St Kilda sex scandal a lesson for all footballers
Columnist
By Michael DiFabrizio, 27 May 2010 Michael DiFabrizio is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Adrian Anderson, AFL, sex in sport, St Kilda Saints
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon addresses his players at quarter time during the AFL Round 22 match between the Melbourne Demons and the St Kilda Saints at the MCG. Slattery Images
If there’s one thing we can take from the latest AFL – and St Kilda – sex scandal, it isn’t that players should no longer visit high schools, it isn’t that the Saints premiership chances are gone (again), and it isn’t that the game – or even the Saints – have widespread issues. No, the one thing we can take from it all is that players need to be more careful.
That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.
The media had a field day on the report that a schoolgirl had fallen pregnant after having sex with two Saints players she met at a high school footy clinic. Headlines screamed “sex storm”. Questions were immediately being asked.
The Age even jumped on that worrying trend of sports journalism that is scanning comments on BigFooty and “reporting” the most interesting.
By the end of the day, however, the AFL’s investigation into the matter managed to take a bit of the heat out of the story.
Among its conclusions were that the relationship between the “two young players” and the girl was consensual and started after a game in Sydney in Round 1, not the clinic; phone records and an interview with the girl independently confirm the statements made by the players; and Victoria Police interviewed the girl and will not be taking action.
“All available evidence indicates that the players had no contact with the young woman at an AFL Player Appearance at the student’s school, but met for the first time some week’s later after an AFL match following round one of the 2010 season,” an AFL statement said.
This basically debunked the footy clinic angle, which was seen by some as the most surprising and potentially damaging aspect of the story.
The other part of the story that should be stressed – and was clearly missed by some covering yesterday’s events – was that the initial report claimed the girl told the players she was 18 and working at the Australian Institute of Sport, and that her Facebook page said she was 19.
So, given contact apparently didn’t take place at the school visit, it is not unreasonable to suggest that the players weren’t even aware she was a schoolgirl.
Which puts the initial story about a footballer impregnating a schoolgirl into some perspective, doesn’t it? The headlines were always going to sound bad – how could they not? – but it is good that some light was shed on the situation for those willing to look beyond the line at the top of the story.
At the same time, however, the girl should not be forgotten because of the way things were reported.
The sad part of all this is a young girl is now pregnant. And whilst we can question why she was in Sydney or why there was such confusion over her age, it remains that a footballer is believed to be responsible.
Had the footballers been more careful, this part of the story would not have occurred, if there would be a story at all. In this day and age, where players are practically regarded as heroes, caution needs to be used.
Maybe that means the players should have been more careful when it came to contraception. Maybe that means they should have been more careful when it came to accepting the girl’s age, even if they had no reason for doubt.
Either way, there’s a lesson for all young footballers in the story, and it would be great if that was how the football world walked away from all this.
It probably won’t – the media love a good sex scandal – but with the AFL, St Kilda and Police all deciding to not take further action, there is hope.
Adrian Anderson declared it yesterday “a private issue between the parties.” St Kilda labelled it “a private matter.”
The unfortunate thing is, so far it’s been anything but.
Follow Michael on twitter @mdifabrizio
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- Explore:
- Adrian Anderson, AFL, sex in sport, St Kilda Saints
Ben Somerford said | May 27th 2010 @ 12:43am | Report comment
Excellent article, Michael. Top work.
Brett McKay said | May 27th 2010 @ 9:23am | Report comment
completely agree Ben, great piece here Michael, all very well said…
James said | May 27th 2010 @ 12:56am | Report comment
At the end of the day the far majority of footy players are meatheads who have grown up in environments of macho attitudes toward women and sex. They need to grow up and act with some moral decency.
“It said on her Facebook she was 19..” Grow up! Read a book, get a life with some meaning it. Sadly it typifies the way society is going.
Kurt said | May 27th 2010 @ 1:55am | Report comment
“Sadly, it typifies the way society is going”.
What, you mean young people having sex? Lucky this didn’t happen in our day James.
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 10:27am | Report comment
agreed.
James – no idea what your point is??? Are you against intercourse out of wedlock??? if so, in the main – the horse has bolted and it’s not the doing of the AFL.
Are you against intercourse fullstop??
…..now…..if you were to pick on the lads and the girl involved for not using proper precautions…..
Paul J said | May 27th 2010 @ 8:23am | Report comment
Which players were involved?
Michael DiFabrizio said | May 27th 2010 @ 9:19am | Report comment
Paul J, the players weren’t named after the AFL reached its conclusion of it being a private matter.
