Should footy players be role models?

On Saturday afternoon, a former Brownlow Medalist and three-time All-Australian burst inside 50 at Giants Stadium and snapped at goal, only to see his shot drift away to the far side.

Frustrated, he turned around and flipped the bird to an opposition player, before making a gesture which imitated snorting a powered drug.

The footage was beamed live across the country into thousands of living rooms and replayed again on the evening news.

That player was Dustin Martin.

The following morning, thousands of young boys and girls – some sporting replicas of the trademark Martin hairdo – would take to the field for their junior suburban footy games.

And without a doubt, there would’ve been numerous attempts by daring young midfielders to evade a flimsy opponent with a stiff-armed ‘don’t argue’.

That’s because for many of these aspiring footballers around the country, Richmond cult figure Dustin Martin is a role model.

There is a conversation which needs to be had about the role footballers play in the modern era setting an example for their young fans.

In an age characterised by the 24/7 news cycle, footballers – like all professional sportspeople – are constantly under the spotlight for their on-field and off-field conduct.

But are these young men, thrust into a cut-throat professional environment straight out of secondary school necessarily responsible for the example they are setting?

Because in the contemporary media environment, overtly holding individuals to account can become a nasty business.

In an emotional on-field interview with Cameron Mooney following Port Adelaide’s stirring Round 1 victory over Melbourne, Power utility Jack Watts reflected on his past few months with brutal honesty:

“I had weeks where I didn’t want to get out of bed,” Watts said.

“I’d cop more shit from people saying I’m not good at footy for a thousand years compared to what I’ve been through the past few months.”

Watts had endured a whirlwind pre-season with video of him snorting white power at last year’s Oktoberfest emerging online, along with text messages he’d allegedly sent which didn’t portray him in a very positive light.

(Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Watts was chastised and ridiculed across the media and Port Adelaide took appropriate action disciplining the former No.1 draft pick who’d joined the club from Melbourne at the end of 2017.

Sure, he can and should be criticised.

But there is a line to be drawn, and mental health has now become part of the discussion.

A couple of weeks ago, Port Adelaide chairman and Sunrise host David Koch was interviewed by Chrissie Swan, Sam Pang and Jonathan Brown on Nova 100’s morning shift.

Asked what the biggest item on the agenda at the AFL chairpersons’ meeting was, Koch didn’t hesitate to reply: “players’ mental health”.

Of course, Martin should be criticised for his unsportsmanlike conduct, and Watts for his reckless behaviour, just like Andrew Gaff was widely condemned for punching Andrew Brayshaw in late 2018 and Jordan De Goey for drink-driving earlier that same year.

But it should stay at criticism – not chastisement.

Many in the community still echo the sentiment that the modern-day footballer is paid well above the average wage, and therefore has a responsibility to act accordingly as a public figure.

It doesn’t matter how much these players earn, their annual salary does not render them open to being degraded to a stage where they struggle to get out of bed in the morning.

The notion that AFL players – and professional sportspeople in general – have a responsibility to model proper conduct is true.

But I’d propose a more nuanced line of thinking.

No player is responsible for specifically being a role model to you, or to anybody else in the community for that matter. Who you choose to admire, and who you raise your children to admire, is entirely a matter of personal preference.

To criticise a player for their unsatisfactory behaviour simply because they are a ‘role model’ is impractical.

At what stage did the 18-year-old school boy suddenly become a role model? When he was drafted? Or was it when he played his first game? Are all AFL players deemed to be public figures and therefore role models?

(Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)

The true role models of the AFL are the leaders, those who model exemplary sportsmanship and possess both elite skill as well as dignified conduct.

To generalise all professional sportspeople as automatic role models not only imposes an unfair burden, but diminishes the power of true role models to have a positive influence on those around them and in the wider community.

Player development and possible misconduct is best left to be dealt by their respective clubs. As the primary institution whose public image is shaped by player conduct, there is nobody better placed to provide the appropriate disciplinary action.

The average age of an AFL player lies somewhere between 23 to 25 years, depending on the list. That’s not much older than the peers whom I share the locker room with on a daily basis.

If one of my peers were to make an irresponsible or uncharacteristic decision at some stage over their transition into adult life, I would be far more assured should the subsequent criticism and disciplinary action come from their family, educators, employers and mentors as opposed to the ruthless cauldron of the Twittersphere.

There isn’t really another discipline where an individual’s performance within their occupation and conduct in their personal life is judged from such a young age as the professional sportsperson.

In order to safely navigate the modern media landscape, we must recognise the need for restraint in terms of our own criticism, alongside the importance of mental health and the notion of personal responsibility.

AFL players are responsible for their conduct.

AFL clubs and the league are responsible for maintaining discipline and professionalism.

And we are responsible for our language.