The Novak Djokovic versus Australia saga has captured the world’s attention not just for the Djoker’s actions but also for the way the country has responded.
Many Australians would love to see Djokovic receive a booting in much the same way Bart did in the infamous Simpsons episode that painted Australia’s method of judgement and punishment in an extremely unflattering light.
Sadly, there are parallels between Matt Groening’s fictional cartoon and Australia’s border policies as they’ve been implemented in the case of the world No. 1 tennis player. The question is: does Djokovic deserve to be booted? Where does the truth sit? And is the truth the most important factor to the parties involved, or is it just a means to an end?
On the surface the whole Djokovic saga seems to be a disaster. At least that’s how it’s painted by some in the media. But is it really a disaster, or could it be a boon?
(Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
To answer that question we need to take a deeper dive into the players involved and their motivation for the information they’re releasing to the world as ‘truth’. This story has many protagonists, including Djokovic, Scott Morrison and the federal Liberal Party, Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party, Tennis Australia, refugee advocates and even the media itself.
And there are probably more depending on how deep you dive, but the above should suffice to illustrate how truth is becoming the official tennis ball of the Australian Open.
For Novak, this is not just the chance to win a record 21st grand slam; it’s also an opportunity to transcend sport in much the same way the immortals have: Muhammad Ali, Pele and Billie Jean King, to name but a few. This is his opportunity to make a stand against a perceived threat to freedom of choice and be a lightning rod for like-minded people all around the world. This is his chance to become an icon.
Djokovic’s name is fast becoming a rallying cry not just for Serbian nationalists but for those who oppose government mandates via the enforcement of lockdowns and vaccine requirements. The spin coming from his side of the net is heavy with this rhetoric. If he is to play, which appears highly likely, his supporters will number more than the regular flag-waving Serbian expats; they will include others with their own agendas who may choose to use centre court and the huge viewing audience as a prime opportunity for their own standard-bearing.
Scott Morrison, Australia’s Prime Minister, is a marketer by trade. He, more than anyone, would understand the power of information. This is an election year in Australia, and there is more than enough evidence to suggest a firm stance on borders wins elections – just ask the state Premiers.
The Liberal government’s handling of the pandemic has been called into question on many levels and its polling numbers are in decline. Just when Morrison was scrambling at the baseline to stay in the rally, the Djokovic situation has given him a free volley at the net and a service break in the fifth set of the election match.
Even if Djokovic wins his case and is allowed to play, the Morrison machine backed by media factions keen to see him remain in office can spin the result as a show of strength on borders, sticking to the playbook that is tried and tested in winning elections.
The Morrison spin doctors can be clear and resounding on their ‘egalitarian’ visa stance as the most effective way to keep Australians safe from the dreaded lurgy but deliberately vague on how fault on the Djokovic mess lies with the Premier of Victoria, Dan Andrews and the Victorian Labor Party. The Morrison government’s media allies can do the rest, amplifying the vagueness of the accusations against the opposition with bombastic headlines of ineptitude, so that they become perceived reality in the minds of the general public.
Likewise, Anthony Albanese, on his quest to become Australia’s next Prime Minister, has much to gain from the Djokovic situation. There is a lot of pent-up anger in Australia, especially in Melbourne, the world’s most locked-down city and the home of the Australian Open, about the rolling shutdowns and mandates. Livelihoods have been lost.
Albanese pointing the finger at the Morrison government’s penchant for abdicating responsibility on issues concerning the nation has worked for him before, namely in the area of aged care and the vaccine rollout. The Djokovic case presents another opportunity.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Albanese will continue to call for a full and open investigation on the matter, just as he has continuously called for an anti-corruption body, and even though his calls have met deaf ears, they are enough to paint him as a seeker of truth, someone you can trust. And trust has been a major factor in electing previous governments when there is no track record on managing the economy apart from an economics degree.
