When former recruiting manager Matt Rendell asked Adelaide for the chance to explain his side of the story, he was asked instead to resign. “The mud would stick,” was the club’s argument.
Jason Mifsud had his fingerprints all over that saga and now, ironically, he’s found himself in a situation where the mud is going to stick because of his own actions.
Mifsud, the AFL multicultural boss, admitted on Tuesday to discussing false accusations that Melbourne coach Mark Neeld dealt with Indigenous players differently to other players. These claims ended up published by Grant Thomas in a ninemsn blog.
On the back of the Rendell saga, where comments made in a private conversation ended up as headline news via Mifsud, questions need to be asked.
For someone in such an important position tackling such an important issue, one would think trust would be an essential personal attribute.
But that isn’t the case with Mifsud, at least according to 100-game AFL player Dean Rioli.
“Everyone I speak to (say) he’s very untrustworthy,” Rioli told SEN this week. “If you’ve got someone that’s untrustworthy, you can’t resolve anything privately and then you’ve got a serious issue.”
“If he’s going to run to the media every single time that someone comes to him with a question … I wouldn’t go and speak with him because I would be afraid that it would go straight to the headlines.”
Today, his communication was also brought into question with some damning revelations in the Herald Sun.
“Aaron Davey hasn’t been able to talk to […] Mifsud for two days despite being revealed as the alleged source of a lie that linked his coach Mark Neeld to racist behaviour,” reported Mark Robinson.
“The Demons would not comment last night, but Davey is said to be angry he cannot contact Mifsud about the disputed comments. Mifsud did not name Davey, but it is known he has been identified as the source at AFL headquarters. Davey sought to speak to Mifsud on Tuesday night and again last night, but failed. […]
“Davey’s inability to raise Mifsud follows Mifsud’s failure for three weeks to return calls to Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab after the club was advised by AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson that an issue had emerged and Schwab should speak to Mifsud.
“The Demons say Mifsud did not return calls and tweets.
“Mifsud received a formal warning from AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou for leaking the allegations, which he had not verified, against Neeld to friend Grant Thomas, who then repeated them in a column.
“Demetriou also said on Tuesday: ‘It’d be fair to say Jason should have probably returned a couple of calls.’”
It’s just not good enough. Not returning calls that could have defused the issue, and instead going to the media without any form of confirmation, is a poor way to handle an issue that’s both sensitive and damaging to the game’s reputation.
Obviously, there’s a reason Demetriou refused to accept his offer to resign this week. That is a testament to all the good work he would’ve done within the AFL up until this point.
But when there are several very public examples which paint Mifsud as untrustworthy (leaking private conversations) and unprofessional (not returning phone calls, even to a key stakeholder), then the mud is going to stick.
Harsh, maybe, but just like with Rendell, it seems the only option.
Westie
Guest
Put another slant on it, do you reckon he would still be there if he was a Caucasian? Of course not, he would have went straight out the door like Matt Rendell. A very hypocritical society we live in. Am saddened by where Australia has gotten to. How hard is it to migrate to Switzerland?
anopinion
Guest
Tell us why? Your thoughts on this will interest many.
M Wilson
Guest
Mifsud is AFl''s Muticultural boss with a bent! He does not have to resign he needs sacking and the AFL needs to get back to football.
Redb
Roar Guru
Yes I heard that interview on SEN with Watson, AD spun a whole blanket of cover up. Interestingly I also heard on AFL360 the replay of AD's interview with Neil Mitchell who he obviously respects and as Mitchell hit him with the same hard to deny questions he almost agreed.
Bayman
Guest
With friends like Jason Mifsud - or indeed, Jason Misfud - who needs enemies? Perhaps now he has some sympathy for the position in which he put Matt Rendell. It will be interesting to see if he has Rendell's integrity and courage - and resign. At the rate he's going he's fast running out of friends who he hasn't yet dropped in the muck. Sounds like a great bloke to have around. Still, while he's making life a bit difficult for himself now in the 21st century, his habit of passing on private conversations to others in positions of power who can do something about it would have made him a huge hit in Nazi Germany. I guess it really is true - timing is everything!
Adrian
Guest
Surely we need more than a "skerrick of evidence ", I would have thought a solid case would be required before terminating a mans career.
todd
Guest
i agree and if there is a skerrick of evidence that Neeld did segregate the player group at any stage he needs to go. Aaron Davey may hold the key to proving that.
Australian Rules
Guest
That's exactly right. You can just imagine...every room Mifsud walks into suddenly goes deathly quiet. That's untenable.
Saint Jack
Guest
I'm a believer in the old adage, "where there is smoke there is fire". While I agree Mifsud's position is untenable, because of trust issues; I also believe that something is not quite right in the Melbourne camp. Yes, Misfud should have returned calls, but if he went so far as to name Aaron Davey as his source and having contacted the club about the issue, there must be something to it all. Mark Neeld is showing an amazing lack of curiosity about the source. Mifsud can't be that much of an idiot to actually name a source if that person did not speak to him about the situation at Melbourne. Curiouser and curiouser.
Justin
Guest
Agree Red. AD said on SEN that Thomas was in the wrong for printing the remarks and that there was no integrity in their conversation. Well surely there was no integrity in Rendells conversation either with Mifsud. If he was so offended by what Rendell had said why did it take 3 weeks before he told someone. If I were in Rendells position and Mifsud was my mate (as apparently they were) I would be furious that our conversations were reported to the AFL management team. AD is the other person in all of this who is losing credibility. He starts all his interviews quite calm so that he can get his view across. Once that view is challenged he fires up, cuts people off and doesnt listen to reason at all. The interview with Watson and SEN on Wednesday morning was a case in point.
Agree 100%.
Brett McKay
Expert
Michael, you're spot on here. there's just no way Mifsud can continue in this role now after two fairly major events this year trace back to him. If Matt Rendell couldn't hold his job, then there's no way Mifsud can continue in his now, either..
Redb
Roar Guru
Mifsud needs to stand down at the very least until the air is cleared. Demetriou's protection has been more harmful than anything as the double standard displayed with the Rendell sacking is ringing across AFL circles and the public is causing even more angst. He can't be trusted as Rendell found out. Why didn't Mifsud counsel Rendell there and then he would know Rendell is not a racist or mean spirited. There is an element of karma here.
brendan
Guest
What Dean Rioli said is the critical issue here if Mifsud cannot be trusted no - one will confide in him and in effect he wont be able to do the job he is paid too.Micheal you have got to the crux of this issue and as your headline reads Mifsuds future at the Afl is untenable.