I KNOW A BULLDOG WHEN I SEE ONE

From my first game as a player with Coburg in 1975 until my last game as coach in 1992 I heard many stories about young blokes on the prowl. Some were humorous and resulted in marriage and children. Others were, according to the folklore, all about blokes sowing their wild oats. Along the way I did hear things that suggested some, not all men, believed a woman who consented to sex on the first night was 'a whore' or a 'slut'. Many a time I suggested to a bloke he had a stilted view of the world. Years later I discovered that love triangles were not just a thing of TV soap operas. However I never had to deal with a player being accused of rape.

The other day I was asked what I'd do if I was coach of the Canterbury Bulldogs or St Kilda. One thing's for sure. I wouldn't say, as Canterbury Bulldogs CEO Malcolm Noad remarked to the media, in the middle of last week, 'let's believe nothing happened in Coffs Harbour.' Two days later Noad said 'if anyone feels that my comments are down playing the events of Coffs Harbour, I apologise.'

This isn't an argument about the morality of players engaging in consensual group sex. It's about allegations of rape. Isn't it time someone took a football administrators like Noad out the back for a good heart to heart. Rape is an act of violence and it must be rtemembered that the OPP didn't say the players were innocent. Nor did the head of the police investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Jason Breton say they were innocent. Maybe they are. The OPP decided not to proceed because it believed 'chances of a successful prosecution were low.' Whatever your take on what happened, it's obvious that the football culture needs a shake up.

AND ANOTHER THING

Another mob that needs a shake up is the Carlton FC. For last Saturday's match against Coburg the Bullants named 17 Carlton players in their starting line-up. Tell me that's not reducing the VFL to a reserves competition. If the VFL doesn't act on this matter, as I've been suggesting for several years, it runs the risk of becoming a joke. At last week's VFL Presidents meeting Williamstown and Sandringham opposed Port's recommendation to restrict AFL numbers in VFL sides. Why would young players want to play in the VFL if they have no prospect of playing in the senior team or playing finals? It's interesting that Carlton's football manger, Colin Kinnear, made his way into AFL football after taking Coburg to the VFA premiership in 1979 and a grand final the next year. I played in both those games. Obviously this issue is something about which Colin and I have quite different views.