of you think I’m overpaid. I’m known in some parts of town. The chicks really dig me. I rarely have to pay for a drink. I drive a nasty car and I’ve just put a deposit on my first investment property. “Cha-ching,” I hear you say. (The Player's View, The Australian Football Quarterly, March 2005)

[Edit: Note that this first-person account is actually a fictional character composited from player interviews by the author. Acknowledgements to Matthew for pointing this out.]

Yeah, cry me a river, Pete. He goes on to sook and whinge about the dangers of unexpected injury, without having any marketable skills to fall back on. Whose fault is that? Professional sports allows these guys thousands of hours of leisure time to develop any range of useful (or even useless!) skills.

To find out if they're making the most of this opportunity, let's find out what study, trade or craft footy players take up to see them through the next 60 years. Metal-work? Business management? Landscaping? No. It's Playstation. That's right. A recent study has shown that AFL footballers are prone to lazing about on the couch playing console games:

... a study warns that players are struggling to find a life outside the game while meeting the demands of being an elite footballer.

This was despite the efforts of clubs to counter the "Playstation syndrome" - where players are either playing football or computer games - by requiring them to undertake some form of training or education, get a job or do community-based activities.

Christopher Hickey, of Deakin University, who co-authored the report, which includes interviews with players and executives, said getting the balance right, particularly for young players, was proving difficult.

Many young players, the research found, failed or dropped out of secondary schooling and further study in pursuit of an AFL career. Players in the elite junior levels were often travelling long distances to play and struggling to juggle training and schoolwork. (The Age, 27/11/2005)

[All those hours on the couch playing X-Box .. certainly explains the great reluctance of AFL players to give up dope. I think banning marijuana choofing will do more to break so-called Playstation Syndrome than any kick up the backside!]

Yet, many of us would be baffled that 20 year-olds "earning" several hundred grand a year - whose only commitment is to train (or play) for a few hours most days for about half the year - don't have the wherewithall to set themselves up for the future. But this gives us a further inkling into their head-space: "I deserve success; footy will see me right; youse owe me a living coz I can kick the ball good". This is exactly that "exaggerated sense of entitlement" to which the Monash researchers referred.

Hardly surprising, then, that they refuse to be held to account for the disgusting social behaviours of their tribe (the "diminished sense of responsibility and empathy"). For example, the recent AFL policy changes about dealing with footballer-rapists has prompted considerable push-back from the AFL players' union:

AFL Players Association chief executive Brendon Gale confirmed last night that players would take their concerns about the "Conduct Unbecoming" rule to a criminal law expert before deciding on a court challenge.

Under its "Respect and Responsibility" policy released this month, the AFL can impose a range of punishments, including suspension and delisting, to players accused of sexual assault — even before their cases have been heard in court.

...

The players' objections relate to three major areas of the new rules; the power to suspend a player being investigated or having been committed for trial over an alleged sexual assault.

The two other concerns were the newly regulated compulsion to notify the league of any investigation — which the players believed eroded a footballer's basic privacy rights — and the ban on making payments to alleged sexual assault victims — which could be seen as "hush money" when in fact such an exchange of money could be an out-of-court settlement or victim's compensation. (The Age, 28/11/2005)

So, like mediaeval nobility of old, the AFL players' position seems to be that the appropriate response to raping someone is financial recompense for their lost virtue. And if anything undermines their ability to make a pay-off, then it is a "fundamental erosion of their human rights". Similarly, they believe that serious and credible allegations of sexual assaults against women do not "bring the game into disrepute". Presumably, the game was already long in disrepute, so there's no point fining or terminating the player's contract.

But, as The Age reported, the AFL had to act after "Adam Heuskes (formerly of Sydney, Port Adelaide and Brisbane), Peter Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) and Michael O'Loughlin (Sydney) paid an Adelaide woman $200,000 for rape allegations [to be dropped]". And, of course, last year when "St Kilda players Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna [were] investigated over sexual assault allegations". So, kudos to the AFL from backing down from it's appalling earlier "rape purchase" policy and standing up to the players' union. (Hopefully, the AFL executive will be bouyed by their victory over AFL stoners.)

So don't hold out for Amnesty International to start a round the clock vigil for AFL players missing out on match payments because a bit slap and tickle got out of hand. It's just another example of how AFL players want the fame and money - and sex - but without the scrutiny. What can you expect when you're in Year Ten and your 35 year-old PE teacher is in awe of you because of your drop punt? When the local police blush and giggle in your presence? When no one asks anything from you except - play footy well.

Which leads to the next point: how good is the guidance and mentoring young players receive from the silver backs of their troupe? A fascinating study from Melbourne University academics sheds some light on this:

Findings also showed that AFL players involved in activities outside football – in particular study – are more likely to have more positive attitudes towards women and be open to other social norms and standards.

...

The project found that there are five factors – AFL experience, playing ability, masculine attitudes, the formation of social cliques/small groupings, and mutual social relations – that are important in determining who players choose to socialise with after hours.

In some clubs, players with dominative attitudes towards women are popular in after-hours social networks regardless of playing experience.

The research shows that players tend to socialise with players of similar playing experience. But the best players, although popular and influential figures, were not always well integrated into the after hours network.

“The influence of experienced and skilful players with less dominative attitudes towards women can be important in moderating behaviour during after-hours activities. The best players in clubs tend to be admired, popular and seen as influential by other players,” Dr Robins said.

“One issue in many of the club social set-ups, however, is that these experienced and skilful players sometimes have a lower integration in the after-hours network, so their influence may not always be available at moments of risk.”

Given the cosy nature of the relationship between the boffins and the AFL (not to mention sweet, sweet cash), you have to read between the lines. For example, that last paragraph means "normal grown ups don't want to be around these young thugs, so they don't drink with them, which means the little bastards get into worse strife."

The key message here is that there are two factors that can help prevent sexual assault: taking up non-footy activities (especially education) and the presence of leading players with normal attitudes to sex and women. Sadly, both are sorely lacking in AFL culture and no re-education campaign can bring them in.

This Melbourne study also re-inforces the earlier Monash study in stressing the importance of getting positive messages from respected elders early on. But how can this happen when the culture fawns over these kids? When "respect" comes from getting shit-faced and pissing (literally urinating) on women in bars? When any decent human being who plays elite football refuses to "go out with the boys" because it will end up with some spoilt kid snorting, brawling or raping?

It's not surprising that our footy has been professionalised: as we've seen with the AFL TV rights fiasco, there's big money to be made for big media. It follows that AFL players will get richer, start younger and dumber and have fewer outside interests. So we should not be shocked when we find out the myriad ways their "exaggerated sense of entitlement" and "diminished sense of responsibility" plays out, whether its drugs, rape or violence. These forces are beyond the control of ordinary citizens; the only question for us is, where do we draw the line and bring these spoilt Playstation-addicted thick millionaires to heel?

*** UPDATE ***
More serious academic scholarship on why AFL players are so, well, bad, this time from Melbourne University behavioural scientists. It confirms the common-sense view that players look up to other players who engage in sexual conquests and violence as much as skill and experience:

Cultures of sex and violence at AFL clubs are often influenced by the views of popular players, according to a Melbourne University study.

Researchers interviewed players at four unnamed AFL clubs, and the results led to one being branded the "violent club", and another the "playboy club".

The other two clubs were labeled the "football-oriented club" and the "anti-playboy club", the Herald Sun reports.

Popular players from the "playboy club" said their idea of masculinity was sexual success with women, while top athletes from the "anti-playboy club" rejected that idea.

In the "violent club", the most popular players felt that aggression was an important part of being a man.

The most popular players at the "football-oriented club" saw skill, age and experience as a measure of masculinity.

The study, conducted by Dr Dean Lusher and Associate Prof Garry Robbins, along with University of Ballarat colleague Dr Peter Kremer, found that the views of club members often reflected the views of the most popular players.

Dr Lusher is attending an international conference in Greece to present his results. (NineMSN, 2/5/2007)

Let's hope that Dr Lusher's research can help others make the next step to intervening in these social networks to produce better outcomes.

Citations: The Age, 27/11/2005; The Age, 28/11/2005; NineMSN, 2/5/2007

Word Count: 2150

Tags: footy, scandals, spoilt_rotten

Botched Rape Investigation - AFL Player Walks

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 20 Apr 2005 11:23:00 +0000

It seems almost unbelievable. Personally, I can't imagine anything worse than a night out at Melbourne's dodgy Crown Casino. Yet alone "partying" with the Carlton Football Club and sleeping with has-been Brad Pearce. But to wake up to find some disgusting prick raping you ... well it's just horrible beyond compare.

Well, that's what apparently happened to one poor young lady in 1999. Heath "The Culprit" Culpitt decided that, in the world of AFL football, it's one in, all in. One of his mates had picked up, so he reckoned he was in too.

Naturally, she went to the police about this crime. No behind the scenes pay-off from Culpitt's employer or "rape fees" paid from the AFL's coffers (as they propose). But this is where the story takes a breathtaking turn.

The police completely botched the investigation. The Assistant Commissioner (Simon Overland) said "We believe what she's told us but we don't have sufficient evidence to bring a case." Where is the evidence? The detectives assigned to the case ignored her calls for years, neglected to examine the crime scene, didn't interview witnesses for five years, failed to take any DNA samples and - get this - mysteriously "lost" the interview tape.

While Overland describes this as an "almost total systems failure", I would suggest this incompetence is of such a degree that we can't rule out corrupt behaviour. Are these awe-struck detectives so beholden by the bewitching spell of footy fame that they feel AFL players are entitled to a few rapes? Are they Carlton fans, perhaps? Did they ask for autographs? Do they collect stickers and bubble-gum swap cards? Were they just so excited at meeting their (22 year-old) hero that they lost all perspective? This possibility appears to have at least been entertained by the police top brass:

Mr Overland admitted that while most police were not reluctant to investigate famous people, he could not discount the possibility that some officers "wouldn't be intimidated or wouldn't have other reasons for perhaps not pursuing allegations against high-profile people as vigorously as they might". (The Age, 10/02/05)

Now, the boss is making soothing remarks about the detectives' culpability in all this, and asks us to trust the police - who showed no interest in pursuing justice in this poor woman's case - to investigate allegations against their colleagues (The Age, 14/04/05)!

To have been sexually assaulted by an AFL player must be a truly horrible experience. To be then subjected to unsympathetic, unprofessional and incompetent - or possibly even corrupt - investigators is harrowing and can only worsen the impact of the crime.

As bad as that is, we should not lose sight of the central allegation: that Heath Culpitt sexually assaulted a sleeping woman. It's telling that this crime of violence and misogyny (allegedly) happened in a group (tribal) situation just three days after Carlton lost the Grand Final. (This circumstance is an automatic "Red Light" on the AFL Player Threat Index - for this very reason.)

Please, do not pick up any suspected AFL players. Do not flirt with them or let them buy you drinks. Do not hang out with them. Do not even go near them. They are just too dangerous, and too likely to get away Scott free with whatever they want.

*** UPDATE ***The woman at the centre of this harrowing ordeal has identified herself as "Kate" and come forward with her story to the Herald-Sun, in light of the hurtful, painful remarks by chauvinist Jack Elliott:

A WOMAN who claims she was raped by a Carlton footballer has called on John Elliott to help her.

"Kate", who alleges she was raped at a party after Carlton's 1999 Grand Final loss, says the former Blues boss must tell police everything he knows.

...

"Rape is rape and I've been fighting for justice since 1999," Kate said yesterday.

"I hope Victoria Police have taken notice of Mr Elliott's statement and ask some very serious questions.

"If you know something, Mr Elliott, please come forward. If you are talking about me, please help me and do what is right."

But Mr Elliott told the Herald Sun he had no interest in helping her.

"She said what? I have no idea and I'm not interested. The story has got totally out of hand. I'm really not interested at all," he said. (Herald-Sun, 24/7/2009)

She has also written an open letter to Elliott, to which I hope he responds. He needs to man up and account for his behaviour:

Dear Mr Elliott,

I read with much interest the comments you made on Sunday regarding allegations of rape made against players of the Carlton Football Club during the time that you were president.

The Sunday Herald Sun reported that the football club had concerns one woman might be telling the truth and that she had also accepted hush money.

I assume that I am that "one woman" you were referring to, as my case was the only one to have reached the public domain.

First, can I remind you of the fact that no, I never once accepted any so-called "hush money" - and you know that.

You would also know that not once did I ask anyone for any amount of money, nor was I offered any. (Herald-Sun, 24/6/2009)

As you can see from some of the comments, Kate has been attacked by some of the hateful, clueless idiots who post here. She has even been approached by a producer from Nine's 60 Minutes, no doubt eager to sensationalise her story to diffuse their problems with their own star, Matty Johns.

At The Speccy, we're pleased that Kate's found the strength to take this to another level of exposure and wish her the best in fight for justice. It's certainly been far too long coming.

Citations: The Age, 10/02/05; The Age, 14/04/05

Word Count: 568

Tags: footy, rape, scandals

AFL Backs Down on Cousins

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:46:00 +0000

It sure has been quiet in the world of AFL misbehaviour. Sadly, that might end with news that the AFL has backed down on its year-long sanction of Ben Cousins.

We're presently in the grip of a will-he or won't-he media frenzy, with reports that Brisbane, St Kilda and now Richmond might take the risky old player. Adding fuel were reports that the player found the onerous drug-testing conditions too strict.

Meanwhile, the AFL players' union (under Brendon Gale) keeps banging on about how unnecessary all those extra drug tests are. It wouldn't have anything to do with the move essentially conceding that the present regime is inadequate for the job or detecting and deterring drug use, would it? Especially the dreaded long-term "hair test" - though easily bypassed by a shorn 'do, as worn by Cousins. Naturally, the AFLPA would like to renegotiate the players' terms to compensate them for any forced absence of drugs. Mr Gale, feel free to use the online AFL Drug Calculator to work help work out just how much compensation is needed.

Of wider concern is that this climb-down will signal that infamous Malthouse Doctrine is back in full swing. For those who don't know, this is the idea that an elite group of players at each club is so indispensable that they can never be sanction, banned or dropped and, as such, can do what they like. The idea was eloquently articulated by Collingwood's Mick Malthouse after the brutal and vicious car-park kicking involving Chris Tarrant and Ben Johnson:

"The fact that Chris and Ben are crucial to the on-field success of Collingwood has influenced my decision. Had they been youngsters on the fringe of selection, I might have thought a playing ban was in order.

"I suspect I'll be criticised for admitting this - what's new? - but you are kidding yourself if you think it would happen differently anywhere else. Different players get treated differently.
...
Perhaps if we were 15th, like last year, I would be thinking differently." (The Age, 4/8/2006)

Clearly, this is a dangerous idea and one that we at The Speccy believe lies at the heart of so much of the criminal and scandalous behaviour we see. The AFL finally decided to tackle it head on to protect the wider interests of the game in the face of the short-sighted selfishness of the clubs. Cousins' crackdown was the vehicle for that.

To test this idea, we've prepared an analysis of the effect of Ben Cousins being dropped by the AFL on general lawlessness and scandal by AFL players. The Speccy combed through our own copious records plus the ever-useful Wikipedia article (also edited by us). The results speak for themselves: since the AFL crackdown, general behaviour has improved remarkably.

What this analysis doesn't show is that the seriousness of criminality has dropped too: there's still a base-rate of traffic offences and the like, but the bashings are way down and rapes in particular have dropped right away. Of course, this could be a reporting bias, but it really does look like the AFL has cleaned up its image at a time when other codes are still under pressure.

The data points include current AFL players who involved themselves in off-field misbehaviour resulting in either a police investigation, criminal charges, a court appearance or a front-page media story. Data for 2004 is very patchy, since The Speccy only started in 2005. You can check out the incidents in question in this table and find out more using the search engine on the right (enter names into Background Check and click Scan).

The AFL and its fans should keep this in mind over the weekend as the final deliberations on Cousins' fate continue. Any backsliding now could jeopardise the progress seen in 2008, resulting in an unwelcome return to form in 2009.

*** UPDATE ***

A version of the above graph and analysis was published in Crikey for the edification of a wider audience.

Naturally, Ben Cousins was picked up Richmond and despite the above arguments he's now going to play for the Tigers. There were a couple of unfortunate Freudian slips, with Richmond Vice-Captain Nathan Foley remarking that "It's unfortunate what's happened in the past, looking before that he is such a great player and has had so many highs, his ability on game day is something so many people admire." AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou blurted "he sets an example for what can be achieved if you turn your mind to being positive". Hmmm. He then went on to describe Richmond's decision as "courageous", in the best traditions of Yes, Minister.

And, true to form, there was an incident within a few days of Ben Cousins' re-instatement, with Hawthorn's Brent Renouf arrested and expected to be charged over his drunken rampage:

Hawthorn ruckman Brent Renouf is expected to be charged with criminal damage offences after being arrested by police over the weekend.

The 20-year-old premiership player allegedly leapt onto the boot of a car parked on Burwood Rd, Hawthorn near the Geebung Polo Club, the Herald-Sun reports.

Police confirmed the man was apprehended by police on nearby Henry St at around 1am Sunday.

A spokeswoman told the Herald Sun the player would be charged on summons. (NineMSN, 22/12/2008)

Yep, that's one drunken bogan who knows he's beyond reproach since the AFL has once again green-lighted anti-social, arrogant buffoonery. With the shackles now off and the Malthouse Doctrine in full-swing, we're gearing up for a worrying 2009.

Citations: The Age, 4/8/2006

Word Count: 692

Tags: footy, court, scandals

Carey and Neilson Have No Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:36:00 +0000

Just because it's been more than a month without a Wayne Carey post doesn't mean he's been keeping quiet. No sir, quite the contrary. All manner of sad, bizarre and disappointing news has been generated by the abusive Wayne and his on-again off-again girlfriend, Kate Neilson. Here's a round-up of the last month or so of sordid activities since we last covered his violent, drug-fuelled exploits back in January.

Details came to light of yet another US-based row, this time in an exclusive New York hotel (the W Hotel) in October 2006. In this case, the security guard, Kyle Banks, reported that he saw Wayne Carey smash a bottle of champagne over his own head. He allegedly went on to repeatedly hit Kate Neilson before attack the security guard and collapsing.

Also in late 2006, it emerged that the pair were on safari in South Africa when, yep, you guessed it, another violent blue. Neilson became so upset and/or fearful that she left the safety of the limo and ran into the jungle. Although lions, leopards, hyenas etc were spotted in the area, she apparently decided they were a better option than a deranged Carey. How bizarre, how sad.

Sure, he looks harmless enough now, but with a bottle he's incredibly dangerous.
Source: Herald-Sun.

This comes on top of allegations of an earlier incident in October 2004 at a Las Vegas casino, where Wayne Carey was placed under citizen's arrest for assaulting a guard at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. (If the man who physically put Carey down and placed him under citizen's arrest comes forward, he will be eligible for both humanitarian and bravery awards.) Carey was taken into custody by police overnight and charged, although nothing came of it.

Cashing in on their new-found notoriety, Wayne Carey and Kate Neilson did a cover-story for New Idea magazine. Scraping a new bottom for disgusting cheque-book journalism, the outlet has given them a PR free-kick for a reported $180,000. While revelations of the pairs' ongoing drug-use (cocaine) are hardly startling, what is sickening is the gloss liberally applied over Carey's violence. Crikey characterised it as "$180,000 to tell the world that his girlfriend accidently "fell into" the glass of wine that he was in the process of throwing over her and that he did not "realise" that the glass had cut her face". Neilson added "Wayne isn't violent - not at all...That's not to say our relationship hasn't been volatile, but that's (only) at times." She also said that they were "as silly as each other". Volatile? Silly? What next - it takes two to tango? Oh dear. Those excuses sounds a lot like domestic violence at work to me. How appalling that this spin was put out in a publication that recently launched its own anti-domestic violence campaign.

