Police reportedly detain Melbourne City's Harry Novillo

I thought Australians didn't like football because it was un-Australian, not masculine enough, multicultural and a bit too complex for them.

I think the d1ckhead per head ratio for Afl and Nrl is far superior, you're bound to get your bad eggs in a sport this large. In any case he can p1ss off out of our league if he's abusing his wife mentally or physically.

Yes Perry your conspiracy theory is absolutely correct. whatever this incident amounts to is exactly comparable with how AFL and NRL players interact with the public and especially their treatment of women (and animals)

Irony Fiddlesticks and company come on to the football tab for one reason - we all know what it is. Say it's a crap sport, 'people don't like it'......for this reason, for that reason...... Some people respond on the football tab to defend the sport. Fiddlesticks and company then claim these people are 'defensive' and have 'chips on their shoulders'. Free speech is good for some..........as long as other people don't enjoy the same right.

#Punter, Soccer is only a 'game' - yes. However - it is massive internationally and with that there's a lot around it that is less than appealing. It's governance via FIFA for one thing (love the line in the promos for "Grimsby" at present). Supporter culture in many countries around the 'Ultras' and equivalents, along with other unsavoury aspects such as flares are things that (rightly or wrongly-if an over reaction) it appears 'we' don't want 'imported' into this country. We don't want barbed wire fences and segregated crowds (other than based on financial/class basis!!!). Fear of a sport - well - that was seen in reactions around UFC.

How so? And what's all this got to do with a 'footballer' having a less than perfect private life. btw - ironic - yesterday morning SEN were chatting to Bosnich - and Francis Leach made a comment about soccer players tending to be exemplary in their off field behaviour and Bosnich quickly qualified that by putting his own hand up as a clear exception - but - also warned to not speak too soon and be very careful about any of those sorts of generalisations. I wonder if he'd already heard something (this was at about 8:15 AM yesterday morning).

Keep telling yourself that, that's why people don't like football, supporters with chips on their shoulders

so more people watched it than the AFL grand final?

Thanks pat malone

Removed

Maybe not, but they have MASSIVE form. Another one here who shows fear!!!!

I totally agree with you, the private affairs of a couple of TV people, is no-one's business but themselves, but the gossipy trash media love it. Who cares? This affects families, kids, friends, family, those cheated. yes this happens in the Burbs all over Australia & yes it destroys lives, especially those closest to you.

I thought FUss said only RL and AFL players get into trouble

i do love how the daily life section of the story has turned the story to be about men treating women badly

Very true, football doesn't have the profile to have front page news like AFL or NRL. But something like this, though not a good look, is not attacking the game but the player. Hence why the flare incidents in the A-League, no real difference in similar issues off field crowd mis-behaviour in the AFL, NRL, Rugby or Cricket, however football gets overblown attention, way higher then it's profile deserves, because this is not the player, this is about the game & people like you are scared of the game. Don't be scared, it's only a game & has a small profile as you highlighted, no need for you & AFL fans to live on the football tab. Have a word to your fellow scared mongers like Josh Elliot, nothing to worry about, it's only a game..

umm, ok then

Don't know, don't care. These things only seem to matter to you from what I can see.

Of course it is not a good look, it is being played out through the media, the media that BTW provides them with a extremely good living, it is what they call karma. This sort of thing happens in the burbs etc all over Australia, everyone has seen it, been involved in it etc, maybe we could start a new reality TV show about it, add some cooking to it. Who really cares except the nosey and voyeuristic.

2 TV celebrities in Melbourne, ex AFL players, having an affair with co-host's wife, yes gossip trash. Not good look though!!!! No crime committed, not good look though!!!! Maybe next time he's on TV the Melbourne audience can BOOOOO him.

If Harry Novillo was a NRL player in Sydney, the media would be camped outside his front door en masse, i think the Sydney media if possible is more prone to exaggerating stories than the Melbourne media, but that comes about from living where trashy news is more important any sort of truth. But is ignoring soccer stories like this a slap in the face to soccer, is ignoring them a lesson as to where soccer sits in the scheme of things ?.