Brendan said | May 27th 2010 @ 9:47am | Report comment
Sadly that is the case.
If my fundamental principals judge that sleeping with a girl under 18 to be of poor conduct what do I do? Do stop my support for the whole team? The whole game?
If they name the players involved in the scandal I’m able to make a judgment on them as people first rather than having to base my convictions on all afl players…
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 10:20am | Report comment
If all are satisfied that the players were not aware that the girl was under 18 and that she was misrepresenting herself after travelling to Sydney to do it!!!……..what can you do?? Is the classic one night stand off limits without running a police check first??…….
……the worst conduct it appears is the unprotected intercourse and that the girl is now pregnant.
Now – - for someone to try to use this to taint all AFL players……that’s a bit lame isn’t it……..do you really expect ALL of them to be perfect choir boys ALL of the time……..and heck, where’s the greater seat of moral degredation….an AFL club or a Catholic church??
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 11:39am | Report comment
“If they name the players involved in the scandal I’m able to make a judgment on them as people first rather than having to base my convictions on all afl players…”
Prone to generalisation are you?
We all want to know the players names but do we have a right to know if nothing a but media beat up and some dumb footballers not practising safe sex?
Fox Sports alledgedly had the footage of the St Kidla players blurred. One has blonde hair, the other shorter in stature with dark hair.
The reason it got any momentum at all was the false beleif it was due to a school visit.
Joke going around: ‘St Kilda taking advanatage of the father -son rule’
slickwilly said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:37pm | Report comment
clubs will stop at nothing to establish a competitive advantage with geelong given their recruiting success in recent years
Paul J said | May 27th 2010 @ 11:11am | Report comment
It’s obvious why the codes would not want to name names but how do the AFL keep the players names from the media? The other codes seem incapable of doing it.
ItsCalledFootball said | May 27th 2010 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Because when a Channel 7 reporter named a couple of AFL players whose medical records (found in a bin) showed they were taking drugs, they were blackballed by the AFL and the players, who refused to talk to them or let the reporters into their clubs.
That’s how some AFL people operate so that the bad publicity is kept to a minimum.
Same with AFL player drug cheats and sex offenders.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
That’s just a dumb statement.
What drug cheats are you referring to?
This is an AFL article, why are you commenting?
look at your dopey avatar?
your a joke.
ItsCalledFootball said | May 27th 2010 @ 1:55pm | Report comment
Cool it Redb
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s2018031.htm
You don’t have to be an AFL person to read the papers or the internet.
There are plenty of examples of you learned gentlemen saying uncomplimentary things about football on football blogs.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
Still didnt answer the question about drug cheaters. Educate yourself before reading the internet then!
You use one situation which you dont know much about, pervert it and then generalise that the AFL hides everything.
“There are plenty of examples of you learned gentlemen saying uncomplimentary things about football on football blogs” So its just tit for tat, a big joke.
ItsCalledFootball said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:16pm | Report comment
I thought the question from Paul J was why Melbourne journalists are afraid to name AFL players?
What’s your explaination Redb?
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:26pm | Report comment
Already have, if you bothered to read.
Now whats your answer about hiding drug cheats?, I’m sure WADA is very keen to hear your evidence, do you have any?
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:31pm | Report comment
ICF -
are you so simple that you believe that the high contentious records of AFL players under medical treatment via the high contentious (it’d been to court and the AFL and the Law won) privacy provisions of the AFL illicit drugs policy – - if you believe that a journo just happened by and just happened to find those records in a bin……..
…..the guy paid for property got by illegal means as those medical records are required to be private.
The journo crossed the line.
The ch.7 news department crossed the line.
Nothing to do with the AFL, everything to do with the confidentiality of medical records.
Absolutely fair enough that the AFLPA got their back up about it.
But, you can continue to believe that these records accidentally got put outside in a bin and a ch.7 newsman just happened to be scrutinising the contents of said bin………..
ItsCalledFootball said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:33pm | Report comment
I did read your comments Redb and they don’t answer the question.
The newspaper reports about the players medical records all say that the records showed evidence of drug abuse.
Instead of the AFL investigating it further, the players and the AFL shamed Channel 7 into dropping the case like a hot potato and we’ll never know who the players were or what drugs they took.
Maybe the girl has sex with the players after an AFL game and not at a schools skills clinic, but the fact remains she is pregnant and we’d like to know who the father is.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:42pm | Report comment
Massive difference between drug abuse and drug cheating. You do know the difference right?