New low in cheque-book journalism.
Source: Crikey.

It's looking likely that Wayne Carey won't be charged for his role in the Port Melbourne siege incident that saw him capsicum-sprayed and led off in hand-cuffs. The Herald-Sun is reporting that senior police believe it won't proceed. The Age is still being a bit more cagey, but we'll see. There's still the matter of the Florida glassing incident to resolve. (Not the attack itself - Neilson dropped the charges - but Carey's alleged assault on Miami's finest. He's pleading not guilty.)

Wayne Carey is rumoured to be making an appearance on Andrew Denton's Enough Rope on the ABC. The ABC does not pay for interview subjects, so Carey's motivation is presumably more about re-building his brand than direct cash. It's likely the episode will air on March 31st - stay tuned for detailed analysis here.

Speaking of the Carey brand, there's been more discussion about his diminishing chances of getting into the AFL Hall of Fame due to his appalling off-field record. He's even been compared unfavourably to Gary Ablett, who's bad record at least started after he retired. Carey's been of bad character since the Year Dot.

Adding to the intense scrutiny and sense of intrigue this past month, Kate Neilson was listed to appear in court over some outstanding fines. Somehow or other, this was "fixed up" and she was taken off the list. Corrections Victoria won't discuss details of what's going on with this little side story. Interesting.

Mysterious court appearance cancelled.
Source: Herald-Sun.

Here at The Speccy, we doubt this is over. Not by a long shot. We'll be keeping a weather eye on the hijinx, rumours and allegations as they unfurl. Stay tuned for more.

*** UPDATE ***
NEW!! We've prepared a timeline of events and an interactive map of Wayne Carey's incidents from across the globe. Now you can track and analyse his violent and bizarre behaviour, perhaps even protecting loved ones overseas by predicting where he'll strike next.

Tip: Our preliminary public safety analysis suggests you should not holiday in 5-star hotels in the US during October. Wayne Carey has faced assault allegations on no less than three occasions.

View Larger Map

Naturally, we'll be updating this map as more violent and other incidents come to light. Stay safe!

*** UPDATE ***

In a Miami court, Wayne Carey has admitted to elbowing a policeman in the face and kicking another in the mouth. His punishment? A $US500 fine, 50 hours of community service and some anger management and counselling. Here in Melbourne, the idea of a rich, violent, drunken, drug-addled and misogynistic footballer getting off lightly for his crimes is depressingly familiar. For the Miami police, the reality of justice, AFL player-style, comes as a shock:

"It is very demoralising for the men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis to know there is not a system that backs them up," said Sergeant John Rivera, president of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association. (The Age, 17/10/2008)

Yes, indeed. Welcome to our world.

Word Count: 786

Tags: footy, bashing, court, drugs

Piss Weak: Footballers and Urine

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:54:00 +0000

With the recent spate of public urination by AFL footballers leaving our cities piss-soaked and and fetid, it's timely to consider the rich history of pissing in footy - and what it has to tell us about darker psychological disturbance of its practitioners.

The current bout was kicked off by Carlton's "troubled" knuckle-head, Brendan Fevola. It seems his ongoing problems with alcohol manifested itself in a late-night piss on Prahran hotspot Candy Bar. Below is the CC TV footage, care of our friends Channel 7:

Apart from the security video itself, the disturbing allegations in this clip include:

When challenged by a bar tender, Fevola asked him what his problem is! (Dude, you're pissing in public on someone else's shop.)

When confronted after training, he denied the incident had taken place saying he doubted it "very much". (Despite existence of said security footage.)

When asked by the bar tender if how he'd feel if someone did it to his business, he replied that he wouldn't mind.

Coincidentally, Fevola has a stake in a restaurant, Fellini's, just a few hundred metres away at 158 Toorak Rd, in South Yarra. (Get off at South Yarra station.) While I'd be curious to see Fevola's reaction to someone pissing on or near his business, in the interests of his wife, restaurateur Alex Fevola, I'd suggest not. After all, that poor woman has suffered enough being married to this idiot, putting up with his moronic actions, violence, infidelities etc to secure funding to start the business. So for her sake, please don't urinate on his restaurant.

The response from Carlton for this transgression from one of its *snigger* "leadership group"? No suspension. A fine amounting to a week's pay. Yet another "one more chance". (What is that Fev? Five or six last chances now? I wonder if his missus has given him that many.)

Given this piss-weak piece of theatrics in lieu of a substantive deterrence, it's not surprising that another player quickly followed suit. This time, Richmond's captain Kane Johnson brought disgrace by getting his cock out in public and having a good spray. Unfortunately for him, he chose to unload on the St Kilda Rd Police Complex. Unlike Fevola, he was apprehended by the police and is now facing charges. Bizarrely, Johnson - with his solid off-field reputation - quickly sanctioned himself by imposing a one match ban on himself. The club accepted his offer (plus a $5,000 penalty).

In a reversal of the normal order of events, I reckon this shows some promise. Credit where it's due I say, and at least Johnson has taken some personal responsibility, is fronting up to the courts and his club will wear the damage for this atrocious lapse in judgement, civility and decorum through his absence this weekend. It just throws into sharp relief the dangerous and selfish stance taken by Carlton over their repeat offender Brendan Fevola.

It should hardly come as a surprise to hear that AFL footballers enjoy splashing their piss about. Remember that pest Heath Black during his 2006 Christmas blow out? He copped a charge and guilty plea for pissing out the front of Fremantle's famed Little Creatures breweries. No doubt dozens or hundreds of other footballers do it regularly and get away with it. It's easy to dismiss this as "boys will be boys" and other apologetics.

But what of the darker side of the practice? AFL footballers had a disturbing little tradition going just a couple of years ago whereby they would literally urinate on women in nightclubs or bars in order to "mark" them of being interest to them. This "marking their territory" practice was reasonably widespread and various reports of it were covered in the mainstream media. And let's not forget a certain Fraser Gehrig and his urine splashing efforts with a young lady at a bar. Nor a rookie, Simon O'Keefe, who explained how his club booked a stripper for a "tag team" encounter and then other players offered her an extra $50 to urinate on her with another $50 to defecate on her.

Why would men want to get together in a group and piss and shit on a woman? There are no nice reasonable explanations for this. Simply put, the footballer selection process, reinforced practices and resulting warped culture ensure that power, dominance and humiliation are the key currencies. In their minds, urinating (and even defecation) are tools to achieve that end. Certainly, Fevola's arrogant and threatening remarks when challenged show up the mindset. And this "marking" women with piss in bars business? Only a caveman morality could inspire that urge, yet alone grant licence to act on it.

In light of this appalling and continuing problem, here at The Speccy we've got the answer. Past experience suggests that there's one thing guaranteed to dry up an AFL footballer quick smart: drug testing. That's right, urine tests looking for traces of ecstasy, meth and cocaine cause all sorts of problems for players. (Remember that Hawthorn player who "couldn't" provide a sample last year when selected, so the lightweight testers just picked another player?) After hearing about the seven out of eight positives from the Brownlow toilets and the ease of dodging the watered-down official tests, we like the odds.

So we're introducing a piss bounty system. We'll gladly pay anyone an easy $100 for every AFL footballer urine sample that is turned up. Whether it's from a bar, nightclub, police station, your own clothes or a sex worker, we'll pay for the sample. We only have two provisos:

You must provide provenance (ie chain of evidence of origin) for the sample to a level that will stand up in court.

It must be presented in a form and state that allows rigorous scientific testing for illicit drugs.

We'll take any currently-listed player's piss and pay you $100. Hell, we'll even pay $200 for a sample from Hawthorn's Lance "Buddy" Franklin. If you're interested, use the comment link below to get in touch.

We reckon it will only take one or two of those liberally applied unscheduled late-night samples from AFL players ending up in the lab (and then straight to the media) to staunch the flow in public. Some guy with a test-tube loitering around might just make those dickheads think twice about ensuring their urine is discreetly and safely dispensed.

*** UPDATE ***
I dunno what he's been drinking now, but the loose talk is that Brendan Fevola is off the piss for good. And the punt. Sort of. His well-publicised problems with alcohol (and, to a lesser extent, gambling) will be tackled through counselling, according to The Herald-Sun. Apparently, he won't be drinking during the season and is sworn off the club's end-of-season binges.

Well, good luck to him, I say. While I'm highly sceptical that he'll manage to keep this up given his $500,000 salary and piss-head workmates, getting counselling and going public with his attempt are good first steps.

So, in that same spirit of support and encouragement, if you happen to catch Fev sinking a few during the season, email in your photos so we can publish them here. I'm sure he'd thank us both, eventually.

*** UPDATE ***
Right, well Brendan Fevola's dabble with temperance lasted not much more than a month. After being busted on the turps at the Casino, Fev fell off the wagon again at South Melbourne's Star Bar last weekend. The Age also reported today that he was seen chugging back on beers at the Fenech/Nelson boxing match (along with Mick Gatto, Shane Warne, Kyle Sandilands and other undesirables). Anyone reckon he was on the punt too?

Of course, he's had a good run on the field and is now telling Carlton to piss off about putting special no-scandal clauses on his rumoured $1.75M contract. Carlton allegedly retaliated by offering him an extra $100K if he doesn't generate a scandal. That sure sends a powerful signal of impotence. Looks like the Malthouse Doctrine is alive and well.

*** UPDATE ***

The Mad Monday celebrations have been and gone. And, from the look of this image, it seems that Brendan Fevola is still off the wagon:

Fevola in Nighty with Comedy Dildo Prop
Source: Herald-Sun

Must be a laugh a minute heading out with these witty japesters.

Word Count: 1069

Tags: footy, spoilt_rotten

Andrew Walker Has No Shame

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:32:00 +0000

In four years of covering the seamy underbelly of Aussie Rules misbehaviour, Carlton's Andrew Walker has set a new bar for shameless arrogance and contempt of wider society. His crime - driving whilst unlicensed - is relatively minor by AFL standards, but his flagrant disregard for the law is truly breathtaking.

On February 22nd, 2008, Andrew Walker had his licence suspended (presumably for traffic offences). He was given a paltry $500 fine (equivalent to one morning's "work") and, naturally, no conviction was recorded. A mere eight days later, on March 1st, he was picked up by police for driving, obviously now unlicensed. He complained he was left "confused" by the Magistrates Court (AFL Division) about whether or not he was allowed to drive. (We can be quite sure there's absolutely no chance that he would be confused about the sentence from the AFL tribunal, but then, that's a legal force that actually matters to Mr Walker.)

Why on earth would he think he could get away with being "confused"? We've heard that he does a very convincing "playing dumb" act, but surely it would be hard to mount a case that, for instance, he wasn't sure who the magistrate was referring to when he was standing in the dock at the time. "Oh right, you were talking about me." or perhaps "Oh I see ... I'm suspended from driving any car. Yep, got it now." Surely any lingering confusion would have been dispelled by his own lawyer?

But let's look at some recent history. His colleague, David Teague, rendered an elderly woman a paraplegic when a borrowed hotted-up hoon wagon spun out of control early one Sunday morning. Teague successfully persuaded a magistrate that it wasn't because he cornered too quickly; no, a design fault meant that the floor mat got wedged on the accelerator.

What about Collingwood's Brody Holland - also caught driving unlicensed and on the tram tracks on Swanston St, no less - who claimed that he believed his Western Australian licence was sufficient even some five years after he allowed it to expire. What an absolute crock.

And then there's Hawthorn's Mark Williams, pinged for driving while disqualified (after earlier speeding offences). His excuse? Didn't realise his licence had been suspended. Oh, and Corey McKernan? Driving while disqualified and using a mobile phone. (He lost his licence for drink driving too, the selfish bastard.)

So, not surprisingly, Andrew Walker tried to bullshit his way out of the charge. And why not? The historical odds are good. But Magistrate Jennifer Tregent suggested that this "beggared belief". In plain English, she wasn't buying that Walker didn't realise the February suspension a) applied to him b) immediately and c) for any car. His lawyer described him as "bemused" and conceded that there was a compulsory jail sentence for disregarding the earlier suspension.

And the fallout for this egregious display of lawless contempt?

Told that Walker was a "professional athlete", [Magistrate] Ms Tregent asked what type and was informed by [Walker's solicitor] Mr Kemp he was a footballer with Carlton.

Ms Tregent suspended a one-month jail term for 12 months, suspended Walker's licence for two months, fined him $500 without conviction, and told him she did not anticipate he would drive during the suspension period. (The Age, 19/8/2008)

And here's the kicker: Andrew Walker drove his car to court to answer charges of driving unlicensed. Setting a new bar for chutzpah, he then had to have a mate give him a lift home, leaving his car behind (apparently opting out of the free priority taxi service for AFL footballers). What the hell was he thinking? Well, we know the answer to that ...

There's a distinct pattern going on here: over-privileged footballers realise that road rules and licensing requirements are for other people. They willfully break the law. They lie or act dumb or just plain old try to bluff it out. The legal sanctions have no effect. The clubs leave them be while they're kicking goals. There's no serious negative public comment. And so things get worse.

Sure, driving unlicensed is a relatively minor crime. But it speaks volumes of the general contempt and feeling of being special that can have much more sinister consequences. Let's not forget that during Essendon's Andrew Lovett's trial he allegedly said he was a "special person" who "could probably get away with murder". Outlandish? Well, Victoria's most senior detective is on record expressing doubt about his detectives' abilities to fully investigate footballers during the Heath Culpitt missing rape evidence scandal. And in one of Daniel Kerr's assault trial earlier this year, a witness gave testimony that immediately after the vicious assault Kerr told the victim "I am too good for the Eagles. They wouldn't delist me." Given the frequency with which he calls upon their services, we assume his brazenness extends to police and courts too.

This attitude must be very disheartening for police trying to do the right thing and downright scary for victims and witnesses trying to seek redress. At The Speccy, we argue that this culture of impunity and being special and above the law starts with minor traffic offences and, unchecked, culminates in serious cases of assault and rape.

Citations: The Age, 19/8/2008

Word Count: 853

Tags: footy, court, traffic

Didak Misbehaviour a Shaw Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Just a few weeks after coming off his "special provisions" contract, troubled Magpie Alan Didak has been unmasked as the secret passenger yet again. No, not in a "hell-ride" involving a drug-dealing murderous Hell's Angel, but in Collingwood's growing Heath Shaw bingle scandal.

But let's back things up. Alan Didak has been a frequent subject on this blog, notably for his 2006 public blue with then-girlfriend, glamazon model Cassie Lane and his confrontation with a taxi driver that saw him charged. (Incidentally, this event caused Collingwood to win the betting pool in the Aussie Rules Misbehaviour Market.)

But what really gained Didak notoriety was his friendship with Hell's Angel Christopher Wayne Hudson. His resulting lift home from the Spearmint Rhino strip club - with shots fired out the window, including at police - and visit to the Hell's Angel's headquarters came to light a few days after Hudson later horribly beat a stripper (Autumn Daly-Holt), shot another one (Kara Douglas) and shot two men who came to their assistance (solicitor Brendan Keilar and Dutch backpacker Paul de Waard). Sadly, Mr Keilar passed away.

Didak attracted criticism for his friendship and association with Hudson, his reluctance to come forwards and his somewhat hazy recollection of events when questioned. That weekend Didak was booed by the crowd in what was possibly the Collingwood cheer squad's finest hour.

As a result of his repeated and accelerating poor judgement, he had special clauses put on his contract with Collingwood, ensuring that he stayed off the booze and kept to a curfew. This for a 25-year-old grown man with a six-figure income! Sadly, these juvenile measures seem to have been necessary. Just a couple of weeks ago, the clauses were lifted as part of Didak's new $800,000 contract. Now we have this.

(You can see why Carlton's Brendan Fevola - himself no stranger to a bingle scandal! - is resisting efforts to have similar "behavioural restrictions" attached to his contract. They actually work.)

Heath Shaw - a relative clean-skin - got pissed on Sunday at a suburban pub, Hawthorn's Geebung Polo Club. He then drove home (at 0.15 BAC or three times the legal limit). Remember, this is a man with a large income and his own free, priority taxi service. Predictably, he ploughed into two parked cars, causing damage and waking the neighbours.

While Didak was spotted at the scene, the pair denied he was in the car. Club president, Eddie McGuire, took that at face value and defended Alan Didak with the memorable line that he "will be accused of the Kennedy shooting next". Of course, the truth emerged within hours and with it the reality: these men had tried to lie their way out of a bad situation.

After humiliating the club and casting a pall over the credibility and competence of Eddie McGuire, they're gone. Alan Didak has been fined $5000 and Heath Shaw has been fined $10,000. Shaw's brother, Rhyce Shaw, has been fined $5000 and suspended for two matches for drinking late on Sunday. Most importantly, Didak and Heath Shaw have been suspended for the rest of the year. Here at The Speccy, we commend the club for taking a decent, sensible and forward-looking stance.

While criticised by some commentators as "a ridiculous overreaction", this indeed sends a powerful signal to players. No, not the bit about getting hammered and driving your car. Hey - many, many players have done that and escaped sanction. It wasn't even the lying about it bit - after all, Scott Thompson's incident also involved a few hours of the who-was-where-doing-what game before the truth came out. No, it was lying to the club and making Eddie looked like a fool that did them in. Headlines like "Magpie lies humiliate McGuire" (Macarthur Advertiser) are just not acceptable given McGuire's, um, tenuous and difficult position at Nine, as failed CEO and TV presenter-sans-show. He can't afford to look like a patsy at this crucial stage of his career.

But just in case we were in any doubt about what exactly the sins were, former club captain Nathan Buckley spelled it out:

Buckley told Radio 3AW this morning that Shaw and Didak's lies were "unforgivable".
"For those players to be out from a football perspective six days before a game, when they have had an eight-day break is just unacceptable and then to top it off by being dishonest to the people in an environment where you rely on honesty and you rely on trust is unforgivable,'' Buckley said. (The Age, 5,8/2008)

Drinking on a school night. Check. Telling lies. Check. Oh, and the drink-driving/jeopardising others' safety part? Well, unless they ran over another listed Collingwood player, I'm not getting a strong sense that Buckley has thought about that too much. Gotta admire his focus, if not his morals.

Another former club great (and uncle of Heath and Rhyce), Tony Shaw, put his oar in by pointing out the effects of a footy club's ingrained tribal rules and over-arching commercial imperative. He also has a sense of where the problems lie:

Tony Shaw earlier told Radio 3AW that by covering for Didak, his nephew had "picked the wrong person".

"I think Heath deserves everything he cops in all ways from the club but the one thing about it, the lying part, there's no doubt there's an unwritten law within footy clubs that you look after your mates and unless they do something that physically harms someone or something against the law ... maybe Heath did the right thing in one way in helping out a mate but he probably picked the wrong person to do it for,'' he said.

...

"I'd be pretty dirty if I was Heath.''

The club legend said the administration had not handled things properly.

"I the (club's) just trying to make an example and they haven't set the scene prior to this - Eddie (McGuire) will tell you I've rung him a number of times about different players doing different things off the field for nearly four to five years and I think that the protectionism that Eddie's trying to give the club to save their image in fact is detrimental to the very thing that you try to build and that's the culture," Tony Shaw said. (The Age, 5,8/2008)

It's certainly food for though and while it doesn't diminish the culpability of Heath Shaw and Alan Didak, it does go some way to explaining how this cultural problem can be tackled. Hint: Eddie McGuire (and his ilk), with their spin and cover-ups and master media manipulation, are part of the problem.

