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Jason Akermanis isn’t completely off the mark when describing the burden placed on homosexual footballers if they decided to come out, when society is unfortunately still struggling to accept women in football.
As much as I would like to think the whole of society would instantly accept homosexuals, they won’t. Society hasn’t even fully grasped the concept of women in football.
Being a young journalist, I cover suburban football on the weekends.
One particular day, I had a gentleman standing next to me constantly starring at me and my notepad. I caught the gentleman’s perpetual stare and he instantly followed up with a crude remark under his breath.
He then continued to ask me what I was doing at the game.
After I explained that I was covering the match for the league’s record, his eyes widened, his face turned up and he scanned me up and down, saying disparagingly, “A woman?”
I was speechless that he had not come to terms that women are heavily involved in football today. Maybe it was the look I gave him, or the words of a fellow supporter questioning, “I’d like to see how you’re going to get out of this one mate?” was the reason he quickly retracted his derogatory comment.
Honestly, I thought society had well and truly grasped the concept of women in football. This gentleman doesn’t represent society as a whole, but surely he isn’t the only one?
Channel Ten’s new recruit Kellie Underwood has been calling the networks Saturday afternoon football games this season. Many have criticised her, simply suggesting that women shouldn’t call footy.
It’s one thing to say Kellie Underwood shouldn’t call footy, but to say women shouldn’t call footy is absurd. I don’t uphold that view purely because I am a woman. I genuinely think that there is a place for woman calling football.
I don’t agree that Kellie Underwood is the poster girl for it, but she was thrown the challenge.
Of course, being the first one to have a go, it was inevitable for her to be criticised. Additionally, I think the production of Facebook pages set up by members of the public to slam Underwood is unfair and unjust.
Society isn’t willing to accept female football commentators, so how is it going to accept homosexual football players? Without a doubt there would be homosexual AFL players out there. Unfortunately the AFL isn’t the most accommodating environment to open up into.
Last week, Akermanis was heavily scrutinised for his article, “Stay in the closet, Jason Akermanis tells homosexuals,” appearing in the Herald Sun. He does have a good point, though. Would players feel uncomfortable playing with someone who is homosexual?
Akermanis admitted that he” felt uncomfortable” when his “gay” teammate from Mayne in Queensland had entered the showering block in his playing days with the club.
“Football clubs are very different environments. Locker room nudity is an everyday part of our lives and unlike any other work place,” Akermanis stated.
It begs the question: if we still have people in society who still can’t understand that women are more than capable on reporting and calling on sport, what hope do homosexual males have in playing football?
Society needs to move with the times and I look forward to the day we all support AFL players, who are publicly willing to acknowledge their homosexuality.
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