Harvey the Scouser said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
drug abuse is having one too many shandies
and drug cheating is intentionally forgetting to put the lemonade in
you’re only cheating yerself
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:47pm | Report comment
showing your age there Harvey.
Harvey the Scouser said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:52pm | Report comment
reminds me of me teachers always sayin like “yer only cheating yerself if you dont put in the work”, and me thinking, I’m fine with that
ItsCalledFootball said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:53pm | Report comment
Goes hand in hand,
if you use drugs you have to cheat to avoid detection just like Ben Cousins and others did.
All the newspaper reports talk about drug use, drug abuse, drugs in sports.
ItsCalledFootball said | May 27th 2010 @ 3:08pm | Report comment
How did the Watergate jounalists get their information for the biggest news story ever Michael C?
They broke into Nixon’s office.
What matters is the facts, not what the AFL or AFL players think.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 3:12pm | Report comment
The names are out there in cyberland if your good enough
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
Redb -
I’d tend to agree with you that ICF can’t distinguish b/w Drug Cheats (WADA testing for performance enhancing drugs) and the illicit drugs code,
because…..shock horrow……the records of a couple of players undergoing treatment for drug ‘abuse’ showed evidence of ‘drug abuse’…………….golly!!!
That was the whole premise at the time……..it wasn’t that they were undergoing the treatment …….Ch.7 just wanted to spill the names. It’s the names wot waz news Mr. ICF,……not that there were players in treatment programs under the policy.
This was all not long after Fairfax had taken the AFL to court to try to publish names of 3 players on 2 strikes. News Ltd supported them. They got beaten in court. There’s a separate media driven agenda of freedom of informations (which so often conflicts with the right to privacy!!), and then there’s also the mainstream media who are beholden (just) more to ethics than the social networking ‘underground’ media!!
Billo Boy said | May 27th 2010 @ 9:08am | Report comment
Will be interesting to see if the Melbourne media follow the AFL’s “nothing to see here people…move on” line, or whether they will pursue the matter to see what lays underneath.
Brendan said | May 27th 2010 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Well if the matty johns scandal from last year is anything to go by regarding consenual group sex then I would say that the media and fans will expect the matter to be dealt with in an upfront and honest fashion. If you remember his career at the time was finished due to this percieved moral injustice.
The level of forensic journalism has increased ten fold now with media companies looking to uncover even the most sordid details. I would imagine questions that some fans and all media outlets would be looking to answer from this scandal would be as follow:
Who are the players?
Who is the father? Im assuming it doesnt take two blokes to get her pregnant??
Then further down the track:
Babys name
Womens day cover shoot with baby pictures etc, etc.
Do role models have the right to be questioned on moral values??
JamesP said | May 27th 2010 @ 10:00am | Report comment
Will be interesting to see if the Daily Telegraph follow the AFL’s line. I remember the Tele carried the article on its website when the story broke…when i looked last night and this morning, i could find nothing on the front page (i.e. a direct link from the home page) noting that there was nothing to answer
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 10:32am | Report comment
what do you guys want??
the story goes that this girl lives not at home but with a 27 yr old other female (sister??). That the direct contact was NOT made at the school (clinic – - that was the primary concern re a ‘scandal’).
The girl and her housemate went to Sydney to chase after the players and she misrepresented herself at that time…..and the deed was done.
The issue broke when someone reported to the schoolheadmaster that it was the StKilda footballers and the headmaster – concerned that it was based on predatory behaviour AT the school based footy clinic – got onto the department and it got politicised.
That investigations have clarified the issue,
and that the parties are satisfied now –
as reported, the department of education, the police, the AFL – -
then – - what’s the problem?? The story is finished…..or should be.
Billo Boy said | May 27th 2010 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
All excuses.
We expect and demand higher standards from our elite sportsmen than we do from the rest of society. That concept has spread around whole of the western world over the past decade but apparently has still not yet reached Melbourne.
No doubt the fear of being ostracised has prevented any Melbourne media from bravely coming forward and doing the decent thing by bringing the AFL and these players to account.
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Billo Boy -
all excuses??
excuses for what???
Instead of ranting – why not deal with the specifics of this case.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 1:28pm | Report comment
Serial AFL basher at work again I see.
ItsCalledFootball said | May 27th 2010 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
St Kilda are the ones that are trying to put the story to bed.
Yeah maybe she lied about where she met the players but the facts remain – she is pregnant and she is underage.
How did she get pregnant Michael C?