Let's not forget that it was just two years ago that we saw the terrible Chris Tarrant-Ben Johnson car park assault that left a young man in hospital with severe head injuries. Let's recall how Eddie responded to criticism that the two players would be allowed to represent the club the following weekend, rather than face suspension:

"We're playing for the finals and they owe us. They're not getting the night off, you don't get a day off when you're playing the top side in a big game. They owe their supporters and they owe their teammates and they'd better get a kick." (The Age, 3/8/06)

And let's also recall the so-called Malthouse Doctrine, whereby the really good players become beyond reproach:

"The fact that Chris and Ben are crucial to the on-field success of Collingwood has influenced my decision. Had they been youngsters on the fringe of selection, I might have thought a playing ban was in order.", [said Collingwood coach, Mick Malthouse]. (The Age, 4/8/2006)

Perhaps this is the kind of behaviour Tony Shaw had in mind when he made his comments? In any case, public sentiment has shifted a lot in two years and I doubt that even McGuire would try this "they owe us" line again.

So we've had two players fined and suspended for the rest of the year. The Collingwood Football Club has taken steps to ensure that these two players will behave better in future. More to the point, by taking on the pain of absenting two promising young players, they've signalled that the club is prepared to take a long-term investment view when it comes to player discipline. For all this, they are to be congratulated. It's just a shame that it took lies and deceit to trigger this response, rather than the selfish, criminal, stupid and dangerous act of drink-driving.

Citations: The Age, 5,8/2008; The Age, 3/8/06; The Age, 4/8/2006

Word Count: 1466

Tags: footy, booze, court, traffic

While The Cat's Away ...

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 07:56:00 +0000

It seems those naughty footbrawlers have been making the most of the off-season. In my two months away we've seen a predictably disappointing stream of drunken violence from those knobs. Here we give a quick reprise of the major stories that broke during my two month absence: Mitchell, Farmer and Dodd, Cousins, Johnson, Krakouer and Carey. Special thanks to Paul for posting an update.

*** Update ***
We've just added Geelong's Steve Johnson's Christmas-time blow-out to the list of Yuletide incidents. When will the drunken carnage stop?

*** Update 2***
Now included is sneaky Heath Black's sneaky piss. Urinating - or any excuse to get his cock out in public?

Mitchell

The Hawks' Sam Mitchell got into a blue at a Hawthorn pub on the 2nd of December. He copped a hit but there was no injury. According to the damage-control from the Hawthorn spin machine "a scuffle ensued and Mitchell and the patron wrestled to the ground before security staff quickly intervened and separated the pair." (The Age, 4/12/2006). Hasn't been any further news on this one, so I guess we'll never really know what transpired. In all fairness, drunken dickheadry isn't restricted to footballers and it's quite possible that one of the many other dickheads in that part of the world was entirely at fault.

Farmer and Dodd

In best silly-season fashion, Freo's Jeff Farmer and Steven Dodd brought disgrace on the Dockers with a late-night "incident" at the notorious Club Bayview in Claremont, WA. Specifics are still fuzzy, but there the word "altercation" was used - usually PR code for drunken and/or drug-fuelled violence. According to The Age, a patron made a complaint about being struck, but later withdrew the allegation and denied knowing who hit him. Cha-ching! Was that the sound of a cash register slamming shut?

Club Bayview has been the venue for incidents involving AFL players in the past, most notably when West Coast's Andrew Embley was charged with assaulting a man in 2002. In the same month, [Ben] Cousins broke his arm following a fight at the club with teammate Daniel Kerr.

It's not the first time Farmer and Dodd have had disciplinary issues. Farmer pleaded guilty in court to assaulting his long-time girlfriend two years ago, while Dodd was suspended last year after breaking club policy barring players from drinking alcohol while recovering from illness or injury. (SMH, 5/12/2006)

What a pair of charmers. What's going on? Eagles and Dockers are one eighth of the competition but about 50% of aggro and bullshit. Is there something in the water in WA? Or is it just the Small Town Hero writ large?

Cousins

Which leads to the most spectacular celebrity bum - Ben Cousins from the WC Eagles. This gormless fool has once again brought disgrace upon, well, himself and everyone close to him. (Who could forget the booze-bus run?) Cousins was found drunk outside of regular footy playground Crown Casino and was subsequently arrested after a "verbal altercation" with the cops. Police sources described him "absolutely legless" and had him locked up for several hours. The Age has the requisite candid photo (care of Channel Nine, part of the Packer Empire that also owns Crown Casino and hence rights to adjacent security footage).

So, poor old Benny boy gets way too drunk, gets aggro and ends up being arrested - again. What's deeply depressing is the total lack of censure and the kid-gloves handling he gets. Here's a breakdown of the response to his latest shaming:

The Police. Used their "discretion" to ensure he didn't cop a drunk and disorderly charge. This means he won't have to face court and will get a maximum $100 fine, rendering our justice system a joke. How thoughtful of the police to not inconvenience their sporting hero by applying the laws of the land.

His club. They refused to sanction him at all, saying that "The club believes that Ben has already received sufficient punishment through the public scrutiny of his arrest." Why? The man clearly has no sense of shame. What punishment has he received? In the absence of a function police force, what else is there?

His sponsors. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that "West Coast's major sponsors Hungry Jacks and SGIO stressed they sponsored the Eagles rather than Cousins individually. Channel Seven will continue to use Cousins as an ambassador and a weekly guest on Perth news bulletins." So, no commercial sanction or reprimand either. Presumably this means that the public doesn't give a rat's arse either. Nice.

Government officials. Surely government officials would speak out on the evils of getting yourself blotto, getting aggro with the cops and landing yourself in jail? Well, normally, yes. But not if you're a footy superstar:

WA's Sport and Recreation Department director Ron Alexander, a former Eagles coach, called for Cousins to be cut some slack.

Alexander didn't condone Cousins' behaviour but said there was an unfair fascination with his off-field activities

"It's become a sport to see what Ben's done next," Alexander said. "This appears to be over-magnified, a lot more so than it needs be." (SMH, 9/12/2006)

Media opinion-makers. There's a sickening apologia and hagiographic novel being pushed by the Fairfax press. Ooh diddums, "unfairly targeted by police" was he? "Visiting sick children" is he? Oh, it's all so monstrously unfair and poor Benny's a victim of a vast footy-hating conspiracy!

What a load of bullshit. Surely, when noted idiot Michael Gardiner is speaking out for you, you're not in a good way. Ben's a bad, bad man with some serious problems. Not least of them is being spoilt, coddled, excused and generally given a free hand to do as he pleases. When no-one - even from the government and judiciary - can step up and lay some home truths on him, this is the result. It's happened before and it will happen again. Wake up, Australia!

Johnson

Next we saw the Pies horror month of court cases roll on, with bad boy brawler Ben Johnson avoiding any further legal inconvenience. Magistrate Felicity Broughton saw fit to let him off without conviction despite his role in a terrible car-park assault:

Johnson, 25, was charged with recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault over a fight involving former Magpie Chris Tarrant outside the Ocean Blue nightclub at Station Pier on July 30.

Bayswater North electrician Robert Howie, 28, was treated in hospital for head injuries after the incident.

Today Johnson appeared at Melbourne Magistrates' Court after successfully applying for a diversion hearing.

...

Ms Broughton ordered Johnson to continue his work at the Epworth, with a minimum requirement of 100 visits over the next 18 months.

She also offered he donate $3,000 to a charity for people with brain injuries and to write a letter of apology to his victim. (The Age, 19/12/2006)

I'm sure that the written apology, forgoing one week's pay and a few hospital visits to people with brain injuries will have more or less zero benefit and deterrence value. What the hell is going on when people can get away with bashing someone to the point of serious head injuries with a token slap on the wrist like this? You'd have to wonder if these liberties would be granted to anyone else.

Krakouer

Richmond Tigers have also been swept up in the pre-Christmas glad tidings, with their young player Andrew Krakouer (allegedly) involved in, yep, drunken violence:

RICHMOND AFL star Andrew Krakouer is likely to plead not guilty to a charge of assault causing grievous bodily harm, his lawyer told a Perth court today.

Krakouer today appeared in Fremantle Magistrates Court with his brother Tyrone Krakouer, 21, also charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm.

Andrew Krakouer, 23, was charged over an incident in Fremantle, on Friday night.

Justin Robin Martin, 24, sustained head injuries in the incident and is in Perth's Charles Gairdner Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Andrew Krakouer's lawyer John Prior told the court his client "was likely to enter a plea of not guilty".

His brother's lawyer indicated Tyrone Krakouer was also likely to plead not guilty.

Mr Prior asked for Andrew Krakouer's next court appearance to be on January 4 because of his footballing duties.

"My client Andrew Krakouer is a professional footballer who plays for Richmond and he's due to return to Melbourne now," Mr Prior told the court. (The Australian, 19/12/2006)

So another young man with serious head injuries, this time in intensive care. And more courts twisting and turning and bending over backwards to ensure that football "duties" are not overly put out by the demands of justice. (Krakouer can't even claim "diplomatic immunity" like Brodie Holland.) It's just sickening and will continue until the courts, media and general public say "enough is enough" and crack down on the unacceptable violence. We'll keep a close eye on this one and see if there's any justice delivered in the end.

Carey

The (admittedly disreputable) Herald-Sun is running a story about domestic violence in the Wayne Carey/Kate Neilson household. After (allegedly) cheating on his pregnant wife Sally (again), then leaving Sally for the blonde grid girl just six weeks after his wife gave birth, Kate announced she was now "officially" with Woiyne. It seems some ugliness has entered their happy lives together:

WAYNE Carey's girlfriend has told police she was assaulted by the former football champion.

It has been alleged a frightened Kate Neilson went to police after an incident at a Port Melbourne penthouse apartment.

The Herald Sun believes the model told police she was scared to leave the two-time Kangaroos premiership player.

Carey and Ms Neilson have denied the incident, but police sources claim she called 000 after being struck last Thursday, but was so distraught operators couldn't understand her complaint.

It was handed over to police and she went to South Melbourne police station to speak to officers there about 1.30am.

Police have told the Herald Sun that Ms Neilson had minor injuries when she arrived at the station, and she claimed Carey had punched her. (Herald-Sun, 28/12/2006)

Both Wayne Carey and Kate Neilson are denying all of this, with Neilson suggesting that someone made the whole thing up as a prank. I seriously hope that the notorious root-rat isn't adding domestic violence to his repertoire of criminality and that young Kate has the good sense to run a million miles if it's true. Wayne is a bad and untrustworthy man and she should be well-shod of him in any case.

Johnson

Geelong Cats didn't miss out either, with a showing by Steve Johnson at Wangaratta. Any guesses what he got up to? Care for a stab? Here's a clue: he's done this kind of thing before. I'm sure you won't be blown backwards off your chair in astonishment if I tell you that he was arrested for being drunk in a public place. Details are sketchy, but when you consider the overwhelming lenience shown to footballers by police plus the backstory from the last time this happened, it's fair to say more went on than just being drunk in public.

Naturally, the club is disappointed ... that he tried to keep it a secret. But they're not prepared to sanction him - yet. Given his lack-lustre performance and injured knee, it seems his career is hanging in the balance. He could hardly claim this was his first alcohol-driven offence.

Black

Heath Black got pinged for having a sly piss out the front of the Little Creatures breweries, in Fremanle, back on December 9th. Hey, I love that beer!

Black was fined $150 (with $105) costs arising from his guilty plea on the charge of disorderly behaviour. Hmmm, "disorderly"? Perhaps he was splashing it about. In any case, this is the Heath Black who made himself unpopular last year with his Day at the Races seeing a racegoer badly injured after being punched out. Heath's club - Fremantle Dockers - did will to keep this under wraps for a month. I doffs me hat to their PR flacks.

So, nine scandals in a month involving alcohol and/or violence. For godsakes, what is going wrong with these idiots?

*** UPDATE ***
Andrew Krakouer has had his charges upgraded from grievous bodily harm (14 years) to doing an act intended to cause bodily harm (20 years). Along with his co-accussed, the Tigers star is pleading not guilty.

*** UPDATE ***
Some 18 months after the initial assault, it seems justice has finally caught up with Richmond's Andrew Krakouer. He has been jailed for 32 months by District Court Judge Kate O'Brien for his "vicious and cowardly" unprovoked assault outside a Fremantle nightclub. Other words used to describe the attack include "mindless", "persistent" and "brutal". Yep, sounds like a typical footballer. Of course, his club, Richmond, weighed in with glowing reports of his leadership and mentoring abilities. Yep, sounds like a typical footy club too, putting the best spin on things.

While Krakouer (who will be joined in jail by his brother, Tyrone) may be out by next Christmas, let's not forget that his victim, Justin Martin, spent two weeks in intensive care with a smashed up face after being king hit, kicked in the head and suffering seizures, severe cuts and bruises and now a kidney disorder after trying to flee the unexpected and unprovoked assault.

Citations: The Age, 4/12/2006; SMH, 5/12/2006; SMH, 9/12/2006; The Age, 19/12/2006; The Australian, 19/12/2006; Herald-Sun, 28/12/2006

Word Count: 2123

Tags: footy, booze, bashing, sleaze

Sam Newman versus The Sisterhood

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:19:00 +0000

Mediocre former footballer Sam Newman, 72, is no stranger to controversy. While his playing career in post-War Geelong was of little import, he's created big waves re-inventing himself as a buffoon on the widely-panned AFL Footy Show. With his badly botched face and reputation as a pants man, he gained a public notoriety far in excess of his media abilities. His greatest success has been to take a penchant for abusing migrants, the elderly and teens in the street and turn it into a lucrative earner. (More details about his misogyny, idiocy and hate can be found on Wikipedia.)

Sam Newman's most recent controversy arose after an attack on fellow media personality and football writer, Caroline Wilson. "Caro" is the chief football writer for The Age, and appears on Nine's Footy Classified chat show. Newman attacked her on The Footy Show in a now-infamous sketch involving a mannequin in lingerie, a staple gun, a cut-out image of Wilson's face and biting references to her dress and appearance.

You can see some video footage of Newman's brand of hate-filled puppetry here:

The host of both shows, Gary Lyon, faced criticism for failing to stop Newman during his "skit" and for not standing up for his co-panellist (on another show), Wilson. While a half-arsed sort-of apology was forthcoming from Lyon, Newman has remained firm. Channel Nine wasn't budging and signals from the AFL hierarchy indicated that, while they didn't like it, they weren't going to do anything about it.

So in response, a group of senior women in AFL - mostly board members of the various clubs - wrote a letter demanding that The Footy Show tone it down and receive a seminar on respecting women. Newman's response on radio was to dismiss the women as "shrieking, hysterical, desperate". He announced on-air that he tried to quit, but Channel Nine would not accept his resignation and forced him to continue.

And why wouldn't they? This kind of thing is a ratings winner. And besides, it's unlikely to mollify their critics. So they'll be trying a different tack:

I'm not sure if our football industry - in particular The Footy Show - has really embraced the AFL's policy on respect and responsibility for women. Perhaps attending some seminars is a good starting point.

*** UPDATE ***

For the sake of completeness, we'll provide a mini-wrap on the Sam Newman situation. In a word, he's been boned. Channel Nine management, hoping to ride out the imbroglio, spent eight weeks batting the issue away. Sam kept escalating - calling some critics liars, for instance - and the media (led by The Age) kept pushing. Finally, after ratings slipped 15% and some advertisers took their concerns public, the axe fell.

Sam Newman has been dropped from The Footy Show, indefinitely, by Nine's Melbourne supremo Jeffrey Browne.

Sure, some bland motherhood statements were made (did I hear "gardening leave"?). Newman has been publicly ordered into counselling with a psychologist who specialises in troubled children. Nice one. He's been off the air for three weeks (even nicer). He's also contracted the flu, broken his ankle doing weights and had hospital treatment for a hernia resulting from a coughing fit. (I suspect the collective wishful thinking of Melburnians may have played a role in that run of bad luck.)

In a remarkable scoop, Age columnist Catherine Deveny gives us all an extraordinary insight into the counselling sessions with this transcript.

So I guess we can add Sam Newman to the list of ultra-arrogant football alpha-males to have been humbled in recent months, alongside Ben Cousins and Wayne Carey. Who's next?

*** UPDATE ***
Well, I have to admit to being fooled on this one. I thought Sam Newman would stay off the air for at least a couple of months, maybe until the finals started. But no. Three bloody weeks. In a sarcastic and unrepentant tone, he announced to the host, Garry Lyon, "I actually feel cleansed, Garry ... I feel refreshed, and I have learned a lot about myself, Gaz".

Newman hams it up for bogans.
Source: The Age.

This year, Newman's had cameras up his arse, painful surgery made worse by having Eddie McGuire hovering around asking questions and trying to look useful, broken bones and now he's been publicly dressed down and sent to counselling sessions. How much more humiliation can this idiot take? I look forward to finding out.

*** UPDATE ***

Serial pest Sam Newman has only been back on telly for a couple of weeks, but he's already generating headlines with his hate-filled, sexist "quips". This one relates to his assessment of a female Tasmanian politician, Paula Wriedt, as "worthy of coming on". Credit to the panel, they immediately took him to task - once the guffaws from the audience died down.

You can watch the video of Newman's witty wordplay and read the transcript here. Predictably, Channel Nine have dug their heels in rather than concede they've made yet another mistake in letting this buffoon on air. Nine News describe the offensive remark as a "quip" and referred to Caroline Wilson's ritual humiliation as a "gag".

Come on!

Word Count: 407

Tags: footy, media, sleaze, scandals

A Few Roos Loose In Top Paddock

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:13:00 +0000

As morale at the club plummets, a mob of Kangaroos has taken to hitting the bottle to numb the pain of their move to the Gold Coast. The resulting bad behaviour was severe enough to warrant police using capsicum spray to subdue them. (Which has to be a first for a Lionel Richie winery gig.) Like spiteful bad tenants, it seems the Kangaroos plan to leave Melbourne strewn with empties, thoroughly trashed, blood-spattered and covered in vomit.

The action kicked-off late on Saturday night, when Matthew Campbell was charged with resisting arrest and being drunk in a public place at about 1.30am. Details are still sketchy about where and why, but we'll keep you posted as they come to hand.

The second incident took place at a relaxed, fun concert "for grown-ups" at a winery just out of town. A chilled crowd grooves on the lawns to the soulful stylings of head-line act Lionel Richie. Until that mob of bloody roos shows up, frothing and kicking!

Aaron Edwards, Shannon Grant and Hamish McIntosh clashed with security after a night of drinking at a Lionel Richie concert at a Victorian winery on Saturday night.

Edwards was ejected by police from the A Day On The Green gig at Scotchmans Hill winery at Drysdale, near Geelong, on Saturday night.

Premiership player Grant intervened to try to stop police taking his teammate away, with police reportedly using capsicum spray to deter him. (Fox Sports, 3/12/2007)

Remember back in March? Aaron Edwards was caught on tape with convicted drug dealer, Shane Water, as part of the Daniel Kerr "Special K" scandal. Maybe he should put an order in for panadol instead, because the hang-over must be a killer.

Other reports gave more detail into what lead up to the outbreak of ugliness:

Witnesses said Edwards was staggering and falling over.

One onlooker told the Herald Sun the 23-year-old was skulling from bottles of white wine before he collapsed among the crowd of more than 10,000 at Scotchmans Hill winery.

"Edwards was just lying on the ground. They couldn't get him off the ground he was that far gone," one man said.

"McIntosh was trying to get him up. He was probably the most sober one out of the three of them. They were terrible. Grant was falling over everywhere as well."

Trouble started when police, alerted to Edwards' state, went to investigate.
Kangaroos football manager Donald McDonald said Grant thought Edwards was going to be arrested and tried to defuse the situation.

"Shannon said, 'No, don't worry, he's with us, he'll be all right', and then Shannon said the police capsicum-sprayed them and led Aaron away," Mr McDonald said.

"They escorted him around the back to the winery and let him and his girlfriend go. No charges were laid.

"Then the police came back and put water in Shannon's eyes, and the other party members, and off they went.

"Shannon had his whole family there. Even the dad got sprayed."

