I know, I know. “Don’t mix politics and sport!” But seeing as it was a politician who entered the Parramatta changing room (access only granted owing to his political position), and the subsequent fallout from staff Tweets, this situation is beyond depoliticising.
From a purely sporting point of view, I simply don’t understand the thought process behind Scott Morrison meeting with the Eels’ players. Maybe I become over-emotional, maybe he’s just a better loser than I, but as a fan, I certainly wouldn’t possess the mental wherewithal to enter the inner sanctum of the players that had just done my lot over.
For matters pertaining to the more serious situation, the key issue is that the leader of the Commonwealth government took time to watch rugby league (and also some AFL for good measure) after claiming earlier he had no time to attend women’s marches. Whether or not he went into the changing rooms for a few minutes after is almost immaterial to the debate.
Or it would have been, had images of the visible displeasure on display by Parramatta’s sports scientist Tahleya Eggers not taken over the internet. Her now deleted (of her own volition) social media replies to said image, plus the official Parramatta account proclaiming the Prime Minister as ‘ours’, have brought this issue to the fore for the game.
But ultimately, this is just one small microcosm of a constantly developing story. It is one that has been thrust to the front and centre of the political world recently, but nevertheless an uncomfortable reality for so many women in Australia and around the world since time immemorial.
For right or for wrong, rugby league has a reputation in some quarters for producing unsavoury characters pertaining to their behaviour towards women. But recent lurid tales from the corridors of power, and the outpouring of public expression in its wake, have revealed that rugby league only mirrors what happens in the rest of society.
This is acknowledgement of the limits for rugby league to enact change, but not an excuse to avoid any sort of meaningful action. Sport can make societal changes, by the power of leadership, inspiration and the values on display.
As the NRL has made steps in the right direction with Indigenous involvement and recognition, is it not reasonable to seek a similar programme towards equalising attitudes to women? This shouldn’t involve the interchangeable transliteration of First Peoples’ initiatives to the scope of women’s rights – separate male and female competitions partly see to that.
I look to Papua New Guinea for potential solutions. It goes without saying that the country ranked as one of the worst places for a woman to live is not entirely analogous with Australian society. But as Joanna Lester’s excellent Power Meri documentary notes, the idea of having female role-models in a macho sport can be used to spread the message of respect and equanimity.
Seeing female referees, pundits, and coaches will all make an impact on some contemporary thinking. But what will make far more difference going forward would be to introduce these female role-models to junior rugby league.
Anyone with a vague remembrance of their young days on the pitch will remember the adages of “respect the ref” and “play to the whistle.” The logical consequence of having more women referees at junior levels, with more women coaches as figures of authority and respect, would have at least some impacts?
Is it beyond the realms of possibility for the sport to introduce pathways, make it easier logistically and holistically to welcome more women in developmental roles for the next generation? The younger these figures are introduced, the better – before absurd notions of innate female inferiority can be developed.
The separation of politics and sport is an ideal to be strived for, but sometimes their coalescence is inescapable. It serves no one any good to blissfully ignore such a reality and hope for the situation to resolve itself.
Only by acknowledging this story, as a microcosm of wider Australian society, can rugby league seek to forge ahead with its own plan. The rising mood change should be enough to force the game’s custodians into greater action of its own volition.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
The PM is obviously a Sharks & RL fan so certainly not there for photo opportunities. Much like the pics of him in the Ells dressing room, certainly wasn't like he was in there with his PR team taking promo shots of him.
Tony
Roar Guru
I never said you did. What I said is that I stand by it.
JGK
Roar Guru
For the record, I never said your comment was incorrect.
Tony
Roar Guru
According to you. I'll stand by my comment thanks.
JGK
Roar Guru
You’ve spectacularly missed the point. As the PM, symbols and appearances matter. For someone like the current PM who is otherwise devoid of substance or policy, symbols and appearances matter more than anything to him. Therefore, the fact that he’s happy to be filmed in an opposing teams dressing room (something he can only do because he is the PM) but wasn’t happy to be filmed speaking to the March4Justice organisers (who wanted to see him because he’s the Prime Minister) and at such a highly charged time and place in our history says pretty much everything you need to know about the man.