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 3:23pm | Report comment
gee – I dunno……immaculate conception? someone’s been running with that story for 2000 odd years!!!!!
mate – - if she at 17 has done the deed with some young StKilda footballers who are aged what?? dunno….let’s say 20? In essence……..what’s the big deal…….she travelled up to Sydney to meet them and misrepesented herself to ‘bed’ them and that starts smelling a bit like groupie stalking/entrapment style behaviour.
Having been thru uni and living on campus……I’m quite aware what 17-21 yr olds can get up to.
I’m just not sure what you see the big scandal as??
So she’s pregnant……all involved now have to deal with that outcome. Good luck to them. It’s no longer the social scandal it was back in the day where the family might try to hide the pregnancy and then Grandma would pretend the child to be her own!!!!
ItsCalledFootball said | May 27th 2010 @ 4:58pm | Report comment
There’s an idea for a book Michael.
Bigger than the DaVinci Code and it will sell well in Melbourne.
Immaculate conception from Andrew Demetriou!
Anne said | May 28th 2010 @ 12:52am | Report comment
She got herself pregnant, because the silly little girl forgot that you can get birth control at ANY GP no questions asked. Oh but that wouldn’t make for headlines now would it!….it’s much easier to make a quick dollar for selling your story to the tabloids!!
She LIED!!!….these young men are just human, if a girl/woman throws themselves at them, I am afraid it would be hard for any red blooded man with normal raging hormones to say no!.
They are sportsman!!!…not the Pope!, and why isn’t anyone trashing her?, she after all has NO morals, Hell she wasn’t happy to sleep with 1 but 2 that we know about AFL players! where is HER moral compass in all this mess?…when does SHE become accountable for her trashy actions?.
Everone is going on as if she is the victim!, the ONLY victim here is the poor little baby who is born to such a vindictive woman.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 11:43am | Report comment
JamesP,
The Daily Telegraph will be kicking itself, chock full of RL Origin coverage they couldn’t give it the full treatment. Fizzled as a story now. Bad luck
CP said | May 27th 2010 @ 10:31am | Report comment
No one is thinking far enough ahead Father son rule anyone????
Gob Bluth said | May 27th 2010 @ 10:58am | Report comment
Pretty much correct, however I have noted with some awe at just how well the AFL manage the media on events such as this.
So far this season we’ve had numerous alcohol incidents, a players charged with rape, two drug charges and the controversy over the drug testing results. After none of these have we had the hyperbole from the media about “a black eye for the code” “yet another off field discretion” or op-ed pieces from journalists in other codes talking about “the annus horribilis”.
The AFL have been brillant at protecting the players and perpetuating the idea that the AFL does what mums think is best.
Journos also seem pretty quick to go into bat for them as well. As Michael points out if its on Facebook, well hey, it must be right.
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 1:22pm | Report comment
Note how many of the players in a bit of trouble this year are indigenous lads,
perhaps there’s some PC style reverse racism going on??
there are some journo’s who know that if they abuse the trust…..then the trust is broken. Not sure about Sydney – but, a journo in the ‘know’ will often be judged more by insiders by what they DO NOT print compared to what they DO.
THe question I guess is – - is all the hoopla in Sydney about the NRL taking hits to the code……is it just a little too manufactured by the News Ltd mother ship to push the old maxim of ‘no such thing as bad publicity’??
The Answer said | May 27th 2010 @ 11:01am | Report comment
I disagree Michael that this is purely a learning experience involved and everyone should just walk away with a few lessons learnt.
As it stands one player shouldn’t be walking away.
While it is apparent she had an affair with two players, I’m pretty certain that it is medically possible for only one to be the father. And seeing it would seem the girl is keeping the child that player is forced to keep up his end of the deal with paternity payments. Players are well isolated from reality most of the time, but this must be made certain that this bloke can’t just walk away and say “well it said on facebook…”
As with anyone in society if you are man enough to have unprotected sex you are man enough to face the consequences if a chlld is brought into this world, and no number of child hangers on or AFL spin doctors can change that for you.
MyGeneration said | May 27th 2010 @ 11:09am | Report comment
I don’t think having a child out of wedlock is a media event these days. “Facing the consequences” really is a private matter.
Harvey the Scouser said | May 27th 2010 @ 11:16am | Report comment
a child out of wedlock
must be the first time since Adam and Eve produced the world’s first known fraticidal juvenile
The Answer said | May 27th 2010 @ 11:53am | Report comment
Absolutely a private matter, and I have no interest in being told about it, it’s simply my hope the kid is looked after.
