Pooh-Pooh - over to you
What is it with blokes and football clubs? Last year the Aussie
Rules and Rugby League seasons opened to a series of rape allegations
north and south of the border. While Sam Newman was happy to trot
out the same old myth, that women tell lies, the police in NSW and
the director of the Office of Public Prosecutions in Victoria had
a different view. In the end, a lack of evidence was cited as the
reason no charges were laid.
Now, as Paul Amy reported in Inside Football last week the VFL
season has opened to revelations that a Port player deposited human
'poo' in the bag of another player, Scott Howard, during a pre-season
camp. Are some men so Neanderthal that they think this is funny?
Does anyone seriously think this is akin to blokey bonding of the
kind that produces premierships? Amidst the saga was the rumour
that someone at Port had described Howard as using the incident
as an excuse to transfer to Werribee. Suddenly the victim had become
the villain. What the Port player did was nothing short of bullying.
It was little different from the bastardisation rituals that have
been outlawed from the armed forces and the work place.
Scott Howard has given an account of the event and his feelings
in a statutory declaration. On Monday the VFL was assessing Port's
response. Will it end there? Not apparently for Howard. Last Sunday,
when the Port Melbourne reserves side unveiled the 2004 Reserves
Flag, Howard, who was selected with Werribee reserves, turned his
back on the proceedings. Port president Peter Saltry lives and breathes
Port. Last year he 'sacked' grand final coach Gerard Fitzgerald.
Highly regarded as a man of solid values and a very good coach,
Fitzgerald's departure was met with widespread scepticism in the
VFL. The same concerns accompanied Port's decision to 'sack' David
Dunbar a year earlier.
So why wasn't the same ruthlessness that befell Dunbar and Fitzgerald
applied to the player responsible for 'poo in the bag' episode?
It's no secret that the player was selected for the match against
Werribee, which Port lost by 46 points? Port says the club engaged
outside counselling to deal with the offending player. Did the counsellor
explain how fragile club culture can be and how hard it is to build
the camaraderie that brings premierships?
For new coach Saade Ghazi this is a bigger challenge than he might
think. Ghazi won a Liston at a club whose traditions and success
are second to none in the VFA/VFL. Great players, great captains
and a dynamic president Tony Hannebery, who I'm sure couldn't countenance
what has happened at Port; that was the Williamstown that Ghazi
knew in the late 80s and the 90s. During an ABC preview of the 2005
season Ghazi said people could expect more discipline at Port Melbourne.
The football handbook says the buck stops with Ghazi. Good luck!
In the shoes of Barks
It's probably fair to say that in all the tributes to Troy Broadbridge
there was little acknowledgement that he played in two premierships
(2000/2004) with the Zebras. A late inclusion, after forward Nick
Smith withdrew with injury, Broadbridge's last game of football
was as a premiership player with Sandringham at Optus Oval. On the
front of the VFL Round 1 Record he can be seen partly hidden and
unobtrusive in the back row. It was typical of how he played his
football. It's understandable, given he was a Melbourne player,
that Troy Broadbridge didn't have the same impact on Sandringham
as Trevor Barker. But it's a sad coincidence that the club should
lose dual premiership coach Barker (1992/94) to cancer and dual
premiership player, Broadbridge in a freakish Tsunami. Who'd have
every thought that Trish Broadbridge would be tossing the coin in
commemoration of her late husband at a ground that only became known
as the Trevor Barker Oval because the legendary St Kilda champion
died of cancer in his late 30s? Broadcast live on ABC TV, Saturday's
grand final replay will be a very special day and a reminder of
how precious life can be
Not a Roughead
He only kicked two goals in Saturday's victory over Williamstown
but Hawthorn's Number 2 draft pick, Jarryd Roughead is certain to
be playing with the AFL Hawks very soon. As with Collingwood's Travis
Cloke, Roughead showed enough skill and class to suggest he'll be
a star. Interestingly enough, Hawks coach, Alastair Clarkson watched
the Williamstown match from the grassy knoll rather than the grandstand
and, unlike Mick Malthouse took no official role in the match day
proceedings. He even left before the game was over. Then again Mick
doesn't have three little children to chase around the ground! As
for the Seagulls, I fancy it might be a tough year. Last year the
boys had a designated VFL forward, Marcus Baldwin to add some structure
to the forward line. With his absence it might be lean pickings
up forward. And with Troy West approaching thirty-four and Brad
Lloyd nearly thirty, they're capacity to influence games might be
on the wane.
Selections
SATURDAY
SANDRINGHAM v Port (ABC TV)
TASMANIA v Geelong
NTH BALLARAT v Nth Bullants
BOX HILL v Bendigo Bombers
COBURG v Scorpions
SUNDAY
WERRIBEE v Williamstown
phil@etu.asn.au
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