Several witnesses took photos as the incident erupted. (PerthNow, 3/12/2007)

Great to see such thorough citizen journalism when it comes to AFL footballers. Yet another witness came forwards - insisting on anonymity - to recount her harrowing story to The Age:

"I was working at ... a A Day On The Green, and saw Aaron Edwards being dragged out by police in a T-shirt and his red jocks," the woman said.

"His shorts had fallen off while police were trying to restrain him. His girlfriend grabbed his shorts and was screaming at him to get up off the ground.

"My mates and I were sitting on the grass and he was right in front of us while it all happened."

The woman said Edwards' teammates asked police not to eject him from the venue in front of concertgoers.

"He had to be hand cuffed, and his fellow footballer mates were begging the police not to take him through the crowd of people, but they did."

The woman said she spotted Edwards again outside the venue.

"I then saw them once they had been escorted out, and Aaron Edwards was rolling down the hill still in his underwear in the car park." (The Age, 3/12/2007)

It's a terrible spectacle, that of a grown man, drunk off his gourd, eyes streaming with tears, shorts down, pathetically scrabbling to pull them up while pleading with police to allow him to preserve what remained of his dignity by not cuffing his hands. Watching him and his friends beg to be spared the humiliation that comes with parading him through a crowd of tormentors in such condition must be sickening.

So it's a bit bloody cheeky for Kangaroos' general manager of football operations Donald McDonald to claim, by way of apology, that "Thankfully no member of the public was directly affected by either of these incidents."

I'd say that bearing witness to terrible drunken behaviour, clashes with security guards, police confrontation, capsicum spray and ritual humiliation is pretty distressing when you're trying to enjoy a Lionel Richie concert.

The only slight relief came when Edwards, on being given his phone call, was overhead to say "I just called, to say ... Mum, can you post bail?".

Sadly, I don't think this is the last we'll see of drunken violence and other bad behaviour from the Kangaroos. With their club all but gone from Melbourne, they'll lash out vengefully at the city who so cruelly rebuffed them. After two years of booze-fuelled agro, the Kangaroos be a perfect cultural fit for the Gold Coast as Toolie Ambassadors.

*** UPDATE ***
Sadly, it seems the Kangaroos are planning to stick it out as North Melbourne for the time being after turning down a stupendously generous deal to move to Carrara on the Gold Coast. While the AFL executive - particularly Andy Demetriou - seems to think they'll last about six months without the $100M they offered, the AFL is pressing ahead with plans for a 17th club on the Gold Coast anyway.

In terms of citizen safety, this is a worst case scenario: angry, sullen North Melbourne players roaming the streets looking for any excuse to lash out before their demise plus a whole new batch of 40-odd AFL players emerging in the Gold Coast. If the West Coast Eagles have taught us anything, it's that these isolated, artificial clubs can quickly revert, Lord of the Flies-style, into dangerous nests of immorality, vice and sleaze.

Heaven help us.

*** UPDATE ***
The Kangaroos have suspended Shannon Grant for a match for "breaking club rules" at a golf day.

No details as yet as to the nature of his offence, nor whether or not he copped another burst of capsicum spray this time. Stay tuned.

Citations: Fox Sports, 3/12/2007; PerthNow, 3/12/2007; The Age, 3/12/2007

Word Count: 955

Tags: footy, booze, culture

Scott Thompson Dodges Jail

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Convicted hoon and Adelaide Crows midfielder, Scott Thompson, has been found guilty of driving offences after hospitalising a mate. However, the resulting $50 good behaviour bond meted out by the justice system offers scant deterrence to future lapses by other footballers. What sort of a message does this send?

The incident was on November 2, 2007. Thompson - who was allegedly sober - offered to drive three mates home in a car belonging to Adam Samson, one of the group. Sadly and predictably, he engaged in what the court described as "burn-outs". Even more sadly (and slightly less predictably), he crashed the car into a pole, injuring Adam Samson. Samson required surgery.

At this point Thompson "panicked" and a passenger claimed to be driving in his stead. This lie was supported by the fourth person in the car.

To his credit, Thompson did come forward to police shortly after and confessed he was driving. It would be interesting to know the motives for his change of heart, but we can only speculate. Did he speak to a lawyer? A club official? A PR adviser? Who knows?

Thompson, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of causing serious harm by dangerous driving, and one count of leaving an accident scene after causing serious harm.

In sentencing, [Port Adelaide Magistrate Paul] Foley said the crash occurred on Coral Sea Rd, Fulham, on November 2.

...

He said he would have jailed Thompson for six months, but reduced that to four months because of his guilty plea.

He suspended the sentence on condition Thompson enter into a $50 good behaviour bond and be disqualified from driving for 12 months. (AdelaideNow, 9/7/2008)

Just to emphasise the lameness and futility in putting a professional footballer (average income: $250K+) on a $50 bond into perspective, a well-ranked player and Brownlow contender like Thompson could be earning $50 every hour of every day of the year. I mean, why bother? Either make it substantial or it's just an insult to other motorists.

The press release issued by the Adelaide Crows is equally offensive. In it, Thompson expresses the insensitive notion that "this exercise has been a great learning curve for me" and he's looking forwards to "passing on his experience with others".

Somewhat bizarrely, he's been given a role coordinating the "Learn to Drive Safely" program for younger players. I believe the standard text in this subject is by Darren Millane. Perhaps David Teague can step in for a guest lecture on blaming the floor mat when you render someone a quadriplegic. And I'm sure Michael Gardiner can offer a few tips on safe driving while we're at it.

Meanwhile the club has stepped into remedy the lack of punishment by issuing a more credible $5,000 fine (around half a week's pay). Oh, but they suspended the fine. So (as I understand it) he's not actually paying it. And they put him on volunteer duties for his sins (what message does that send the kids?) and the spin doctors are keen to emphasise this started before the court case. Back in April. You know, six months after the crime. But it's not just to look good in front of the beak, honest!

Bah. Criminally stupid and reckless behaviour. A culture of lies and cover-ups. Token slap on the wrist by the courts. Spin and bullshit from club officials. And another young player shrugs off the consequences and is cheered onto the field.

Citations: AdelaideNow, 9/7/2008

Word Count: 595

Tags: footy, court, traffic

Footy Finances Exposed

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 16 May 2007 05:30:00 +0000

Getting a handle on the complex financial dealings of the AFL is challenging. Footy is now a huge business involving massive salaries, mind-boggling media deals and alarming commercial transactions. Drawing on a number of public sources, this week we attempt to distill the financial essence of the game in a format even footy fans can understand.

After our research team spent hours poring over various AFL financial reports, individual club statements and a wealth of independent media analyses, we concluded that AFL's business is extremely complex. Money flows in from:

media businesses ($200M p.a.) for the right to broadcast games,
government subsidies (~~$55M p.a.~~) for being real Aussies, Update: Real figure is closer to $33M for 06/07 financial year. It may vary from year to year.
gambling businesses ($10M p.a.) for, well, we can't figure it out,
sponsorships,
ticket sales,
club memberships,
catering.

This last one is particularly controversial, after Telstra Dome's boss Ian Collins conceded that the half-time pass-out ban was, in part, about protecting caterers' revenue (and hence licensing revenue for the game) on the extraordinarily expensive food on offer.

Rather than try to provide a detailed breakdown of this knotted ball of entwined dealings, we've prepared a chart that picks two ends of the thread and pulls:

So, meat pies cost something like $7 at the footy venues. Cocaine costs around $250 per gram on the street (according to the Australian Institute of Criminology). No one is suggesting that the bulk of the cocaine and other illicit drugs consumed by footballers comes from pie sales. Despite the large number of pies sold each year - plus the gobsmacking mark-ups - most of the AFL revenue comes from media and sponsorship deals. This illustrates just how important it is to the AFL that we sit on our couches and watch ads interspersed with footy.

On the other side of the equation, how much of the AFL's outgoings end up being spent on drugs? As expected the AFL Annual Report (2006) didn't include a breakout for this item. It did indicate that some $133M was spent last year on around 640 players, and average salaries were around $220K. Player income is more than 60% of the AFL's expenses.

It is, of course, extremely difficult to get a robust estimate of the proportion of income the average footballer spends on illicit drugs. As it happens, our researchers could only dig up one data point published by an organisation shielded by defamation lawyers:

It is said that [Ben] Cousins was spending about $3000 a week on drugs from his annual salary of $800,000. (Herald-Sun, 25/3/2007)

In before-tax terms, if the Murdoch press is to be believed, this particular player is allegedly spending $156K per year, out of $800K, yielding a soft estimate of around 20%. Is this likely to be high or low?

On the one hand, this is likely to be too high. Cousins, after all, is in continuing rehabilitation, apparently for his raging ice addiction. As such, he may be spending a disproportionately large amount of his income on drugs.

On the other hand, it may be an underestimate. Cousins is a highly paid AFL footballer - probably in the top 5% of earners - so as a percentage his habit is probably small. Also, his preferred drug is allegedly crystal methamphetamine, typically half the price of cocaine. And let's not forget that while dozens of other players have tested positive for using drugs, Cousins escaped detection. Can we presume, therefore, that Cousins wasn't using drugs at the highest rate? (There are other - more sinister - reasons why some players avoid detection and others don't.) So considering these countervailing arguments, maybe 20% isn't too far off the mark.

Naturally, not all footballers are regular users. It's hard to get a feel for the proportion that are - certainly the AFL drug testing regime is thoroughly discredited and of no help at all. Dale Lewis famously suggested that it was about 75% (before being dismissed and attacked by AFL officials). Lawrence Angwin suggested "five out of the nine in the leadership group" were out on pills the night before he got canned. John Worsfold claimed that eight Eagles admitted to drug use (out of 40 in the squad, that's 20%). Let's split the difference and call it 50%.

If the 20% of income guesstimate is applied across the 50% of user-players, then in ball-park terms, we're talking about 10% of $133M. This is something like $10M per year flowing into the coffers of drug dealers from AFL footballers.

That's a disturbingly large figure. If anyone's got a better estimate for either the proportion of income spent on drugs or the proportion of footballers who regularly use drugs, please run it past a defamation lawyer, get it published and then send us the link. We'll be glad to update this estimate in light of new information.

Ten million bucks a year on drugs? That's a lot of overpriced pies.

*** UPDATE ***
More insight into how the AFL makes its rivers of cash came to light in the past week. It's not all selling overpriced pies - there's many lines of business to exploit, and once again, the AFL isn't shy about taking people to court when it feels its million-dollar interests are threatened.

The AFL is claiming that discount clothing retailer Dimmeys and Forges (famous for its use of tax-dodging former footballer Dipper) is violating the AFL's "intellectual property" (groan) by selling "knock-off" (their words, not mine) shirts in club colours:

A $20 shirt from Dimmeys.
Source: The Age

The equivalent, properly licensed shirt costs around $75. So, want to support your club? Pay a $50 premium to the retailer, who then kicks some back to the AFL, who dole a bit out the club, which then trickles down to the players' salaries, so a portion of that can end up with purveyors of Australia's finest imported cocaine.

Dimmeys, champion of the underdog and the Western suburbs in general, has vowed to fight the case. As Dimmey's Ken Hampson said "The AFL owns trademarks but it doesn't own every bird that exists in Australia. It doesn't own every magpie." Oh Ken. So naive. How much you have to learn about how the AFL does business.

Remember when grannies used to knit scarves in their team colours? Or kids would show up with their faces painted? Once, that was a symbol of belonging. Now it's just forgone revenue and someone has to pay. Do you think the AFL is happy seeing adjacent red, white and black stripes on a little kid's shirt without the $50 AFL imprimatur on it? That's one less player on a seven figure contract. Someone call Amnesty International!

Once the greedy AFL licensing behemoth gets up a head of steam, you can forget about getting within 100m of the 'G in unsanctioned face paint, yet alone wearing an illegal backyard scarf that literally sucks the lifeforce from our struggling clubs. This is the message they will be getting out: "Club spirit? No thanks, we'll just take the cash!"

Does anyone else sometimes wonder if the long-term interests of the game aren't being jeopardised by the short-term needs of administrators forced to justify their own million-dollar salaries?

Citations: Herald-Sun, 25/3/2007

Word Count: 844

Tags: footy, drugs, swindle

Kerr Unleashed On Fearful Public

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 07:19:00 +0000

More jaw-dropping misbehaviour from serial offender Daniel Kerr throws a spotlight on the troubled West Coast Eagles. What the hell are they putting in the water over there? Alcohol, presumably. Perth is not taking the news well. Reports are trickling out of mass absenteeism, empty streets, closed shops and deserted shopping malls as citizens stay home. Apparently, there's been a run on tinned food and bottled water as households hoard essentials. It's unlikely the siege mentality will lift while Kerr is free to walk the streets.

Daniel Kerr was scheduled to appear in Perth's Magistrate Courts tomorrow (Tuesday) over an earlier matter in which he was alleged to have been involved with a teenager copping a broken nose and missing teeth. Apparently, the prospect of an imminent court appearance wasn't enough to check his behaviour over the weekend:

It is understood Kerr had gone to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital with a friend who fell ill at a Subiaco restaurant on Saturday night. But hospital staff had to ask him to leave because of his poor behaviour. Once outside, Kerr began arguing with a taxi driver, allegedly jumped on the boot of a taxi and broke off its rear aerial. Police are investigating claims Kerr struck the taxi driver with the aerial. He was arrested in a nearby suburb [Nedlands] and taken to the Perth watch-house. (The Age, 26/2/2007)

Today (Monday), Kerr took his medicine in court:

West Coast Eagles midfielder Daniel Kerr has pleaded guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court to assaulting a taxi driver in Perth on Saturday night.

...

Kerr has been fined $1,500 for the assault, and $300 for the damage to the taxi.

The West Coast Eagles have fined Kerr the maximum penalty of $10,000.

The original charge of disorderly conduct was upgraded to assault causing bodily harm and damage after details of the incident with the taxi driver became apparent. (ABC Online, 26/2/2007)

Of course, the mollified and subdued Kerr that presented in court was a shadow of the fired-up and aggressive thug in the watch-house:

A West Coast supporter, who shared a cell with the footballer after being arrested for allegedly urinating in public, said he did not recognise Kerr at first glance.

"To be honest, when he first walked in, I didn't realise it was him and that's because he was that pissed, hey," Josh Scott, 18, said. "The cops said, 'How's Kerr going?'

"I said, 'Is that Daniel Kerr?' I didn't realise because he was so pissed.

"I said, 'What are you doing, mate, you're meant to be playing in the NAB Cup game against Freo. Let's keep the tally rolling against Freo'," Scott said. "His response to that was, 'Do you want to have a punch-up?'. I reminded him about what happened with (Ben) Cousins and (Michael) Gardiner and he didn't really say too much." (SMH, 26/2/2007)

This man is a dangerous trouble-maker whose propensity for violence is well-established. What steps are being taken to protect the public (including hospital and transport workers)? No wonder the good citizens of Perth are cowering in their homes, afraid to leave lest they find a deranged footballer on a yet another drunken rampage.

Kerr is no stranger to the police and the courts, having been fined in 2004 for passing a fake prescription for Valium to a pharmacist. He was also involved in a brawl with Ben Cousins in 2002, in which Cousins' arm was broken.

What's the reaction from his club for this prize stooge casting a pall of terror over the Western Australia's largest city? Sadly predictable:

But after voicing his disappointment, [Eagles coach and chief apologist John] Worsfold said he would recommend Kerr receive a $10,000 fine - not lose his place in the team.

"Our match committee is pretty adamant he should cop a fine so we will be recommending that to our board," Worsfold said.

"I am not going to predict the future but he hasn't got to that level (of getting put back to the WAFL).

"He wasn't out that late, but he has had an indiscretion where he wasn't in control of himself, and that has hurt us as a club.

"He has to learn what he can and what he can't do. And if he can't have a few drinks and control his emotions then he shouldn't drink.

"There is no doubt he gets targeted more than anyone when he is out and about, so he now has to make a decision: 'Do I keep putting myself in those positions - what's my priorities?'"

...

"I think it was midnight when he got picked up and he was on his way home, as far as I know - in that regard he hasn't really affected how he can perform next week," Worsfold said. (AAP, 26/2/2007)

Yeah, right. Poor old Daniel Kerr was being targeted and picked on by the dastardly nurses and doctors at the hospital who sought to provoke him into a fight. Obviously, working Accident and Emergency in a major hospital at midnight on Saturday is very boring and the staff there have nothing better to to do than single out footballers for harassment. Ditto for taxi drivers working that shift. They get heaps of status for picking on footballers and egging them into fights.

You have to admire the chutzpah of AFL coaches these days. When they just come out and say "yes, he's a prick but what can we do? He's just too damn good at footy and I'm powerless to sanction him because we want to win real bad", they get hounded for it (like Mick Malthouse). On the other hand, if they try to mount a defence (like Denis Pagan), they just end up trashing their own reputations by spewing the most implausible rubbish like this.

Perhaps the best spin on it might be that the club is awaiting the outcome of Kerr's other court appearance this week (also on violence charges) before deciding to bench him. I wouldn't hold your breath. Until clubs like West Coast are prepared to say "we don't want dickheads like that representing us on the field", the citizens of Perth will have to hunker down and pray they don't fall victim to their out-of-control footballers.

*** UPDATE ***
Daniel Kerr pleaded guilty to assault at a party in Perth. He was fined $2,000 for striking a teenager in a brawl. (To put that amount in perspective, he will have "earned" this before quarter time on Saturday. Port Adelaide was fined significantly more than this for wearing a slightly-wrong uniform last weekend.)

His club said "[The West Coast Eagles] will impose no additional sanction and will make no further comment."

Privately, many fans and officials are delighted to see the Eagles rally in the face of strong competition from Freo for "worst club in the league". With both Jeff Farmer and Chris Tarrant in their corner, Freo have the upper hand. Kerr has been carrying the club for some time now, but many observers are confident a Ben Cousins supernova is imminent.

*** UPDATE ***
Reports are emerging about a weekend punch-on in a Perth nightclub car park, involving high-profile West Coasters Daniel Kerr and Andrew Embley. In light of the ongoing Ben Cousins fiasco, WCE needs this like a hole in the head. But it seems Special K's propensity for violence knows no bounds:

WA Police confirmed they had been called to an incident outside the Niche bar, but by the time officers had arrived any trouble had dissipated.

No charges have been laid, or look likely to be, unless an official complaint is made.

And after local radio stations began reporting today vice-captain Embley was one of those involved, the Eagles vigorously denied any wrongdoing by their players.

"As far as we are concerned the players have done nothing wrong. They are on leave, and they were out at the pub," an Eagles' spokesman told AAP.

"It was light hearted by-play ... a bit of push and shove ... and suddenly it has become a big thing."

Both Kerr and Embley are no strangers to controversy, with Embley having been caught up in the furore surrounding Cousins' suspension on the eve of the 2007 season.

Embley and teammate Daniel Chick were involved in a brawl over Cousins around the time of his suspension from the club in March. (Adelaide Now, 29/10/2007)

Hmmm. Is anyone else detecting a pattern here? These guys are bad news and it's a testament to the blind ambition of the West Coast Eagle's leadership that the four knobs are still on their books. Oh wait, make that three. How long before Chick and Kerr get the arse too?

*** UPDATE ***
More chilling evidence of the mentality that pervades the West Coast Eagles. This time, it was a sworn statement from an alleged victim of Daniel Kerr. The Age reports today that Drew Hodgekiss, 18, alleged he had his shirt pulled over his head and was bashed by Kerr at a party. Apparently, he then told police that Kerr said "I am too good for the Eagles. They wouldn't delist me."

This sort of attitude is not surprising. Mick Malthouse's remarks during the Tarrant/Johnson bashing incident pretty much confirm the view that standout players are above rebuke.