Don’t why you can’t use protection in a threesome. Let’s face the big lesson is USE PROTECTION.
slickwilly said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:47pm | Report comment
very noble of you that you would want the child looked after… now where in all this silliness has it been said (or even suggested) that paternal responsibility for the child won’t occur
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
Look i know its tempting for you Sydney folk to just jump at this and accuse the AFL of spin, conspiracy,etc, but trust me this was big news yesterday in Melbourne. It was made to look very bad.
Have any of you thought perhaps the reason the names of the players have not been released is due to not only it being a private matter, but more importantly if the players names are released so will the girl’s!
The Answer said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
That is incorrect, the players could be named without the girl’s, especially as she was probably under 18 at the time.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:31pm | Report comment
Please tell us what statute of law you are referring to?
The Answer said | May 27th 2010 @ 5:54pm | Report comment
Sorry Perry Mason, I don’t have that statute to hand. But it is fairly common place for adults in these matters to be named and not the child. I suggest extending your reading past this site and the AFL press releases.
Michael C said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
still is,
she’s 17.
mattamkII said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:23pm | Report comment
The lesson here is, AFL players dont mind mixing each others porridge….
Silly stuff all round. Two camps
1) the moral high grounders who want blood and think the worst
2) the blind sports fans (Michael you are one) who take the counter claims from the AFL and Club as gospel.
The truth, as in most cases is on the middle ground. Did the fellas take advantage of their position and her stupidity? YES. were they stupid? YES. Should they be hung? NO. Will this happen again? YES.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
Incorrect. ‘Some’ AFL players, more than likely a small number of AFL players and it’s no different to NRL, Super 14 , EPL, NFL players.,.
Brendan said | May 27th 2010 @ 4:24pm | Report comment
Well said mattamkII!
I’m not actually one of those people in category one that believes that our sports people should be judged on their moral indiscretions. It’s stupid to point the finger at others when I’m just as guilty some silly choices in my past.
Unfortunately in the times that we live in as it stands, people are hungrier than ever before for these matters to be aired in the media. I may not be one of them but let me assure you that when these incidents occur there will be an ever growing chorus of moral do gooders to chime in with their opinion, which to them is just as relevant to them as the facts.
The questions I raised earlier are valid to some people. Mud sticks, the more of these incidents that occur the worse afl’s image will become. Facts or not!
mattamkII said | May 27th 2010 @ 5:07pm | Report comment
agree…and as time goes by more cases like this will happen.
NFL, NBA and EPL are full of cases of Juiced up players turning a blind eye to what may or may be not over 18…
on the other side there are just as many cases of star stuck girls hiding their age or worse, getting knocked up by players as a way out of a poor life.
Hands up who slept with a girl under 18 when they were 19 or 20? I know I did…was it stupid? yes…and I wasn’t a pro layer. But should I have been hung? no.
Redb said | May 27th 2010 @ 2:39pm | Report comment
6:33 PM Wed 26 May, 2010
St Kilda Club Statement
St Kilda Football Club can confirm it has been working closely with the AFL on a matter that involves two young players and a teenage female, which has been reported widely in the media today.
The conclusions of the investigation are:
The relationship between each of the two young players and the teenage female was consensual and started after the two young players were introduced to her, following the match in Sydney on 27th March.
The players did not obtain the teenage female’s contact details when attending an AFL school visit.
Phone records reviewed thus far by the AFL confirm that there was no contact made to the teenage female prior to the match in Sydney on 27th March.
Victoria Police has confirmed to the AFL that they have interviewed the teenage female and will be taking no action.
The AFL has interviewed the teenage female and confirmed that her story independently supports the statements made by the players.
No names will be released as this is a private matter and the Club will be taking no further action.
—————————-
Media story blown out of proportion.
Anne said | May 27th 2010 @ 5:33pm | Report comment
I am sick of these ridiculous women kissing and telling, is it the norm now for idiot women to sleep with these men in the spotlight just to get them into trouble. Well sorry love but you should have kept your big toes crossed or used birth control if you were going to sleep with men, Oh sorry I forgot!, you couldn’t have made such an issue and get yourself on the telly if you had just had sex with these young men.
STOP trying to ruin these young mens lives you manipulative women!!!!!!!
The lesson in all this is, unfortunately there are lots of vindictive horrible women out there just to make a quick buck, and stir trouble!!
Men please if a woman says ” oh don’t worry about a condom I am on the pill” use 2 just to be sure.
They Lie!!!!!!