Tennis Australia, like many sporting organisations hosting major events, has felt the full brunt of COVID-19. Withdrawals of sporting icons have reduced the appeal of the 2022 edition of the Australian Open at a time when it can ill-afford to lose eyeballs.
Many have questioned the tournament’s status as a grand slam, and COVID is proving the wrecking ball, smashing attempts to maintain the event’s place in the pantheon of the world’s most iconic sporting events. Enter Novak and his bungled paperwork and suddenly the Australian Open is global front-page news, the top story on news editions worldwide.
PT Barnum was right: there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Rather than harm the event, the Djokovic case will breathe new life into it, especially if, as expected, he is green lit to play. In fact the longer the rally goes in terms of court case to and fro, the better for Craig Tiley and his Tennis Australia team.
The media are possibly the biggest winners from the whole Djokovic affair. At the slightest whiff of a story provoking engagement, the media machine kicks into gear, putting the story on a spin cycle so you almost feel you can’t escape it. Djokovic is everywhere – in the papers, radio and visual news bulletins. It’s all about the eyeballs and algorithms. Read a Facebook post on Djokovic and you’re served another one. More people watching, listening and reading means more advertising revenue. It means profit, returns to shareholders. But it also means the media try to outdo each other with explosive headlines like ‘bombshell’ and ‘disaster’ to keep people enthralled and keep the gravy train rolling.
Lastly and sadly, the most ill-equipped to join the battle for the truth are the advocates for refugees. They simply don’t have the marketing budget of the aforementioned organisations, entering the fray barefoot with an old-school wooden racquet. Though they desperately try to draw the world’s attention to the plight of refugees staying in the same hotel as Djokovic, the truth is too inconvenient for many Australians to swallow and hence is largely ignored by the media. But at least they get some air time, which is better than none but a lot less than what they deserve.
It doesn’t really matter whether Djokovic plays or not; all parties involved will have used the information surrounding his fight to play in the 2022 Open, to further their own ends. I suspect Djokovic will play as he will be able to prove having been infected with COVID in December 2021 and therefore be in the same boat as many others granted permission to play. Whether he was out and about in the community while infected is not a question of law but more of character and should not disqualify him, but will not win him many admirers.
In the end, there are only two losers in the Djokovic case. One is the Australian taxpayerS, who will be asked to foot the bill when World nO. 1 is cleared to play, appeals or settles out of court.
And the second is the truth, so weaponized by those seeking outcomes in life or business that most of us no longer know where it lies.
Republican
Guest
Individualism v Community. I reckon Australia is precariously balanced in regard to these idealogue's, while our Federal Govt wrestles with a shifting society, in trying to establish where the populist opinion lies. Philosophically a neo liberal tenet is weighted toward the individual so I would expect in Novax's case, he will ultimately win their support. In my life time certainly, I sense a dramatic move to individualism and fundamentalist religiosity akin to the USA, throughout Australia. Thanks for the read. Well constructed and thought provoking.
Republican
Guest
To be sure James.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Cheers Joe...lots of fun...
Winston Wistan
Roar Rookie
Personally I think Novax is a victim of an over zealous border guard, aka some police state treatment. As does the learned judge. He should've been allowed entry initially, as he met the requirements. (The judge said as much "what more could this man have done? Nothing"). But now it has spun out of control. Reading comments from Australians, there is is too much vitriol and anger. Novax should do the right thing and leave of his own accord. He should board a plane asap and apologize for his part in this fiasco and let tennis be the winner. But I doubt he will, unfortunately. Great article, nice to read a deeper take on this debacle. Thank you
Winston Wistan
Roar Rookie
Personally, I think Novax did what he needed to do to meet the Aus requirements, as did the learned judge. (When the judge said "what more could Novak have done? Nothing"). But now it has become a nightmare and he actually needs to do the right thing and leave voluntarily. Because the Australian public sounds pretty vitriolic and this could lead to ugliness). Great article, thank you.