How disgusting. This widespread mindset in AFL means that no club wins or loses any more games overall (hey, it's a zero-sum game!), yet hoodlums know they can get away with whatever they like. Being told they're special only increases their proclivity for violence. Seen in this light, allegations that Andrew Lovett told an ex-girlfriend he could "get away with murder" take on a much more sinister tone.

Citations: ABC Online, 26/2/2007; SMH, 26/2/2007; AAP, 26/2/2007; Adelaide Now, 29/10/2007

Word Count: 1513

Tags: footy, bashing, court, booze

Wayne Carey Throws Away Career

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:21:00 +0000

One of AFL footy's greatest ever players, Wayne Carey, has imploded in a stupefyingly spectacular outburst of anger, misogyny and violence. It seems his entire post-football career is finished, with his employers falling over themselves in a rush to ditch him. Facing police assault charges in Miami and with the prospect of more in Australia, earlier questions about his behaviour towards his girlfriend, model Kate Neilson, have been raised again.

Disturbance in Port Melbourne

The current controversy kicked off when Wayne Carey, a regular topic of interest here on The Speccy, (allegedly) called police to his exclusive Port Melbourne apartment. Apparently, he wanted them to remove his girlfriend, the "grid girl" and "glamour model" Kate Neilson, and her friend Sabella Sugar:

Kate Neilson, working to promote bogan-sports.
Source: Herald-Sun.

When police arrived, it's alleged that Carey became out of control:

Senior Constable Wayne Wilson said police were allegedly assaulted at the apartment front door.

"Police arrived and then at the front door the fellow from the address allegedly assaulted police officers," Sen Const Wilson said.

"They struggled with him, sprayed him. He was arrested and taken to the St Kilda police station where he was spoken to and interviewed, and a brief of evidence will be prepared in relation to assault police. (Perth Now, 28/1/2008)

So Carey was "maced" (or, more correctly, sprayed with capsicum spray) by police in an effort to control him. At this point, standard procedure requires paramedics to be called. We can see the effects of this thanks to the CCTV footage from the security cameras in the lift and lobby:

This security footage - apparently purchased by our old friends Channel 7 - has sparked its own mini-scandal:

The Seven Network tonight aired what it described as exclusive security footage from Carey's apartment building.

The footage showed Carey, dressed in a blue t-shirt and jeans, being led into a lift and then out of the foyer by two police officers.

Carey appeared red-faced and, in one portion of the footage, was having water poured over his face. [see above]

But the Nine Network said police were investigating how the footage was obtained.

A security guard offered Nine the same footage for $20,000 but the network did not buy it because it was feared the images were stolen, Nine reporter Tony Jones said tonight.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police denied such an investigation had been launched. (The Age, 28/1/2008)

(Heh. Still, not as damaging to the league as naming [that club] in The Great Medical Records Shitstorm of 2007.)

Carey was maced, cuffed and taken into custody and the scandal broke around midnight on Sunday night. By Monday, his radio gig at 3AW was under threat, with broadcaster Neil Mitchell publicly decrying Carey. By Tuesday, the axe had fallen and Wayne Carey was not to have his contract renewed. (Predictably, 3AW claimed this was a decision they'd already taken and had nothing to do with his actions over the weekend.)

Miami Incident Goes Public

Kate Neilson, in trouble in paradise.
Source: Herald-Sun

Later on Tuesday, Australia was rocked to hear that in October 2007, Wayne Carey had been charged by US police in Miami under suspiciously similar circumstances: a domestic disturbance followed by assault against police:

In the report, arresting officer Daniel Rodriguez said Kate Neilson told police when they arrived that her boyfriend of two years had smashed a wine glass on her mouth, causing lacerations to her mouth and neck.

Police went upstairs to the couple's hotel room and knocked several times on the door, but Carey didn't answer.

When hotel security opened the door, Carey was asleep on the bed and did not wake until police tapped him on the shoulder, the incident report stated.

"At this point he became aggressive, jumped out of bed and became confrontational towards these officers," Officer Rodriguez said.

After a scuffle Carey fell back on the bed and kicked Officer Rodriguez in the mouth.

When police attempted to restrain Carey, he elbowed a second officer in the face.

Carey was turned on his stomach and put into handcuffs, but as he was hauled away continued to push the second officer, using his shoulders and side.

When he was put inside the patrol vehicle, he bashed his head against the plexiglass of the divider separating him from the officers. (The Age, 30/1/2008)

Carey's Miami Mugshot
Source: The Age

Carey was so out-of-control he had to be "hobbled" with special leg restraints for "combative, violent, high-risk people". He is due in court in Miami on February 15th and faces up to 15 years in jail for his alleged criminal behaviour. As a result of this latest scandal, Channel 9 dumped him from his on-air roles with the (loathsome) AFL Footy Show and Footy Confidential. I doubt anyone will miss his tactless and cruel remarks about the problems of others.

More Details of Party Emerge

Adding to the furore, new stories have surfaced about underworld links and drugs at the party at Carey's Rouse St apartment in the hours leading up to his arrest:

Traces of cocaine were also allegedly found in Carey's apartment, sources said.

Today Tonight reported last night that Stingers actor Kate Kendall and her husband, former Carlton football great Wayne "The Dominator" Johnston, were invited guests at a party Carey hosted on Sunday.

Kendall's manager said they had left the party long before police were called.

A source close to police repeated details of the party to The Age. The source said a high-profile horse trainer and a former VFL footballer who is a known associate of murdered drug dealer Jason Moran, were also present. (The Age, 30/1/2008)

Party Girls, Sabella and Kate
Source: Daily Telegraph

At this point, we should remind readers that Wayne Carey was also an associate of (now slain) drug dealer and hitman Jason Moran, Mark's half-brother. Carey gave character testimony for Moran in 2000.

Back in March, 2007, we covered an Age investigation detailing a major drug operation against a well-known former AFL player with a huge media profile for his cocaine use. At the time, Carey refused to rule himself out:

FOOTBALL great Wayne Carey refuses to say whether he has dabbled with cocaine, and insists he knows nothing about the alleged habits of other sporting greats.

As the game's big names went to ground yesterday, Carey told the Herald Sun he was unaware of claims a former star player was under police pressure to snitch on a cocaine dealer.

But the controversial ex-Roo and Crow would not say if he had dabbled with the drug himself.

"No, I'm here with my daughter," Carey said.

"I'm saying no, I don't want to comment." (Herald-Sun, 26/3/2008)

It's also not the first time Carey has been accused of domestic violence. As we reported just over a year ago, allegations were levelled against him for attacking Kate Neilson in December, 2007:

WAYNE Carey's girlfriend has told police she was assaulted by the former football champion.

It has been alleged a frightened Kate Neilson went to police after an incident at a Port Melbourne penthouse apartment.

The Herald Sun believes the model told police she was scared to leave the two-time Kangaroos premiership player.

Carey and Ms Neilson have denied the incident, but police sources claim she called 000 after being struck last Thursday, but was so distraught operators couldn't understand her complaint.

It was handed over to police and she went to South Melbourne police station to speak to officers there about 1.30am.

Police have told the Herald Sun that Ms Neilson had minor injuries when she arrived at the station, and she claimed Carey had punched her. (Herald-Sun, 28/12/2006)

Kate Nielson and Wayne Carey in Happier Days
Source: Adelaide Now

The public long suspected Wayne Carey was a bad man, stemming from incidents going back years. We were just prepared to overlook the facts on account of his star footy status. A philander, a misogynist, as well as aggressive and violent with extensive underworld connections. A man who indecently attacked a 19 year-old woman out the front of a nightclub. A man who cheated on his wife with his team-mate, and then abandoned her a second time just weeks after she gave birth.

Now, it seems that without his prodigious football talent to hide behind, he is being hung out to dry and getting exactly what he deserves. (Even his entry into the AFL Hall of Fame - formerly a slam-dunk - is now under a cloud.) The great shame is that people didn't see him for the pathetic, angry man that he is earlier. The Australian footy-loving public was blinded to his monstrous flaws and the blind adulation only fuelled his ego and sense of imperviousness.

Consider the remarks of the Miami police, public officials immune to the star power of an Aussie Rules player who can see him for what he is:

Miami Police Lieutenant Bill Schwartz said Carey was a "mess'' and should have left his aggression on the football field. Instead he used "his famous foot" to kick an officers in the mouth.

"It looks as though that he used his wine glass to try to knock out his girlfriend, his foot and elbow to try to knock out some cops and his head to try to knock out a police car," Lt Schwartz said.

He said the officers did not know who Carey was then.

"To us, he was just another thug."

...

"The young woman had lacerations to her mouth and her neck, apparently she had been hit in the face with a wine glass,'' Lt Schwartz told the Nine Network.

"She told us Mr Carey had done this.

...

"Mr Carey became belligerent when we approached him - in fact, he ended up kicking one of our officers in the mouth with his famous foot," Lt Schwartz said.

"He struck another officer in the side of the head with his elbow and he had to be subdued.

"Then once he was handcuffed and in the police car, he took his head and tried to bash a hole in the partition between the prisoner's side and the officer's.

"Clearly Mr Carey has anger management issues and he seemed to be upset with the entire world that particular morning. (Herald-Sun, 30/1/2008)

There you have it. Just another thug upset at the entire world. If only the rest of us had seen Wayne Carey so clearly ten years ago, if only we weren't so quick to make excuses and overlook his behaviour, maybe all this pain, heartache and disappointment could have been avoided.

*** UPDATE ***
With violent, drug-addled thug Wayne Carey back in the headlines, it's worth a quick post rounding up the key points, breaking news and other sordid details from his life with paramour Kate Neilson. Click through for the latest word.

Citations: Perth Now, 28/1/2008; The Age, 28/1/2008; The Age, 30/1/2008; The Age, 30/1/2008; Herald-Sun, 26/3/2008; Herald-Sun, 28/12/2006; Herald-Sun, 30/1/2008

Word Count: 1861

Tags: footy, scandals, court, media, bashing

AFL Exports Aussie Violence To Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 05:19:00 +0000

The AFL has used the International Rules series against Ireland to export our unique brand of off-field drunkenness and violence. In the first case of its kind, Brendan Fevola - International Man of Stupidity - has brought disgrace to his country with an alcohol-fuelled assault against an Irish barman as well as introducing an exciting new form of biff-artistry to the Irish.

In a brilliant stroke of marketing genius, the AFL player has seized on the tour as an opportunity to build an off-shore fanbase for our homegrown game by showcasing a capacity for thuggery. While the idea of exporting drunken pub bashings to Ireland may seem like carrying coal to Newcastle, the AFL group has cleverly married the existing demand for such activities with the novel twist of Australian thugs dishing out the biff. As aficionados of public bar brawls say, if you can make it in Ireland, you can make it anywhere.

In a carefully planned operation, Carlton Blues star Brendan Fevola (ably assisted by his team-mates) started drinking at 1pm on Sunday (29th of October) at the Galway Races, ensuring he was good and liquored up by the evening. They arrived at the Imperial Hotel where the staff reported "the group of Australian players were "very drunk" upon arrival and one unnamed player vomited in the bar area." (The Age, 1/11/2006). Staff also "claimed that another two Australian players were "messing around" near the reception area of the hotel." and that "The young girl on reception was terrified" (Herald-Sun, 1/11/2006). The scene for Operation Loose Cannon was set.

The Irish barman, identified only as Paul, walked blindly into his role in the publicity stunt by trying to cut off the booze. Fevola reacted like any footballer when he doesn't get his way: threats, intimidation and actual violence:

[Barman Paul] said Fevola and a couple of his teammates were being louts and he had warned them to calm down or he would refuse to serve them.

Fevola allegedly responded by swearing abuse at the barman so Paul went to call the police.

“So I said ‘fine, sorry lads I’m going to have to ring the police’," Paul told Southern Cross Broadcasting today.

"So I walked out to reception not knowing that he was actually following me – he went around the other side of the bar to follow me.

“As I was on the phone to the police he grabbed me in a headlock and pulled me out of reception while he had a bottle in his hand.

“I was just worried about the bottle, so I struggled with him to get the bottle released and one of the fellow barmen came out and took the bottle out of his hand.

“And as he (the other barman) did he (Fevola) swung and hit me in the cheek.

“Straight after that the rest of the team came out and they pulled him off me and they had to restrain him from getting at me again." (Herald-Sun, 1/11/2006)

Paul has been quite clear that Fevola struck him and is reported as wanting to see him charged with assault. Police are said to be reviewing CCTV footage of the incident, and no official word is forthcoming as yet about the legal status. Brendan Fevola denies striking Paul, and is surprisingly sure about events for someone who was by all accounts pissed out of his gourd:

"I've done the wrong thing by getting him in a headlock . . . it was pretty stupid," Fevola said.

"I'm just glad I didn't hit him. I would've been in more trouble if I'd hit him. A lot more trouble.

"It was just a headlock.

"If I wanted to hit him, I would've hit him." (Herald-Sun, 1/11/2006)

Somewhat bizarrely, the Irish police (gardai) aren't the only ones investigating the incident. Used to enjoying quasi-judicial powers in Australia, the AFL executive and the players' union have pulled out their own trenchcoats and over-sized magnifying glasses to engage in a bit of overseas amateur sleuthery:

The AFL held its own investigation into the incident on Monday, speaking to Fevola, other players at the bar, the barman and hotel staff.

Late in the day Fevola faced an AFL disciplinary committee, set up to deal with incidents on tour.

The committee -- Demetriou, football operations manager Adrian Anderson, AFL Players' Association chief executive Brendon Gale, captain Dustin Fletcher and coach Kevin Sheedy -- decided to hit Fevola with a heavy penalty.

Fevola addressed the committee. Demetriou confirmed the Blue had admitted he had drunk too much alcohol.

It was decided he would be suspended from the second Test in Dublin on Sunday.

Fevola won't be fined. (Herald-Sun, 1/11/2006)

Hmmm, his "heavy penalty" includes dodging any fine and not playing in the Second Test (given he was not even selected for the First Test, how likely was he to make it to the Second?). Still, if one of your players heroically acts as a spearhead for promoting the game to a new audience, you can't be seen to be too harsh.

But slight rebukes are par for the course in this kind of incident. What's disturbing is the fact that the seasoned "detectives" of the self-appointed Aussie Rules Footy Squad took it upon themselves to interview bar staff and other witnesses to a crime under active investigation: "Hi, we're Brendan's employer and union rep - tell us what you saw." While some sticklers for the rules might be worried that this could create the impression of tampering with witnesses, it's really just part of the follow-up focus group study for the bold new initiative.

This a tried and true method for assessing a new marketing campaign. Some of the questions the AFL leadership put to the witnesses would have been:

Were you impressed by the imposing physicality of the AFL players?

How did the levels of drunkenness compare with your own footballers?

In a car park brawl, how would you rate the Aussies' chances?

Did the display of naked aggression make you want to watch Aussie Rules in future?

And so on. No doubt this same kind of careful planning went into selecting Brendan Fevola for his role in this stunt. They needed someone with a proven record in shenanigans, but without the truly killer instincts of some of the more psychopathic players. Handily enough, The Australian provided a brief CV of Fevola's past experience in his capacity as drunken dickhead:

Fevola has tested the trust of Carlton fans and officials with off-field disciplinary problems and on-field petulance.

Fevola, whose cheeky personality has made him a favourite on Channel Nine's Footy Show, first found fame for all the wrong reasons in 2001.

Fevola's frizzy 'fro made him easily identifiable as the culprit behind a prank at Victoria University's Maidstone student village in May of that year.

He was labelled pathetic by former president John Elliott after he sprayed a female student leader in the face with a fire extinguisher and fought with security in a pre-dawn incident involving team-mates Matthew Lappin, who is also in Ireland, and discarded Blue Andrew Merrington. "I ran to the foyer, and as I was getting there, the door opened and I saw a guy with dark, curly hair wearing a white top, just before they blasted me with the fire extinguisher," the student said.

"It was really hard, hurting my eyes and my face and I was just trying to get a hold of them and grab them."

In another incident that year, Fevola and team-mate Ryan Houlihan harassed the manager of a North Melbourne dry-cleaner after a big night out.

He was also evicted from a Brunswick hotel amid accusations alcohol had been stolen and staff abused.

In 2004, the Blues punished Fevola when he missed a morning training session shortly before the start of the season.

It was revealed he had been involved in an altercation with Crown Casino security staff six hours earlier while leaving a party which was also attended by Formula One star Michael Schumacher and boxer Anthony Mundine.

This year, Fevola had charges of driving while disqualified dismissed after proving a cancellation notice had been sent to an old address.

He was fined for talking on his mobile phone while driving. (The Australian, 1/11/2006)

Nothing too serious, but a proven record of loutishness and a "cheeky persona" that ensures the Australian footballing public will soon forgive him.

Of course, the test of whether this surprise move to appeal to Irish bloodlust will pay off is in the Irish public reaction. While the story is generating some buzz in the Irish and UK media, it remains to be seen if this will translate into attendance figures and TV ratings. Here's hoping the Irish have more sense than us when it comes to hero-worshipping vicious thugs.

*** UPDATE ***
Oh dear, it seems this story just keeps getting worse.

For starters, it's now being alleged that the intimidation and threatening behaviour wasn't limited to just Brendan Fevola:

In a new twist, the barman dragged two other unnamed Australian players into the row, saying they and Fevola made threats to junior bar staff before the Carlton star allegedly assaulted him.

But the barman stressed neither of the other two players was involved in the physical altercation.

"They threatened my junior bar staff. I made the decision to refuse them drinks, and they got very aggressive, threatening me," Paul said. (Nine News, 1/11/2006)

Of course, the poor Irish bar staff are unfamiliar with the Australian custom of meekly complying with any and all requests from big shot footy heroes (it helps if you tug your forelock and don't make eye contact). I don't think Fevola's ever heard "no" before.

Next, The Fev showed us the childish lack of insight or self-reflection that can only come with being raised in a bubble of privilege:

Fevola risked further AFL sanctions by questioning the disciplinary committee's decision to send him home, and expressed surprise at the furore his actions had caused.

"I thought it was pretty harsh. They have to look like they're doing something, I suppose," Fevola told the Nine Network.

"I just can't believe that I'm not playing for my country and I've let them down and obviously my country as well, so it was pretty shattering." (Nine News, 1/11/2006)

To compound this, Bubble Boy went on to come with a bizarre excuse for his own behaviour - racism at the hands of the Irish! This is a striking example of what can happen to an idiot sportsman when cut adrift in a foreign land, with no spin doctors or media advisers to shield him from saying what he really thinks: It's everyone's fault but mine.

Fevola told reporters the Australian team had been sledged constantly since arriving.

"Everywhere we've gone, the people have been giving us shit, and when a few of the boys were at the casino playing poker, they were sledging the Aboriginal boys ... everywhere we've gone they've just hammered us. With everything."

He also claimed the barman whom he put in a headlock at the Imperial Hotel, an incident local police are still investigating, had goaded him and his teammates.

"It was probably just a build-up from everyone giving us shit throughout the whole week," Fevola said. (SMH, 2/11/2006).

It's called banter, you dolt! You only need to observe a group of more than five people from any of (Ireland, Britain, Australia and New Zealand) in the presence of beer and you will get banter. (The Irish, in particular, are adept at this art form.)

To the credit of Andrew Demetriou, he has come down pretty hard on Fev for this lame excuse (well, short of actually doing anything):

"We've spoken to (the players) and all of them - as one - said they had not suffered any racial abuse. In fact they said they have been treated very well here," [Demetriou] told Southern Cross radio.

"I think it's a very unfair slur on the Irish public. It's just completely untrue."

Yesterday bar staff told theage.com.au they did not know Fevola or the other Australians were football players when they arrived at the Imperial Hotel.

Mr Demetriou said it was disappointing Fevola had attempted to shift the blame for his drunken rampage, which the AFL chief labelled "dangerous, aggressive and totally unacceptable."

