The AFL’s swift response to comments made by sacked Adelaide recruiter Matt Rendell shows how fiercely the league protects its reputation for reconciliation and engagement with Aboriginal Australia.
Australian football should be proud of its record, not only in recruiting indigenous players but also in other progressive causes such as the environment and multiculturalism.
The league’s commitment to these issues is spelled out on its website, stating “We will achieve our legacy through being accountable, progressive and respectful.”
Yet there is one high-profile social issue which the AFL has chosen to approach conservatively, not seeking to change the status quo. I am talking about gambling.
While there is an ever-expanding body of evidence on the negative effects of gambling, it is hard to watch an AFL broadcast or read a match preview without being told the odds of who will win, who will score the first goal, or who will have the sexiest WAG at the Brownlow.
As an Essendon member, last year I received a brochure asking me if I was a Bombers fan (I am) who likes a bet (I don’t). It then urged me to visit bombersbet.com.au (I didn’t).
So why is the AFL at the vanguard of social issues like racism but falls back when it comes to gambling?
I fear the answer may be due to a hard-hearted cost-benefit analysis.
From an economic point of view, standing up to racism is what Americans call a “no-brainer”. It puts you on the right side of history, earns incalculable goodwill and – most importantly – costs you nothing. The bigoted moron demographic just isn’t big enough to influence the crowded sporting market place.
Taking a similarly hardline stance on gambling is a different matter.
The positives are the same as speaking out against racism but the cost is so much higher.
The AFL and its various team could stand to lose millions of dollars in sponsorship during a time of weakening economic growth.
This theory raises an unsavoury hypothetical. What if racism was monetised?
Would a struggling club knock back sponsorship from some eccentric aged billionaire on the proviso that “no coloureds where recruited”?
Would One Nation be able to buy space on the AFL website next to Sportsbet and Carlton Draught?
These are extreme scenarios but they help illustrate my ultimate question. How committed is the AFL to its progressive values?
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Tomahawk didn't know this is illegal, apparently!
Was Marc Pittonet dudded?
A little over 12 months ago, Collingwood demolished Port Adelaide on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the MCG in the first of many, many…
