Too many years ago to remember, I “attended” a party in one of Brisbane’s wealthier inner city suburbs. When I say attended, I really mean “gatecrashed” – but gatecrashing was okay back then, as long as you brought your own beer, smiled a lot, and didn’t cause trouble.
The party was being hosted by a well-to-do Brisbane professional man – not that he knew it. He and his wife were away. So in their absence their son generously stepped into the fray.
Terrific night. Hilarious.
Try as might I still can’t get out of my mind the sight of the host, shirtless, leaping from the roof of the double-storied house, into the pool, all while clutching a bottle of Bundy Rum. The dare-devil deed (dangerous in the extreme) brought wild applause from the poolside gathering, many of whom I suspect had seen the stunt before.
Funnily enough, that same rum swilling hooligan is now running one of Australia’s largest accountancy practices. Doing an outstanding job.
Across town, there’s another bloke I know who occupies a very senior executive seat in huge insurance company. I still have a photo of him, on a boy’s fishing trip, with a small bonfire on his head. A human torch. Twenty years on, the same bloke is responsible for billions of dollars and hundreds of people.
Very successful. Very good. Even respectable.
Which brings us to the latest “scandal” surrounding the St Kilda Saints AFL club, and the four young “criminals” who broke the team code by sneaking out, getting on the drink and munching on some sleeping tablets.
Can you believe it? Just shocking. Where on earth will these hooligans be in 15 years time?
Probably retired and running something substantial would be my guess.
Memo to sports administrators, immaculately behaved media representatives, and the thousands of perfect people clogging up blog sites with their pious ramblings: young blokes grow up. Their decision making improves, and in turn their behavior, generally in time to save their careers. Let’s all pop a chill pill.
Footballers are not contracted because they are smart, charismatic, mature, well rounded, and community minded. They are contracted because they can kick, catch, run and pass. In that order. Anything else is a bonus.
The sages above who have never made a mistake in their life will of course cite the athletes’ role model status, the changing times, the new levels of responsibility, the fat pay packets etc.
Blah blah blah.
I get all that stuff, and acknowledge the Saints haven’t exactly had the best of off seasons, but we are now at the point where young blokes simply cannot have a bad moment, let alone a bad day.
And guess what? They are going to.
Poor discipline? Absolutely. Smart? Absolutely not. But we need to remind those banging the drum on this latest “scandal” – there’s a distinct difference between negatively impacting yourself, and violating the rights of others.
When it comes to the impetuosity of youth – youth with access, temptation, time and probably a bit too much money – maybe it’s time for the public to tweak its expectations.
Maybe we should get the now proud parents of the ‘Rum Hooligan’ and ‘Bonfire Head’ to address the clubs. Reassure them that things are probably going to be okay.
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