He said Fevola owed it to the Irish people to apologise for his comments. (SMH, 2/11/2006)

The bartender, Paul, is still upset that Brendan Fevola managed to slip out of the country, reputedly holed up in Norway waiting for the media storm to blow over. (NB: The story's getting picking up more steam in the UK and Ireland thanks to the new "Irish Racism Made Me Do It" angle.)

Asked if he wanted to press charges, Paul said: "I will indeed, yes."

But he said police had been unable to tell him whether charges would proceed.

"If it was anybody else that made that assault they would have to appear in court either on the Monday or the Wednesday and he's been allowed just to leave the country, which I don't understand." (Nine News, 1/11/2006)

Ah, Paul, poor Paul. Don't you get it? He's a footy superhero and winner of the Coleman Medal! He's not bound by your puny laws and scoffs at your futile notions of justice.

*** UPDATE ***
That punch-happy drunk, Bredan Fevola, has done it again, heaping shame upon his club and encapsulating the dangerous arrogance that permeates professional footy.

This time, he was busted urinating on the window of a Prahran nightclub. Well, why not? When you're a top AFL footballer and member of your club's "leadership group" (whatever the hell that means) then, hey, the world is your toilet! You can just piss where ever you like. Even if that means getting your cock out in public in Melbourne's gay district. Sure, why not? (Truth be told, had any Carlton fans been present they would have desperately scrabbled around on the ground, sopping up his piss with sponges and paper towels for storage and later veneration. That's the mentality we face here.)

Of course, Fevola hasn't exactly been keeping a low-profile this past month. He jeopardised the lives of little kids by recently speeding through a school zone at 20 km/h over the limit. Naturally, he avoided any unpleasant consequences from that. And for an earlier traffic incident that came to light:

Fevola avoided a charge of driving while disqualified in 2006.

When police caught him talking on his mobile phone in Hampton late in 2005 they discovered his licence was already suspended for the loss of demerit points. But the driving while disqualified charge was later struck out because of an address mix-up.

Fevola said he had not received notice of the licence suspension because he had changed address after his wedding. (Herald-Sun, 28/2/2008)

Travelling the world. Getting drunk. Beating people up. Breaking traffic laws. Endangering lives. Screwing teenaged models. Cheating on wives. Opening restaurants. Pissing on bars. Getting paid millions to play footy and be hero-worshipped.

Ah, it must be good to be king.

Citations: The Age, 1/11/2006; Herald-Sun, 1/11/2006; Herald-Sun, 1/11/2006; Herald-Sun, 1/11/2006; Herald-Sun, 1/11/2006; The Australian, 1/11/2006; Nine News, 1/11/2006; Nine News, 1/11/2006; SMH, 2/11/2006; SMH, 2/11/2006; Nine News, 1/11/2006

Word Count: 2299

Tags: footy, bashing, booze

Bogan Courtship Lands Demon in Court

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 03:58:00 +0000

Colin Sylvia may be the star Demon recruit (imp?), but he's got a lot to learn about romance judging by last weekend's efforts. To help with the love lessons, a magistrate has spelled out in some detail the requirements: cut out the violence and threats! Sadly, the magistrate has misunderstood the nature of bogan lovin'.

Colin Sylvia, After Agreeing Not To Attack Elise Whichello.
(Until February 2007)
Source: The Age

The cause of the couple's dispute remain unknown, although Colin has been in the press lately for his "repeated groin complaints". The incident (allegedly) started in an Albert Park road at about 3:30am very early Sunday. Colin Sylvia and his girlfriend of two years Elise Whichello had a public blue while both were quite pissed. This is not at all unusual and is an integral part of one of nature's greatest mysteries, the bogan lifecycle. (All bogans are conceived within 30 minutes of a dust-up. It's why they're constantly so angry.) Unfortunately, their courtship ritual was interrupted by a passing witness, described by The Age a "business consultant" (3/2/06). While the witness was understandably concerned at seeing the slight Ms Whichello on the receiving end of a kicking from professional sportsman Colin Sylvia, he must be either recklessly brave or terribly naive about such matters. I would no sooner intervene with a bickering bogan couple than take a bone from a pack of American pitbulls. Leave it to the police!

At this point, it was alleged in court, Colin Sylvia threatened to kill the witness if he "went to the police" about the matter. This echoes the use of illegal death threats by Simon Goodwin to silence witnesses to his bad behaviour. Are we seeing a rise in death threats by AFL footballers? It would be only natural, as the stakes get higher, to have dim, violent men increasingly resorting to intimidation like this.

Next, Elise Whichello indicates to police that she will be applying in court to have Colin Sylvia put on an intervention order (apprehended violence order). Not unreasonably, in my view. (After all, the Brownlows are months away and she has plenty of time to secure a guernsey.) But once in court, Ms Whichello dramatically rescinded the order. This may leave casual readers puzzled, but I assure you that the withdrawn-intervention-order is all part and parcel of bogan romance. (It serves a similar function to jewellery in mainstream courtships, along with tattoos and six-packs of Bundy.)

The upshot was that "[Magistrate Jeanette] Maughan put Colin Sylvia on a 12-month order with conditions that he not assault, harass, threaten or intimidate Ms Whichello." I don't understand why courts make these deals. He's already not meant to do those things. And why not extend the order to cover everyone, not just his missus? You'd think that magistrates - negotiating from a position of strength - would get a better outcome. You know, get the accused to agree to something in addition to just obeying the law, in relation to one person, for 12 months.

"[S]he warned him that until February next year he was not to breach the order." I would hope that he would continue to abstain from violence and death threats for well into 2007 - and beyond. Sure, it's asking a lot of an AFL player but if we don't set the bar a little higher how will they improve?

Colin's club docked him about a week's pay. And young Colin's response to this kerfuffle? "[W]hile Sylvia accepted the order, he did not admit any of the allegations". And why would he when he's on top of the world? He's an AFL rising star and answers to no one! Colin's take on it was suitably subdued: "It was just an argument between us (he and Ms Whichello) two and (the witness) got involved. That all it is ... He said something and I said something back to him and said I threatened him. That's the end of the story." Public drunkeness, assault by kicking, making threats to kill, apprehended violence orders ... pfft! Just part of the giddy thrills of bogan passion.

*** UPDATE ***
Colin Sylvia was sanctioned by the Melbourne Demons for missing his club's much-vaunted 1am curfew. He lasted about a week before staying out too late and missing a recovery session the next day.

Sylvia's lapse in commitment comes on top of his stand out performance in the International Brawl Series. The penalty for staying out past 1am is a one week suspension and a $5,000 fine - a sterner punishment than that meted out for his alleged assaults and death threats, described above. Certainly makes it clear where the club's priorities lie, don't it? But then, unlike missing training, kicking your girlfriend doesn't affect your on-field efforts - as long as you take care not to strain your leg whilst doing it.

Citations: 3/2/06

Word Count: 697

Tags: footy, court, bashing

Lovett - Or Leave It

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:11:00 +0000

Essendon's PR flaks have got their hands full with young footballer Andrew Lovett facing startling allegations of hostage-taking and bashing by his ex-girlfriend in a case with eerie parallels with another high-profile player.

Kimberlie Watson, a receptionist and part-time promotions model, made the allegations during an application for an intervention order last year. Lovett was in court this week following an alleged breach of that order. Lovett's not the first AFL player to end up in court over domestic violence (eg Colin Sylvia and Ashley Sampi). Nor is it the first involving a model (Alan Didak). He's not even the first to have the case against him advanced by the Herald-Sun (eg Wayne Carey). But the bizarre and violent nature of his (alleged) behaviour has blown the lid off the deepening scandal about footballers, "police immunity" and how they perceive the special privileges afforded to them under the law.

You can read the whole sordid affair over at The Hun, but the main allegations have been reproduced below:

FOOTBALLER Andrew Lovett's ex-girlfriend claims she feared she would die as he held her hostage and bashed her.

Kimberlie Watson alleges the Essendon forward locked her in his car and hit her on the head and body in a fit of rage that left her bruised and with a bloodied ear.

The receptionist and promotions model complained to police she was dragged by the hair into Lovett's blue Monaro and belted repeatedly as he drove through an industrial area in a frightening 45-minute ordeal.

Ms Watson, 24, told the Herald Sun she was scared she would be killed after ending their 10-month relationship.

"I didn't think I was going to get out of the car alive," she said.

"I could see the evil in his eyes. He wanted to hurt me."

Ms Watson was granted an intervention order against Lovett in court last April. He did not contest the making of the order and the assault allegations were not tested.

...

The case was adjourned to next month.

Ms Watson told the Herald Sun Lovett bombarded her with 180 text messages for two months after their tumultuous breakup on February 4 last year.

In one, he allegedly said he was a "special person" who "could probably get away with murder". (The Herald-Sun, 13/01/2007)

(For more background on the Lovett case - including disgraceful remarks by serial idiot Sam Newman - the thoughtful and balanced article by Phil Cleary is mandatory reading.)

I've never heard of this Lovett bloke before, but I'm starting to get a better picture of him via Kimberlie story:

Bogan-wagon? A Monaro. Check.

Model girlfriend? Well, sort of. Check.

Violent? Bashing someone. Check.

Dangerous driving? For 45 minutes. Check.

Misogynistic? Attacking young woman for trying to leave him. Check.

Spoilt brat? Believes he is a "special person" who can "get away with murder". Check.

Yep, we're dealing with a dinky-di, solid-gold footballer here. Gee, I wonder where on earth he could have picked up the idea that he was "special" and above the law? Could it be the consistent "light touch" policing? The abject failure of magistrates and judges to hold footy players to a fair standard? The fawning and sycophantic media? His Mum?

Whether or not he could actually get away with murder is a matter of some conjecture. Personally, I'm of the view that he is a low-level footballer and would struggle to get a murder swept under the rug. A hit and run? Maybe. Hey - it's not so outlandish. Certainly a number of AFL players have gotten away with stuff in the past due to police (in)action and Victoria's top cop has identified "star struck detectives" as a particular problem.

The club's PR flaks trotted out the usual tripe - blah, blah, "significant personal issues", blah, blah, "counseling", blah, blah "he can fully redeem himself". Interestingly, Essendon managing director Peter Jackson articulated the club's policy on exactly how many times a player is allowed to kidnap and bash a lover before risking sanction: once, and once only. "Andrew is under no illusion that any further behaviour such as this will be tolerated." Got that? They'll tolerate it once, but after that - no more.

While Lovett is awaiting his (next) day in court, he seems to have pulled himself together and has been enjoying himself at the tennis with a new partner. Who'd have him, you might ask? Presumably no woman who reads the newspaper (not even the Herald Sun). No problem, there's always ... Grid Girls! Fortunately Dermot Brereton's ex Ramona Pusch was available:

Slim Pickings: Grid Girl Ramona Pusch
(Source: Foster's Trackside)

Ms Pusch would do well to keep in mind Lovett's (alleged) behaviour last year and the distressing allegations of violence surfacing about that other Grid Girl who landed a big footy player, Kate Neilson. It's not all Brownlow Medal nights, arousing bogans and hours spent holding tyres in a bikini. There's an ugly side to the arrangement too.

*** Update ***
Andrew Lovett had his day in court today for breaching the intervention order taken out against him by Kimberlie Watson:

Magistrate Elizabeth Lambden imposed the [$500 fine] without conviction today after he pleaded guilty to one count of breaching an intervention order at Melbourne Magistrates' Court.

The court heard Lovett approached Kimberlie Watson and kissed her twice at a Maribyrnong nightclub in September last year, breaching an order not to go within 10 metres of her. (The Age, 9/3/2007)

Let's all hope he's learnt his lesson, and that other footballers take note too.

*** UPDATE ***
It finally happened: Essendon stood up to Andrew Lovett by banning him from all pre-season matches for his bad behaviour.

The ban signals how serious new coach Matthew Knights and captain Matthew Lloyd are about cracking down on player misbehaviour.

Essendon football manager Travis Auld said yesterday Lovett had previously been warned he needed to commit himself fully to the club.

...

"He realises in previous years he has got away with things he shouldn't have, so he has accepted it and he is training really well. [Auld said] (Herald Sun, 23/2/2008)

So, what travesty of justice has brought this ban on? Has he been abducting, stalking, attacking, making threats to kill? Breaching intervention orders again, perhaps?

No. He missed training. So the club needed to send a powerful message. Unlike the above incidents, where his power-tripping, abuse and violence were - apparently - not at all a problem for the club.

Disgusting.

How can Bomber fans be happy about someone like that taking to the field in their name? How can they condone officials and a leadership group that thinks it's alright?

Yeah, just shut up, sign the cheque and get the bumper sticker proclaiming how proud you are to be part of such a team.

Citations: The Herald-Sun, 13/01/2007; The Age, 9/3/2007; Herald Sun, 23/2/2008

Word Count: 1201

Tags: footy, bashing, sleaze

Footy Thugs Cop Soft Sentences

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 13:17:00 +0000

In Melbourne, the County Court (AFL Division) has disappointed once again in releasing violent AFL bruisers onto our streets. Three dickheads who went on a bashing spree in Federation Square, leaving a trail of damage and hospitalising a number of people, have managed to dodge jail. Even the one with priors for violence. Hard to understand, isn't it. Oh, did I mention they were good at playing footy?

Collingwood's Dane Swan and Williamstown's Aaron Ramsay (VFL, footy's second-tier comp) both got off with "community-based orders". Kade Carey (from Essendon's VFL team), nephew of disgraced footballer Wayne Carey, also copped a CBO plus a suspended sentence. Here at the Speccy we've been following this case closely for some time - from crime to preliminary hearing to plea - and are mighty let down at the sentence.

Let's just step through it:

Kade Carey "has a previous conviction for assault" (Melbourne Herald-Sun, 11/2/06). Not sure when, who or how, but this is not his first time.

In December 2001, at Federation Square, Kade Carey inexplicably launched himself at a passing motorist.

Lauren Marriner, the driver of the vehicle, told police that she saw three men standing on the side of Flinders Street. Then one of them ran at her car.

"As I got closer to the males, I slowed down so I wouldn't hit them. As I was still moving slowly, the larger guy ran at my car, ran onto the bonnet and jumped on my windscreen 'body slam' style," Ms Marriner told police. (The Age, 25/1/05)

Kade Carey then "initiated the fight, beating up a cleaner and three security guards with the help of his two mates." (Melbourne Herald-Sun, 11/2/06).

Kade Carey led the assault that left the cleaner and one bouncer in hospital. One witness "told police that two of the men had stopped attacking the security guards but the third had continued kicking a guard until the police arrived." (The Age, 25/1/05)

Dane Swan and Aaron Ramsay scarpered off down St Kilda Road. Kade stayed behind and was arrested at the scene. "The court was told Carey resisted attempts to arrest him, punching a police officer in the face before being subdued by capsicum spray." (Melbourne Herald-Sun, 11/2/06).

What absolute disgraceful conduct from these three men. Surely, this kind of public melee warrants the strongest possible condemnation from our justice system. What was the response from the County Court's Judge John Barnett?

The judge described his actions as "stupid and arrogant", but ... acknowledg[ed] that Carey was provoked.

He said Swan and Ramsay joined the fight to defend their friend. (Melbourne Herald-Sun, 11/2/06).

No comment. Readers can draw their own inferences about the implications of that. Final tally for their drunken violence spree:

Kade Carey. No jail time. Two months suspended sentence. Fine of $3000. 200 hours of community service.

Aaron Ramsay. No jail time. No suspended sentence. No fine. 120 hours of community service.

Dane Swan. No jail time. No suspended sentence. No fine. 100 hours of community service.

Source: The Age, 24/1/05
Dane Swan (left), Kade Carey (middle) and Aaron Ramsay (right) at last year's hearing.

Some people may scoff at the leniency of the sentences. Well, I'm sure it's got nothing to do with these boys being good at footy. No siree, no playing favourites in this town. So presumably all citizens can attack a female motorist, a cleaner, three bouncers and a policeman. You can even put a couple in hospital (by kicking, according to one witness). Hell, even if you've got prior convictions for assault - you'll still not lose your liberty! Plus, if it's one of your idiot mates doing the offending, you can step right in and help dish out some biff without even risking so much as a fine. That'll make Victorians feel safe in public places.

It's enough to make you wonder: what does it take to get put in jail? (They probably reserve jail time for the really serious stuff - like contempt of court charges arising from questioning a judge's sentences!)

One thing I'll say in defence of the judge though: he gave Kade Carey the "toughest" of the sentences; fair enough, given the massive preponderance of his guilt in all this.

I just hope that these young men use the opportunity for the three or four weeks of "unpaid work" to do something positive for the community. No doubt it will just be signing footballs at a primary school somewhere, or pouring beers at their team's social club. But they could make a positive contribution by publicly denouncing the warped values and alcohol-fuelled violence that permeates AFL culture. Sadly, I don't think this is the last we'll be seeing of these three idiots.

*** UPDATE ***
In a first for The Speccy, we've published a long interview with the ringleader of this sordid affair, Kade Carey. Kade speaks about the circumstances of the assault, the court case and the fall-out on the rest of his life.

Citations: Melbourne Herald-Sun, 11/2/06; The Age, 25/1/05; Melbourne Herald-Sun, 11/2/06; The Age, 25/1/05; Melbourne Herald-Sun, 11/2/06; Melbourne Herald-Sun, 11/2/06

Word Count: 826

Tags: footy, court, bashing

Profile: Wayne Carey

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Fri, 19 May 2006 07:26:00 +0000

Wayne Carey was a supremely-talented footballer who's off-field behaviour and character flaws saw him brought down like a modern, shabby Shakespearean tragedy. In this next instalment in the Speccy Profile series, we examine the life and times of Wayne Carey as more evidence for our case that being good at footy does not make you a good human being.

No one would deny that Wayne Carey in his heyday was like the Mike Tyson of Aussie Rules football: fast, strong, aggressive and blighted with a curiously high-pitched voice. He was born in Wagga Wagga in 1971 and began his footy career in South Australia before being picked up by North Melbourne. (Although hailing from NSW, Wayne was allowed to represent South Australia in the State of Origin on the grounds that, as King of the Westies, Adelaide was his spiritual home.) His family background suggests a genetic talent for football - despite one leg being longer than the other - and being a prick, with his nephew Kade Carey attracting all the wrong sort of attention.

Wayne played for the Kangaroos for most of career and despite being quite dim managed to rise to the rank of captain and secure a number of honours including club Best and Fairest and captaincy of the All-Australian team. (This hardly reflects well on the honours, does it?) His arrogance and abrasiveness meant that field umpires withheld crucial votes, ensuring he never won the game's highest honour, the Brownlow Medal.

Gormless Rooboy Caught in the Headlights
Source: Girl.com.au

Off-field, he was involved in the usual pub brawling and fighting associated with footballers. He also seemed strangely well-connected to Melbourne's underworld, giving character evidence at the trial of one high-profile (later slain) hitman, drug dealer and gangster (Melbourne Crime's dossier on Wayne makes for interesting reading.)

But it was with the ladies that Wayne Carey had the most problems. The first incident that saw him cop a high-profile guilty plea was back in 1996:

The assault occurred when Carey and a group of friends were walking down King Street after a night out [at 9am]. They approached the woman, who was with a female friend. Carey grabbed her breast and said, "Why don't you get a bigger set of tits?".

Carey's two footballer friends argued: "That sort of thing happens a hundred times a night in a night club. I'm not saying I condone it but ... I've seen how blokes act with women." The article later stated that the general view amongst Carey's colleagues was that he had been victimised by the media because he is a high profile football star.(Green Left Weekly, 19/2/1996)

Thanks to that special brand of justice reserved by Melbourne's magistrates for star footballers, he managed to avoid a sentence, or even a conviction! We can't help but wonder if this signal - that he can sexually assault women in broad daylight and get away with it - might not have contributed to what was to follow.

