Like most Australian sports fans, I am nervously awaiting Saturday night when our national team goes up against the might of the French, hoping for a draw yet dreaming of a win.
But, having grown up in Melbourne, it also reminds me of the discrimination I faced playing ‘wogball’ at school. The throw-away remark of this ‘real sport’ of Australian Rules football always got to me, not because I didn’t like AFL – I do – but because it somehow associated playing football with weakness and a lack of masculinity.
Like most Victorians, I enjoy watching the AFL. When living overseas I waxed lyrical about the commitment and skill required to be an AFL footballer, and people I talked to were in awe of the religious following of the game by people in Victoria.
So when I was confronted today by Pat Cash’s tweet about “real mans [sic] sport” on the eve of the World Cup, it really got to me.
Our modern society is acutely aware of our own problematic construction of masculinity and for the need for it to change. Muscle dysmorphia is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue among men and highlights the need to have very real and serious discussions about what it means to be a man and the power of the language used to construct and confine it.
This article is not some platitudinous discussion about code wars or the merits of any sport, not only because it is a ludicrous argument, but because the words we use to describe our sports have deep and lasting impacts on the way in which men perceive themselves.
Walking past my local footy and netball club last weekend I could hear a dad yell to a player, “Don’t be a girl” – right next to the girls playing a physical game of netball full of cheeky elbows that a ‘man’s sport’ would have been proud of. The ironic nature of the statement was not lost on others watching either, but the yelling continued and was repeated by other people watching the game.
Scandal broke Victoria when Alex Rance was thought to have taken a dive during a recent AFL game. Such an action only causes outrage because it compromises the fallacy that AFL is a ‘real man’s sport’ or that any sport fits that description. Is there even such a thing as a ‘real man’? What do you call a man who doesn’t fit into the description? An ‘un-man’? A ‘non-man’? A ‘girl…’?
Now, back to Pat Cash. A lot has been said about sportspeople and how they speak in the media, from Margaret Court to Israel Folau. Cash’s remarks are typical of discourse in Victoria and disappointing, firstly because they take away from the very real achievement of Shaun Burgoyne. Speaking to my rusted-on AFL colleagues and friends, it is their first argument against football – that they’re a bunch of divers.
I did dive during my game on the weekend, which probably makes them right to an extent, but there is an underlying tone of contempt for a sport that is not seen as ‘man’ enough. It is this discourse of contempt reinforced by certain sections of the media that is truly dangerous for men moving forward. This is because not only does it denigrate certain sports and those who play them as weak, but it also imprisons those who hold these archaic views.
(Mike Kireev/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
What must Pat Cash have been thinking at the time that he tweeted this? Does he see the World Cup, a beacon of hope and peace in the world and the flagship event of FIFA (which has more members than the United Nations) as an existential threat to his understanding of himself as a man? What does this say about our presentation of masculinity?
These views make prisoners of us all, and as we begin our four-week cycle of telling ourselves that we are men because footballers are not, we really need to sit down and think about how powerful the language we use around this issue is. Because more than arguments about race, belonging and identity, how we see ourselves as men in a world where violence is not a necessity for survival needs to be discussed.
To this I ask: what is a ‘man’? Do our conceptions of masculinity only extend to this narrow understanding of the man who sacrifices himself for others? Breaks a bone for a mate? Gets concussed for a mate? Should we remain Jack, or can we see a future for men where we could ask Rose to scoot over a little and so we can both survive?
Personally I’d rather not drown in an unrealistic masculinity.
Noah Barling
Roar Pro
kk mate, just that it doesn't seem like it takes much skill to kick a ball. However, it does take skill to fake injuries like that.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Antonio Good article mate I’ve played all the rugby league union soccer Aussie rules cricket basketball you name it . At times I was an absolute thug , but got just as much back . There is nothing masculine about that , it’s just bad sportsmanship I admit too . I absolutely love the World Cup and feel you have nailed it , some people are insecure and put down things they fear . I just want to see good quality competition, and the World Cup is fantastic
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Control your emotions mate Barry This is a great article A good human, man women or child can accept different sports and don’t have to aggressively stereotype people . Cricket is a good game as are the other footy codes . I just enjoy soccer more , even though I played league cricket and Aussie rules all my life . Soccer takes so much skill and the World Cup is fantastic. Enjoy
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Control your emotions mate
Noah Barling
Roar Pro
Sorry, I don't get it. What sport are you trying to hit at?
Noah Barling
Roar Pro
coming from a person that hates soccer: we do not fear you, soccer is the most popular sport in the world only because it is introduced in every nation. If cricket was not limited to the commonwealth then it would be head and shoulders above soccer as it is challenging them atm even without most of the world involved. You "blokes" can go around saying it is on fear but it is also human nature to water something down if it hurts. For all I know, you people are more scared of losing popularity and then copping it even worse when nobody likes soccer and you are even less a part of society. From experience, people who like soccer also reckon they are top notch and bring it onto yourselves.
Nemesis
Guest
Any sport where they stop so the players can have cucumber sandwiches, cream biscuits & a cup of tea is a laugh. Play for 5 days for 6 hours in long trousers & cardigans.
Noah Barling
Roar Pro
nothing masculine about soccer, as i have heard; they are better actors than the people up in hollywood
Fred
Guest
Bullying will carry on regardless of our interpretations of "what constitutes manliness". If you can show me a gender theorist who's scientifically literate I'll congratulate you. To a man (no sexism intended) they believe all human behaviour is a "social construct". Evolutionary biology begs to differ.
peeko
Guest
as you said its just one form of bullying. doesnt mean its not important. you just seem angry it gets a lot of coverage. yoour last sentence is not true
Fadida
Guest
The thing is, football fans have such an array of leagues and competitors to watch, transfer speculation, world and continental cups etc that we have no time to look on the AFL tab. Conversely, such is the repetitive and restricted nature of AFL it results in obviously bored fans of the game living on a tab for a sport that they have at best tolerance, but more often hatred and loathing for. An amateur psychologist can see why. Jelousy, which manifests itself in name calling and bullying. The behaviour of 12 year olds.
Casper
Guest
Coward Punchers Community? I'm pretty sure that is recognised as an issue everywhere, regardless of the sport someone follows.
BigAl
Guest
But I like reading Midi's posts ! They can be amusing, tending to the bizarre and hilarious - and heaps of AFL !
Nemesis
Guest
"..they have soccer sounding surnames" Perfect example of "The Sheilas, Wogs & Poofters" attitude across the sections of Coward Punchers Community.
Hoy
Roar Guru
The term "toxic masculinity" has become very popular lately... Can I ask if you used it, or was it editors titling? It's almost like racist in it's usage... used so often at the moment, it gets overused, and then loses it's meaning. This was a very good article. Thank you for putting it in.
Casper
Guest
You probably think that's an insult, it's not. As long as it's played in the country I live in then that's all that matters.
Casper
Guest
You should go onto twitter sometime and look at the comments. I assume they are soccer folk as they have soccer sounding surnames anyway.
Fadida
Guest
Things must be quiet on the AFL tab Casper? I guess that's an issue with a game played in one country....
mattq
Guest
not aware of any hatred towards GWS from football folk... bizarre comment.
Post_hoc
Roar Rookie
Easiest way not to read Midfielder is don't come onto the football page, I doubt he posts very much on the AFL pages so you should be safe.