JGK
Roar Guru
Grifter.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Look Joe, these are serious times and this bloke really needs to answer to the Australian people ... peopleses. Parliament does not sit again until May 11 to 13 for the Budget session. They must defer that routine housekeeping stuff and have Prime Minister Morrison spend a couple of days explaining to the House what he knew and when he knew it ... about NRL dressing room stuff ... and why he deliberately triggered repressed memories for the Parramatta junior strapperette, and intimidated her by his very presence. I sat next to NSW Premier John Fahey at Suncorp back in the mid '90s, watching the Wallabies go round. I intended to ask - to demand! - why he was there by himself seated with ordinary people, because I was shocked and a larmed. We were a bit busy though, enjoying the game, talking about his playing career at Canterbury Bankstown Rugby League Football Club and yarning about mutual mates in Sydney. They must put a stop to it.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
"He was invited to the march also." "the march"? Anzac Day is three weeks away. What does that have to do with anything or with the gobbledegook which followed?
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
"rambling nonsense" is apt Dogs Boddy and the balance of your piece is lucid and accurate. Well said.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The best thing woman could have done to help their cause is support Julia Gillard in the opinion polls but it didn't happen. I wondered around the time when The Bunnies were kicked out of the comp and had huge marches to support the cause why all the people marching didn't attend the Bunnies matches. Their crowds were dismal. No club will be kicked out if they have massive crowd support at the actual games. Point is it's all very well to attend marches but it's much more important to take action.
King in the north
Roar Rookie
Pretending the real world doesn’t affect footy - and vice versa - is wishful thinking at its best.
King in the north
Roar Rookie
After reading the comments and not being able to figure out why there is a big disconnect between the author and the commenters it is your comment that has crystallised the reason. You see Morrison as a bloke who - like us - loves his footy and supports his team and should be able to do that without any judgment. But the bigger picture, which we ignore at our peril, is that this same bloke is the prime minister with responsibility for policies that affect every man, woman and child in the country. And a good proportion of the female half of that population is unimpressed with his half-arsed attempts to show he has an inkling of empathy for either the overt or subtle sexism, misogyny and disadvantage women face in society. And in the middle of such a time of questioning he wants to be filmed drinking beer in a footy change room. Either he is totally stupid or he’s quite happy being seen as governing for half the population.
Josh
Roar Rookie
mate...i will let you in on a secret, he only needs to win the poll on election day...the rest is noise.
kk
Roar Pro
Scomo the Shark and Albo the Rabbit. I think that is great for The GGoA. It would not concern me if they were Tiger and Bronco, though Storm may be appropriate for the tea cup and Warrior beyond both of them.
Contego
Guest
It shows Scotty from Marketing has failed in his most important job role — getting elected and reading public opinion. He’s entitled to attend a football match and made a decision to skip the March because meeting them publicly would have been a complete circus that wouldn’t have achieved anything. The lady in the photo is also just doing her job and looks like I do when I meet a politician. Politicians have scripted public appearances with the local marginal seat member and few of the more photogenic advisers behind them because it’s controlled and can’t be photo bombed by someone external doing their job. Scotty doesn’t understand that between 40% and 60% of Australians don’t like him and he’ll be on Newstart if it stays above 50% — I’m aware his pension will mean he won’t be on Newstart but that’s a shame because I’d love to see politicians try to live on that little.
Peewee
Guest
I really have no idea what your talking about or why you so badly want to make issues. It is a non issue a bloke at footy, but you, a sports writer want to make an issue. We don’t need more issues, we need less so leave it alone and write about the game, and keep it enjoyable, fun and inclusive and exciting and interesting, not political and a non issue.
Joe
Roar Rookie
That's a point you're going to have to take up with someone else as my interest in politics starts about a week out from an election and even then barely. The only reason and point of me commenting on PM Morrison is because I believe he really is a genuine Sharks fan...and that's just based from what I see of him during Sharks games, no inside knowledge or anything.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
Dogs body, I agree about respect, but it is a two way street that makes the world go around. However, promotion on gender and not on ability is a sure way to disaster but there should be no preferential treatment it's the proven record on the resume that counts.
mushi
Roar Guru
That's great. I love a beer with my mates. If my clients saw me out having beers when I recently said I was too busy to go to a difficult meeting I'd have a problem
mushi
Roar Guru
He was invited to the march also. He just made the call. Like Hawaii, free to go, not free of the consequence - especially for some one who lives for media spin. It should be insulting, we've fostered an environment of self interest through apathy. It should be an insult to both side of politics. It won't "suddenly" fix anything but its unlikely a group of blokes who have ignored the issue are likely to "eventually " fix it either. Unless you believe in genuine white male superiority. It's a red herring to suggest if it doesn't immediately fix something then it is pointless. Worth noting that some of your claims actually have shown better decision making due to natural diversity of perspective. It's about promoting a pathway to genuine meritocracy by resetting of the gender/race mix of those that determine merit. We've got major issues ahead of us as a species, limiting to the best of the white male subset limits our chances of attacking those issues.