In March 2002, it became apparent to his club that Wayne was carrying on an affair with Kelli Stevens, the wife of his team-mate Anthony Stevens. Lurid rumours circulated that the pair were caught having sex in the toilets (a "dunny shag" in the vernacular) at a mutual friend's birthday party. Wayne was keen to set the record straight:

"No, there was definitely no sex in the toilet. The situation was in front of 120 people. I went to the toilet and, in front of all those people, Kelli walked in after me in front of her husband, in front of everyone there. Anthony waited for her to come out, which was a few seconds later, and the night was ended." (The Sydney Morning Herald, 28/12/2002)

At this point, the Roo Boys staged what amounted to a mutiny: either Carey (club captain) was out, or the team wouldn't take to the field. Management relented, and just like that, Wayne's career was over. He went from earning a reported $1.5 million dollars a year to being "on suicide watch" (as his manager, Ricky Nixon, famously stated) home at Wagga Wagga. The saga played out in the nations tabloids for months. Wayne, his wife Sally, Anthony and Kelli Stevens all helped boost circulation figures for various women's magazines with their contributions.

After this, Wayne tried (unsuccessfully) to re-launch his career in North America as a punter in the NFL. He mooched around for the rest of the year and signed up with the Adelaide Crows. Things didn't work out, and he only played 27 games for his new club. No doubt his new-found team-mates weren't thrilled at the prospect of having such a man in their midst. They came up with some sort of line about injuries and bundled him out of the game for good. The sad sack that he is, Wayne pathetically did free "volunteer" work at various clubs, fetching towels and the like, just to be near the action. Now his girly voice graces a little-watched football show on pay TV, providing monosyllabic sound bites (known as "special comments" in the trade).

It's difficult to convey the impact of the Carey-Stevens affair on the Melbourne psyche. It was the story of the year. As one talkback caller put it: "September 11th last year ... and now this." It was simply that big a deal. (Not sleeping around, mind you; but doing so with a team-mate's wife.) Wayne became "The Slogger from Wagga" (because of his predilicition for slogging it to other people's wives). He is still the butt of many jokes and remains a favourite target of cartoonists. Which is probably why many were not surprised at one comes next.

Almost unbelievably, Sally Carey put aside the shame, humiliation and advice from everyone and agreed to take the philandering Wayne back. What's more, they started a family. However, Wayne's true colours shone through when rumours of more infidelity were confirmed. Wayne admitted that his marriage was over while his wife was heavily-pregnant with their first child:

Carey confirmed the split in a statement yesterday as reports continued to surface about his friendship with model Kate Neilson, 24.
...
She and Carey live only minutes apart in Port Melbourne and have been seen visiting each other's homes. Carey went public on his marriage split yesterday after his father-in-law warned him to stay away.
...
A smiling Carey, 34, shrugged off the turmoil as he arrived in Darwin yesterday. The former Roos champion laughed off a warning by his father-in-law Terry McMahon that he would be "going out in a box" if he visited Mr McMahon's Wagga Wagga home where Sally was staying.

"It's all funny," Carey said. "Don't worry about it." (Herald-Sun, 24/6/2006)

Kate Neilson (pictured below) is what's known as a "Grid Girl". This means her job is to promote motorsports by appealing sexually to bogans. So good is she at making bogans aroused that she won a national competition - and attention from Wayne "The Bogan King" Carey.

Bogan-Bait
Source: Herald-Sun

What sort of a man gropes a woman in broad daylight and insults her for not pleasing him visually? What sort of a man shags his team-mate's wife? What sort of a man hangs out with killers and drug-dealers? What sort of a man cheats on his heavily-pregnant wife with bleached-blonde bogan-bait?

One of the greatest Aussie Rules Footballers ever, that's who. A washed up, hollow, balding failure of a human being at 34. A man remembered for the staggering price he paid for believing that he could do whatever he want. Truly, Wayne Carey is the quintessential footballer.

*** UPDATE ***
BREAKING NEWS: Reports are coming in that last night (Sunday) Wayne Carey was "maced" by police after they were called to a domestic disturbance at his Port Melbourne apartment. Details are sketchy, but The Age quotes a neighbour "It was Wayne all right. Look, I'm not gonna give too much away, but Wayne was in handcuffs and had been maced." The Hun reports that "Police took him to St Kilda police station about 8.30pm."

It appears at this stage that Carey called police to remove his girlfriend, Kate Neilson (pictured working as "grid girl" above). Police stated that a second woman was present, but no details yet to the sequence of arrivals to Carey's place.

It's too early to judge at this stage, since we don't yet know the ins and outs of it all. Recent events show that being capsicum sprayed by Victorian police does not necessarily mean one is extremely violent. Even accounting for "his rather magnanimously (sic) huge size", in the (somewhat unfortunate) words of Senior Constable Wilson.

We'll keep you posted as the story develops.

*** UPDATE ***
As promised, the gory details of Wayne Carey's Port Melbourne incident (including security footage), shock revelations of last year's Miami incident and breaking news of drug allegations at Carey's celebrity party are all covered in the write-up.

References

Wikipedia article on Wayne Carey's career.

Melbourne Crime - Dossier on Wayne Carey
"Kangaroo Caught" (Bulletin, 20/3/2002)

"The Media and Women's Rights" (Green Left Weekly, 19/2/1996)

"The Carey Affair" (Sydney Morning Herald, 28/12/2002)

Wayne Carey Jokes

Wayne Carey Cartoons

"Wayne Carey: It's Over With Wife Sally" (Herald-Sun, 24/2/2006)

"Wayne Carey Retires" (7.30 Report, 24/6/2004)

"Young Talent In The Ranks" (AFL Player Spectator, 25/01/2005)

"Footy Thugs Cop Soft Sentence" (AFL Player Spectator, 13/2/2006)

Word Count: 1424

Tags: footy, spoilt_rotten, scandals, underworld, sleaze

Drink-Driving Pie Blows Sponsorship

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:19:00 +0000

Drink-driving Collingwood rookie footballer Sharrod Wellingham blew a big number on the weekend - $500,000. That's how much his recklessness has cost the Collingwood Football Club in lost sponsorship from the TAC. While this raises questions about the club's culture, it also throws into sharp relief the bizarre practice of our State Government insurer giving free money to wealthy footy clubs.

The facts of the case are very straightforward: Last Saturday night in Lorne, on Victoria's Surf Coast, 19 year-old Wellingham blew 0.13% while driving. He has lost his licence for 12 months and his club fined him 10% of his salary.

Of wider import is that Collingwood has now lost its seven year sponsorship deal with the TAC (Transport Accident Commission), a State Government-owned insurance business. It is most well-known for running advertising campaigns to reduce traffic accidents and paying for rehabilitation for injured parties.

After an earlier incident involving Collingwood's Chad Morrison's drink-driving offence in April 2006, the TAC had Collingwood on notice: one more traffic-related incident and it would be finished. The TAC had good reason to worry as a year earlier they tore up their sponsorship deal with Richmond over Jay Shulz drink-driving and speeding. It was always a risky play, with Collingwood having a long history of unsound attitudes to driving. Speedster Cameron Cloke, for example. Or, more tragically, the feted Darren Millane, who killed himself in a alcohol-fuelled traffic accident.

Eddie Presents Yet Another Really, Really Sorry Footballer
Source: The Age, 10/1/2008

Naturally, the miscreant in question is full of remorse for his stupid and selfish act. And he's got club president and game-show host Eddie McGuire working the media on his behalf:

Fronting a media conference with Wellingham yesterday, McGuire said: "We have to make a stand and not make excuses.

"That we have transgressed means we've forfeited the right and the privilege of being associated with the Transport Accident Commission."

...

"There's no excuse for driving a car under the influence of alcohol, whether you're driving it 10 miles or 10 metres," McGuire said.

...

After apologising to his team mates and the club, Wellingham fronted the media yesterday to make a public apology.

...

"I've made a silly error in judgement and I just want to be able to move on and make this a turning point.

"I did the stupid act of getting in the car thinking 'I'm only moving it 150 metres, it's not going to make a difference, I'm fine, already made my way home after the night out'," Wellingham said. (The Age, 10/1/2008)

Notice how Eddie simultaneously stresses that there are "no excuses" and then manages to work in an excuse ("hey - he's only moving it a few metres to avoid a parking fine")? Kind of like the American politician who publicly refused to use "attack ads" - but then showed the ads to some journos. It really is a pleasure to watch McGuire operate. Here he is at it again:

McGuire said his club and the AFL were taking steps to ensure players acted responsibly – especially when it came to alcohol.

“Sharrod himself has given up drinking,” he said, before pointing out that he had “good people around him”. (AFL Bigpond, 10/1/2008)

Yep, some of those steps towards responsibility include ... buying a pub. (Read former Age diarist Jonathan Green's account of this odd move.) And some of the "good people" around Wellingham presumably include Lance "Buddy" Franklin of Hawthorn, who was in the car with him at the time. With the Sunday Age reporting in December that Buddy declared himself "off his chops" in a nightclub (they generously interpreted this as meaning he was going vegetarian), more time spent in Buddy's company should make Wellingham's no-alcohol pledge fairly easy ...

In any case, the impact of losing the $500K will be modest, given that the club is extremely wealthy even by AFL standards, reporting a profit in excess of $2M last year. Eddie will talk up the damage, but, in reality, it amounts to less than the salary of one top player.

Which brings up the question of why the TAC is sponsoring a group of people who regularly feature in the press for breaking our road rules: drink-driving (Shulz, Morrison, Ottens), fleeing booze-buses (Cousins), losing control of hoon-wagon (Gardiner, Teague). Remember, this is a group of people with their own free priority taxi service (with secret direct number). And, occasionally, police chauffeurs (with lights and sirens too, if you don't mind).

The TAC collects money compulsorily from Victorian motorists and then fritters away up to a million bucks a year in ensuring that AFL players are given the maximum exposure when they inevitably break the law. It's disturbing that despite two similar sponsorship agreements failing in the same way within a couple of years, the TAC plans to push ahead with a third attempt. Is it a case of third time lucky, or do the TAC staff just enjoy the corporate hospitality that comes with the deal?

Perhaps the most charitable spin that can be put on it is that, absent a plausible stick, the threat of taking away the million-dollar carrot motivates players (via their employer) to take the traffic laws seriously. While that works for one club at a time, the other fifteen have the certain knowledge that the million-dollar carrot will be shopped around every couple of years, so they keep their players in check too. If this is the case, then it's a sad indictment of footy culture that the Government has to bribe them to obey the law.

*** UPDATE ***
Showing that this Collingwood drink-driving incident is hardly a one-off, Port Adelaide has also demonstrated the fundamental inability of footballers to accept that road rules apply to them too:

A Port Power AFL footballer has been banned from driving by an Adelaide magistrate.

Forward Nathan Krakouer, 19, was caught driving unregistered and uninsured at Pennington in Adelaide's north-western suburbs on September 6 last year, and again four days later.

The teenager represented himself in court, telling the Magistrate he was unaware the registration had lapsed when he was first caught speeding.

Krakouer was fined $100 and ordered not to drive for the next two days. (ABC, 14/1/2008)

So, no rego, no insurance, speeding and then getting caught again a couple of days later? A $100 fine and a two-day ban? It seems that Krakouer's belief that road rules are for others is well-founded.

While Port Adelaide was never in contention for the TAC's bundle of our free cash (presumably they'd only sponsor a Victorian club), it highlights the stupidity of such funding arrangements.

*** UPDATE ***
It just doesn't stop. More selfish recklessness from footy players on the road, making it three in a week. Premiership player Steve Johnson has been picked up for the most gross speeding you could imagine: 128 km/h in a residential 50 km/h zone:

Police have impounded Johnson's car and he faces the loss of his licence for 12 months after he was clocked Wednesday night at 128km/h in a 50km/h zone.

As they did a year ago, Geelong's players will again play a major role in deciding a club penalty for the star forward. But unlike last summer, his career with the Cats is unlikely to be in jeopardy.

Teammate Shannon Byrnes was also in the car at the time of the incident, with the pair on the way to Eastern Gardens golf club in Geelong.

“We are extremely disappointed that Steve was found to have exceeded the speed limit in this manner and we are thankful that Steve, his passenger Shannon Byrnes or any other people were not injured,” Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said in a statement.

“We know the risks associated with speeding and speed is a major cause of road crashes in Victoria.

...

The players will meet within a week to discuss what penalty they want for Johnson this time.

“The club will consider the possibility of further sanctions over the next week which will include discussion with the player leadership group,” the statement read. (FoxSports, 17/1/2008)

Yes, this is the same Steve Johnson who was involved in a drunken incident in Wangaratta around 12 months ago, resulting in his arrest (which he tried to keep secret). Coming on top of earlier police attention for his drunkenness, the last major incident saw him voluntarily suspended by his club for five matches.

Steve Johnson, what a winner. 80 km/h over the speed limit.
Source: Herald-Sun

Let's just remind ourselves of what the club said about this troubled character at the time:

“Steve has been given numerous chances and it is fair to say that he is now down to his last opportunity to prove that he wants to stay with the club. (Geelong FC Statement, 8/1/2007)

Given his performance in the Grand Final, does anyone doubt he'll be getting yet another "last opportunity"? (This will nearly tie him with Ben Cousins when it comes to most "last chances".)

We're watching you, Geelong. If you don't stick to your word on this, your club will be shown up as weak, desperate and dishonourable.

*** UPDATE ***
In a predictable move, Geelong has seen fit to let repeat offender Steve Johnson off without sanction. This man - prone to bouts of drunken irresponsibility warranting police intervention - was busted hurtling along at almost 80 km/h over the legal limit. He was earlier publicly warned by his club, Geelong, about being on a last chance (see above).

Unfortunately, strict defamation laws prevent me from saying what I would like to. Instead, I draw your attention to the official media statement above, and compare and contrast with this excuse by Geelong Chief Executive Brian Cook:

But Cook hinted the outcome could have been different had the mercurial forward been a less talented player.

"There does come a point in time when you run out of chances. And talented people get more chances than the not so talented," he said

A repentant Johnson described his decision to speed as 'a bit of a brain fade'.

"There was no reason why I should have been travelling at that speed. To be honest, I've got no excuse for it. It was a silly thing to do. I can't put a finger on it," he said.

"There's no excuse for travelling at that sort of speed." (Sportal, 22/1/2008)

This idea of talent "buying" extra chances wasn't stated in the media release last year. I, for one, could not countenance dealing with people who could cynically manipulate the public like this.

Citations: The Age, 10/1/2008; AFL Bigpond, 10/1/2008; ABC, 14/1/2008; FoxSports, 17/1/2008; Geelong FC Statement, 8/1/2007; Sportal, 22/1/2008

Word Count: 1883

Tags: footy, booze, court, traffic, payola

Ben Cousins Arrested and Sacked for Drugs

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:14:00 +0000

West Coast Eagle's great Ben Cousins has fulfilled all our expectations with a spectacular flame-out that has left the football world reeling. He was arrested by detectives in Perth, charged with drug offences and then promptly sacked by his club. While he has thrown away his $800K/year career, he can now indulge freely in his great love - drug-taking.

It hardly came as a surprise. The weeks after the finals are traditionally a time for footballers to get a little crazy. Maybe take some extra risks. For Cousins, the temptation was just too great.

Cousins' A Goner.
Source: Daily Telegraph.

Here's how Ben Cousins' horror day, October 16th, 2007, played out:

In a statement, police said they stopped Cousins' vehicle on Newcastle St, Perth around 11.30am after he came to their attention "due to the manner of his driving".

They allegedly found a quantity of prohibited drugs after searching the four-wheel drive vehicle.

The 29-year-old West Coast Eagles' midfielder was taken for questioning to the Traffic Enforcement Group headquarters in East Perth.

Police will allege Cousins failed to provide a sample of his blood for analysis.

Nine Network television footage showed Cousins, shirtless, being led by a detective from his vehicle to a police car, where he sat in the back seat between two officers. (The Daily Telegraph, 16/10/2007)

If you want the gory details, here's the video footage of Cousins' Walk of Shame:

Cousins' car was searched and some prescription drugs (Valium) was found. Cousins does not have a prescription for the drug, commonly used to soften the come down from crystal meth and ecstasy. Cousins refused to take a driving competency test or provide a saliva sample for drug testing.

Interestingly, Cousins was not so shy about the AFL drug tests. He passed 14 of them, despite having a raging "substance abuse problem" costing a reported $3000 per week. There are mixed reports about whether or not he asked for - and passed - a test following the death of former Weagle and mentor Chris Mainwaring. Cousins had visited the troubled "Mainy" twice in the hours before his death and Mainwaring's toxicology report revealed a cocktail of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, anti-depressants and alcohol.

If Cousins has been using illicit drugs, I'm not surprised he refused a drugs test by WA police. After all, the police will not give you a week's notice before the test. Nor will they accept "sorry, can't provide a sample right now" as an excuse - unlike certain other drugs testers.

Also in Cousins' car were two young women - described as "scantily clad" - but it's not yet clear what charges they may face, if any. At the same time, his out-of-contract team mate Daniel Chick was also pulled over and investigated. A passenger in this vehicle, Nathan Greaves, has been charged with possession of cocaine and cannabis following a search of his house. Methamphetamines and "drug paraphernalia" (presumably various glass pipes and/or scales and baggies) were also found.

It looks a lot like this cosy little par-tay was interrupted by the police. The predictable whiners and apologists over at the Big Footy forum had the usual mix of conspiracy theories and heads-in-the-sand, decrying this as a "sting operation" targeting Cousins and a waste of public resources. Here's a tip kids: if you wander into the middle of a drugs sweep in your pimp-wagon and drive erratically, you'll get pulled. What's more, getting drug-affected motorists off the road is a good use of our tax dollars, regardless of how wealthy, famous or talented they are.

It seems certain that Cousins will never play professional footy again. He was already on a strict contract with the club following his very public fall from grace in March this year, triggering an expensive - but ultimately ineffective - bout of rehab. It was always doomed to failure, requiring him to, amongst things, avoid underworld figures. (Technically, just turning up to training with the West Coast Illegals constituted a breach of this clause.) His half-arsed "public apology" was that of an unrepentant man.

While his time at the top has been relatively short, he packed a lot in. Brawling with Daniel Kerr. Giving advice (along with Michael Gardiner) to outlaw motorcycle gangs over their nightclub shootings. Fleeing a booze bus on foot. Collapsing out the front of a casino late at night. These are the sorts of punk-acts that he will be remembered as throwing away his career over: an arrogant spoilt brat who believed all his own hype and, in the end, wasn't big enough where it counted.

Ben Cousins had the whole world at his feet. A good-looking rich kid with a staggering talent for footy. Adoration from millions of fans. A salary 20 times greater than others his age. The highest awards from the game, including the Brownlow Medal. He had been given "one last chance" so many times that his club was a joke. So keen were they to ensure his brilliance continued despite the damage, the League had to step in and threaten to take away premiership points to get them to act.

Well, they've finally done it. They tried everything to look the other way but, coming on top of Mainwaring's death just two weeks ago and lost sponsors, they just ran out of ladder and had to let Cousins drop. Even the players' union, under Brendon Gale, have washed their hands of him.

That a selfish drug culture has been allowed to flourish in Perth is undeniable. Many former players and leaders are calling for further action for club officials. Here at The Speccy, we're calling for an inquiry into the AFL's drug problem by an independent retired judicial figure - at the AFL's expense, not the taxpayers'. The outcome of this inquiry should determine what's happened and who's responsible before making recommendations for drug policy reform in the League.

The AFL cannot afford to wait for further careers to be destroyed - yet alone lives lost - before acting.

*** UPDATE ***
Cousins has had his (first) day in court and been allowed out on bail:

In a brief court appearance, Cousins was remanded on bail for 90 days to reappear in the same court on January 21 to face charges of drug possession and refusing to undergo a driver assessment.

Lawyer for Cousins, Shane Brennan, told the court had had spoken to police prosecutors who had agreed to the long adjournment. (The West Australian, 18/10/2007)

He is now free to return to $5,000/day rehab in the US. One can only presume that the court decided it's safe for him to leave the country on the grounds that all his drug dealers are here.

*** UPDATE ***
News services are reporting that the possession charge against Ben Cousins has been dropped. It's not yet clear if Cousins actually "found" a prescription for his Valium or if former team-mate and sparring partner Daniel Kerr (who has a conviction for fraudulently passing a Valium script) kindly sourced one for him. Or, maybe, rich people just don't need scripts?

In any case, his charge of refusing to subject himself to a drug test is proceeding:

[The West Coast Eagles] released a statement that it had been informed by the West Australian police that the charge of being in possession of a prohibited substance had been dropped.

The club noted however that, "this does not change the club position or the decision made on Wednesday to terminate Ben's contract because of repeated and serious breaches to his agreement with the club". (Sportal, 19/10/2007)

Here's more juicy details about what was found in his car, including the suggestion of "hammerheading" or (groan) "sextasy" - combining Viagra with ecstasy:

They say other drugs were found in the car including the prohibited pain-killer, OxyContin, Viagra and an anti-depressant.

A $20 note with traces of cocaine and MDMA or ecstasy, was also found on one of the passengers in Cousins' car. (ABC, 19/10/2007)

Quite the little party for a Tuesday morning, wouldn't you say? Doesn't really change much since the possession charge was always going to be tricky; all that coke and dope were carefully stashed in the other car. Not that it was Benny's gear. I mean, who on earth would leave their precious stash in Daniel Chick's car?

*** UPDATE ***
Rumours of Ben Cousins' five-day cocaine binge in LA have been confirmed. News media are reporting that he was hospitalised, after a friend, software sales manager Susie Ella, made an emergency 911 call at 5am:

THE emergency early morning call to the Hermosa Beach Police Department last week described a 29-year-old man "on cocaine not acting right". Later, the caller added, the man "has been on cocaine for the past five days".

...

The Herald has confirmed that Cousins was admitted to the Little Company of Mary hospital, in the adjoining suburb of Torrance, soon after the emergency call. Cousins remained at the hospital for two days before being discharged on Friday, November 2.

...

It described Cousins as "not acting right, is conscious and breathing". She told the operator Cousins had been on cocaine for the previous five days. She said he was "not being violent, is just scared". (SMH, 10/11/2007)

Absent a PR firm on retainer, Cousins' poor old dad Bryan was left to do the spinning while Cousins was on a coke bender and being rushed to hospital. Of more concern is that allegation that he spent a couple of nights in Sydney with the notorious Michael Gardiner - hardly the actions of a man hell-bent on getting clean.

I suspected that his "network" in LA might consist of anyone with cocaine. While this is a large group - especially in Los Angeles - I didn't think that he would end up hanging with the IT crowd. As the Yanks say - go figure.

*** UPDATE ***
In a startling admission of the impact Ben Cousins has on his team-mates, former West Coast player Glen Jakovich has spoken up about his relief at seeing Cousins sacked:

"Players will excel because the Cousins factor is gone," Jakovich said. "I truly believe players, young and older, felt intimidated by Cousins while he was in an unfit state to engage in training and team requirements.

"You can't win a premiership if things are not right off the field. It ruins team morale. (Herald-Sun, 13/1/2008)

We hear of phenomena like amphetamine psychosis and, from watching US reality crime show Cops, it looks very frightening. So while Cousins isn't a large man by any stretch, it's disturbing to think he could still intimidate the huge players in a violence-prone club like West Coast.

I guess this is one more reason to get serious about drug testing in the AFL. Those players who opt out of footy's drug culture shouldn't have to put up with intimidation by their colleagues.

Citations: The Daily Telegraph, 16/10/2007; The West Australian, 18/10/2007; Sportal, 19/10/2007; ABC, 19/10/2007; SMH, 10/11/2007; Herald-Sun, 13/1/2008

Word Count: 1938

Tags: footy, drugs, underworld

Footy Players Spread Goodwill

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 05:11:00 +0000

It seems our overpaid sporting heroes have celebrated Christmas and kicked off the New Year in predictable form with a series of drunken bashings and assaults across the country. No word on any rapes yet, as sadly the clubs would still be negotiating hard behind closed doors. Below, we cover the two most serious miscreants: Simon Goodwin and Heath Black.

The first incident, just prior to Christmas, saw a murder of Adelaide Crows launch an extended drinking bout at pub Raglan's (co-owned by Speccy favourite Wayne Carey). Players still drinking in the mid-morning included Mark Ricciuto, Rhett Biglands, Ben Hudson and Nathan Bock. And, of course, Simon Goodwin. Witnesses reported misbehaviour ranging from "play-fighting" in the streets to throwing beverages on a parking inspector. Things turned ugly when a photographer from the Tiser, Tait Schmaal, showed up:

When [Simon Goodwin] noticed Schmaal, Goodwin approached and shoved the photographer before attempting to snatch his camera out of his hands.

"If you run any photos, I'll f...ing kill you," Goodwin said to Schmaal, who asked: "Is that a threat?"

Goodwin replied that it was.

The current Crows club champion then pushed Schmaal against a wall and pressed his forearm against Schmaal's throat.

"You're f...ed if you run this," Goodwin said to Schmaal.

Raglan's co-owner Rob Kent had to pull Goodwin's arms away from Schmaal.

Mark Ricciuto also told Advertiser reporter Rebekah Devlin that no Crows players would deal with The Advertiser if the incident was publicised.

Biglands and Scott Welsh tried to defuse the situation - Welsh physically restrained an agitated Ricciuto and Biglands attempted to convince Devlin not to publish the pictures. (The Advertiser, 23/12/05)

In my book, that's at least assault and making threats to kill. Very serious matters. Not to mention the dubious blackmail attempt. While statements were made, police are not taking this any further. Oh, and by the way: does anyone know if it's even possible to drink continuously until 11am the following morning without taking drugs? If you've ever managed this, I'd love to hear from you.

Simon Goodwin Spreading Christmas Cheer
Source: Adelaide Advertiser

So, in light of this team-wide tanty and bout of drunken violence I propose the team is renamed the Adealaide Crowes. After our Rusty. Yep, they sure are 30-Odd Football Grunts, without an Ordinary Fear of the Law.

On a high note, it seems the legal system is actually catching up with an AFL player in the New Year! Even more bizarre: the police service that managed this feat was the notoriously corrupt Western Australian force. Of course, it makes more sense when we note that it was one of their own on the receiving end of footy player biff, and not just a humble citizen.

Fremantle Docker Heath Black has been bailed and will face the Magistrates Court this Friday after his Day at the Races, in which a police officer was allegedly assaulted.

Black was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm, obstructing police officers and assaulting a public officer. (The Age, 3/1/06)

Nice work, Heath; maybe you should avoid beating cops and restrict yourself to smaller fry. The cops will turn a blind eye to most things, but not assaults on their own members.

*** UPDATE ***
Just in case anyone was in doubt that bad off-field behaviour could have career implications, Simon Goodwin has been named Adelaide Crowes captain.

That's right, "drinking" until 11am and then making threats to kill is not an impediment to taking the most senior player leadership position at his club. Goodwin's appointment highlights just how much of a joke these positions really are. After all, if threats of murder aren't enough to cast a pall, what about a recent footy gambling scandal? Might that place a question mark over your judgement and leadership potential?

Nah, it's just a footy club and the captain is entirely divorced from decision-making in the modern game. Do you think Ronald McDonald sets corporate strategy at Maccas? It's the same with these bozos. No one takes it seriously. (Unlike the role of "spiritual leader", which actually does have an influence on the players, as we've seen further west.)

Citations: The Advertiser, 23/12/05; The Age, 3/1/06

Word Count: 556

Tags: footy, court, bashing, booze

Profile: Gary Ablett

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 06:56:00 +0000

With the recent press about the Ablett clan (both on the field and off it), it's timely to go to the source and remember Gary Ablett - the man they call God - as arguably the best player to ever pick up a footy and a person whose very public flaws epitomises the dangers of confusing talent with virtue. The lesson for AFL players and fans is that a "good player" will face temptations and situations that can quickly render them a "bad person".

Growing up in regional Victoria in the 70s, he dropped out of school at 15 and worked as a brickie's labourer. During this period, he successfully avoided jail despite various charges for assault, drug possession and related matters. After an aborted attempt at cracking the big leagues with Hawthorn in 1982, he was picked up by Geelong in 1984, willing to overlook his earlier criminal past and on-field disappointment. This is when his football career took off, and, for over a decade, was perhaps the stand-out player of his time, winning numerous awards. In 1986 he found religion as a born-again Christian. He also retired briefly in 1991 before coming back mid-season and continuing to play until 1997 (35 years old).

Many argue that it was his post-football career when the wheels fell off. Convictions for drugs and other matters were recorded against Gary Ablett before and after his 15 year footy career. None were recorded (of which I'm aware) while he was a carefully managed prize asset of the Geelong Football Club. One explanation is that he stayed away from trouble (including drugs) throughout his 20s. That's not the only possibility.

What is clear is that after football, Gary Ablett was prone to going on drug-fuelled benders lasting several days. During one such spree in 2000, he was holed up in the Park Hyatt with a young woman, Alisha Horan. She was a star-struck 20-year old, "an infatuated fan", who had been accompanying Gary for a couple of days after inquiring about cleaning his house for him. Tragically, she died from a drug overdose after Gary Ablett gave her some of his heroin.

Gary "God" Ablett, left, and Alisha Horan (dec).

Ablett had himself been given a large number of ecstasy tablets - he claims 12 - for free by a well-wisher. Another sports fan (named Butch) gave him a small amount of smack gratis at the notorious Mansion nightclub. (About the most dodgy den I've ever visited. Maybe it was cleaned up since 1997 when I was there - but I doubt it.) The night ended up with Alisha and Gary back at his hotel after they'd consumed the tablets and been drinking heavily. Gary cut up a few lines of heroin, tried to hide it from her, but let her have some when she found him out, telling her it was cocaine.

Up until this point, it may seem like Gary Ablett is living a playboy's dream: strangers giving you free drugs, enough cash to afford swanky hotel rooms and partying with beautiful 20 year old women. But the same lack of character that allows a celebrity sportsman to enjoy themselves in this manner results in fallout for those around them - and then themselves:

In March 2001, coroner Noreen Toohey found that Ms Horan died from a combination of heroin, ecstasy and amphetamines. Ms Toohey said that Ms Horan had "become enmeshed in a culture of alcoholism and drug taking with her football hero" and had been "partying out of her league".(The Age, 28/2/2003)

Ablett was criticised for introducing a young person like Alisha to his seedy world, giving her drugs (including heroin), delays in getting her medical assistance and "protect[ing] his arse" (in the words of Alisha's father) by (lawfully) refusing to testify at the Coroner's inquest. For his involvement in this death, he ended up with a $1500 fine for possession of drugs.

While Ablett has always been regarded by the public as "troubled", these details of just how far he'd gone shocked many. Most of us assumed that this would signal the death-knell for his footy club's ambitions for him to enter the Hall of Fame. In fact, he asked Geelong to stop nominating him, before a surprise announcement of his inclusion just a few months ago.

It's almost impossible to understand how he meets the official criteria of "integrity" and "character". Some, like AFL stalwart Leigh Matthews, believe they should just be dismissed:

"The criteria sounds good when you talk about integrity and character, but you can be the best bloke in the world and if you don't play footy really well, you're not going into the hall of fame - and I don't think you can reverse it."
(The Age, 7/6/2005)

This fuzzy thinking and moral backsliding is typical of an AFL insider: no one is suggesting that "good blokes" are let in solely on the basis of being good. The idea is that you have to be a great football player and NOT be a criminal. Is that so hard to comprehend? But, in the current environment where many are agitating that "fairest" be left out of "best and fairest", it's symptomatic of a footy culture out of control, where winning is all that matters and you do what you can get away with.

AFL Chairman Ron Evans though is trying to have a foot in both camps:

Evans was adamant last night that the AFL Commission would not change its criteria. "I think the 'integrity' and 'character' criteria should stay," he said. "We've applied that to the other inductees and other legends and I think the results speak for themselves." (ibid)

Right, so we should keep the criteria, but water them down to the point that they're meaningless. After all, what kind of "integrity and character" criteria apply when Gary Ablett is let in? It begs the question: who would the criteria exclude?

Gary Ablett was not able to attend the awards night, instead continuing to fight his demons in various rehab clinics around the country. The Hall of Fame induction suggests that footy-loving public of this country has forgotten the naive young women, sacrificed on the altar of fame. But not entirely. After the announcement, some activists had spray-painted a message in metre long letters on the path next to the MCG:

ABLETT
HEROIN HERO

While such blasphemy was scrubbed away within a couple of days, it shows that a few people are still not prepared to accept that such a flawed man should be venerated so widely and so fiercely. No doubt, Gary Ablett would count himself among their number.

* Update *

Gary Ablett continues to disgrace himself and his club. Not content with being named the Cats best ever player, he tried to sell a DVD of his acceptance speech to Channel Nine for $20,000. He was in hospital due to a mangled foot from a lawn mower. He pre-recorded his acceptance speech and contacted Channel Nine about a sale. They declined. Gary later had this to say about his tawdry deal:

"I have no idea what DVDs like that are worth," said Ablett, who has fallen on hard times and is understood to be looking for work.

...

"I can honestly say my conscience is clear before God – it's quite an innocent thing what I've done ... but unfortunately the media have put me under the microscope once again and tried to find anything negative in this story that they did exploit and magnify in an aim to discredit my reputation and attack my character once again," he said.(FoxSports, 12/6/2006)

Yeah, Gary, it's always someone else, isn't it? It's never you.

*** UPDATE ***
Gary Ablett has made his first public media remarks about his role in the death of Alisha Horan:

"Apart from the pain and grief of the tragedy, I felt a deep sense of shame and failure over my own behaviour, and I still feel deep regret and remorse. I just wish I had a time machine," he said. (Herald-Sun, 29/11/2007)

He goes on like this for a few more paragraphs, and has a dig at the "tall poppy syndrome" that sees him criticised for, well, his atrocious behaviour.

The timing of his mea culpa is curious. Until you realise he has a book coming out next month. And, no, Alisha Horan isn't mentioned in it. Surprising, no? But it's not that it's a sordid episode that shows him up as a bad and weak person. No, it's because "I don't want to be in any way profiting from that tragedy".

So why is he mentioning her as part of his pre-launch publicity strategy?

Links:

AFL Hall of Fame

Wikipedia Article on Gary Ablett

Police Interview with Gary Ablett (Transcript, The Age, 28/2/2003)

Revealed: What Took Place in the Hotel Room (The Age, 1/3/2003)

Ablett Enters Hall of Fame (The Age, 2/6/2005)

Ablett - Fame and Pain (The Age)

Word Count: 1365

Tags: footy, drugs, court, scandals

Cousins Returns To Form

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:18:00 +0000

In a brilliant return to form, Australia's greatest human being Ben Cousins has astounded his fans and devastated his critics by going from strength to strength without even breaking his stride. This glittering prize of a man is unstoppable and should, by all rights, be revered as a god. Thankfully, that process is already in train.

We pick up the story after he mysteriously absented himself on his life-saving trip to LA for celebrity-style resort rehab. One of the two blonde ladies in the sports car who picked him up at the airport (Susie Ela, member of Ben's "LA newtork") made a 5am emergency call to 911 on behalf of Cousins. She confirmed he had been on a cocaine bender for the past five days and was "not acting right". He had fried his brain with coke and was, reportedly, in bad shape mentally when he was whisked away to hospital via ambulance.

Whereas a mere mortal might have doubts at putting their own Dad in the invidious position of telling porkies to the media, Cousins just bounced right back. Right back into a $1500 suit that he picked up at Bridge Rd, Richmond. How do we know? Because Ben's suit purchase was front page news in Melbourne. He was mobbed by adoring fans in the street, mobiles held aloft like talismans, eager for a bit of that celebrity power to wash over them and validate their own dubious shopping choices. (How long until we get the inevitable poorly-pixelated image of Cousins getting out of his car while "going commando"?)

Ben Cousins Turns Bridge Road into Rodeo Drive
Source: The Age

Oh, there was the minor matter of the AFL Commission meeting, where he was suspended from the game for 12 months. Sort of. Something about bringing the game into disrepute? But, honestly, no biggie. He can continue to play for state-based second tier AFL-affiliated clubs, like East Fremantle, under a peculiar technicality. The Western Australian police were forced to drop their drug charges against him, on a technicality. (Apparently, the same officer who arrested him had to ask him to do the test, not another officer. Or something.) Hell, the cops even apologised! Brilliant.

Now, it looks like the US police are not going to pursue unwelcome criminal matters against Cousins either, despite his heroic cocaine binge. It was always going to be shaky if they would chase down a wealthy white man for taking cocaine in Los Angeles, even one who had "fallen afoul of the law". Luckily, Cousins is neither poor nor black. No word yet on an apology from the American detectives, but I doubt Benny's holding his breath.

So it's all going pretty well for Ben Cousins. Sure, his career's stalled a bit, there was that brief ambulance ride and some minor traffic matters have been cleared up. Apart from that, he's on top of the world. His plan is to sit out 2008 in a state league (probably in Victoria). There's also serious talk of a modelling career (a mere $150K per annum, but still, that'd almost cover his reported $3K/week drug habit). And why not? He's spawned a whole industry of "Such Is Life" T-shirts, featuring his distinctive bogan gut-tattoo. (And, perplexingly, a commemorative tawny port.)

Cousins inspiring the stencil art scene.
Source: NineMSN

Ben Cousin's popularity is going ahead in leaps and bounds. This is no more apparent than in cyberspace, where the yoof are rising up as one voice and saying "Bennnnnny .... you ROCK maaaaaate!!!!!!"

Facebook, for example, has many Ben Cousins groups, with names like "Ben Cousins for Prime Minister", "I Wanna Party With Ben Cousins" (17,000 members), "I Buy All My Drugs Off Ben Cousins" (3,000 members), "Who Gives a Toss if Ben Cousins is a Junkie - He's a Bloody Hottie!". And so on, for about 190 groups. To be fair, a very small number are taking the piss. And even fewer are openly hostile to him. But the vast bulk seems to be "Ben is fun and I want to be as near/like/inside him as I can."

And good ol' Ben has been putting his popularity with the youngsters to work. He's been sighted hanging out at the Gold Coast for the Schoolies Week. Sadly, he seems to be enjoying the company of the younger people there. An older man - 30 soon - hanging out with girls who have just finished high school is known as a "Toolie". According to this Victorian government website, schoolies need to be wary of toolies. In this case, sexual assault and violence are lower-order concerns. Check this video of Ben Cousins snorting, well, something off the table with his new friends:

What a swell guy. Rehab? Contrition? Remorse? Responsibility? Consequences? Bah. His talent has seen him rise to the top of the AFL footy. That same culture saw him sheltered, protected and never having to face up to reality. His club turned a blind eye to his antics. Medical rehab's been a useless washout. The legal system had a go but has bowed out with a bloody nose. The politicians that spoke up have been voted out. For how long can his family keep up their support? Egged on by celebrity attendees and his online cheer squad, Cousins is completely unshackled and unhinged.

Eventually, Ben's going to need real friends, not colleagues or minders or coke-buddies or people who shout "we love you Benny - whoooohooo!" out of passing cars. Let's hope he's got some left.

Word Count: 952

Tags: footy, spoilt_rotten,, drugs,, sleaze