Redcap
Roar Guru
You're probably right, James.
jameswm
Roar Guru
AMD, as I just said elsewhere, I think the Govt are just making sure they have everything right this time, before pulling the trigger. I think the decision is made to re-cancel if they can. Opinion polls (if this is of interest to the Govt :silly: ) would back this up.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Thanks Joe - some parts of made this look clear. This part of the article by the way: "Djokovic’s name is fast becoming a rallying cry not just for Serbian nationalists but for those who oppose government mandates via the enforcement of lockdowns and vaccine requirements. The spin coming from his side of the net is heavy with this rhetoric". This is why - if he legally can - the Minister has to re-cancel.
boredofstudents
Roar Rookie
Thank you for a valuable article. Your insights should be published in many more forums.
Joe Novella
Roar Rookie
Wow, @boredofstudents, thanks for the reply, you have raised some valuable points. Much appreciated, brother.
Joe Novella
Roar Rookie
Thanks @Richie, very kind of you, mate.
Joe Novella
Roar Rookie
Hi @jameswm, yes it was but hopefully the main points of the article still ring true.
Monorchid
Roar Rookie
Good article JN. But I've wondered about the role of Tennis Australia though in the two step "independent" panels set up to review exemption status. I admit that I don't know much about the process, but I've wondered how a sporting organisation like TN can have any say about whether any person has satisfied the requirements to enter Oz. The letter from Greg Hunt's department seemed to be pretty clear about vaccination requirements, as did the ATAGI letter. It's all a bit of a puzzle for an old bloke. For example, I can't go into my local club or pub without a mask, checking in, and proving that I'm fully vaccinated. But this bloke can cross our border, apparently unvaccinated and having had COVID at least once, and it's all OK. I wonder how many spectators will be let into the AO without proof of vaccination? Still, the judge has got him on to the court - so far. The ball has lobbed into the Minister's lap, and that person has the power to boot him out.
boredofstudents
Roar Rookie
May have been, but when I read it this morning it had "6 hours ago" under the by-line. Some cutting truths about a few issues just the same.
boredofstudents
Roar Rookie
Very perceptive article on many levels. Further, your style and precision with language communicates some complex situations in a clear manner. Thank you. Honesty is usually a cause for celebration, but paradoxically here, the truth makes for sad reading. The media manipulations, media bias in some quarters, the political ramifications and the election stakes at play, the economic consequences, all participate in this saga – as they do in most issues. That too often results in decisions and policies that erode values and public confidence. The court costs are really nothing as it should be seen as an investment in trying to find the right action, regardless of how clumsy the Govt’s handling of the case. It is also nothing when compared to the $35 billion (Yes! 35 thousand million$!) handed to businesses who did not qualify for Jobkeeper payments, but who were given them anyway without being asked to return a cent to tax payers. If the media, politicians and public do not scream about that, then the emotion generated by the Djokovic affair is just more evidence of how distorted our values have become. The chance to win a record 21st grand slam should be irrelevant when it comes to public safety, values of equality, fairness and rule of law. Yet, there are many high profile people, mostly former tennis players, who want just that. “Whether he was out and about in the community while infected is not a question of law but more of character and should not disqualify him”. Disagree there on two counts. Being out when infected without mask, not distancing and in doors, is against Serbian law and ours. Djokovic’s selfishness is not just a sense of privilege, but is illegal – and harmful. It should disqualify him. It comes down to trust and sense of social responsibility. This is his second infection with Covid – he has not just endangered others, but he has no sense of seriousness when it comes to the virus. It seems that his personal stance against Covid precautions and science is of the utmost importance to him. If he is so cavalier with his own safety when it comes to Covid, how can he be expected to have a concern for others here? He should be told to go home and see how he goes trying to play in the US Open under the same circumstances. Yes, “Djokovic’s name is fast becoming a rallying cry for those who oppose government mandates via the enforcement of lockdowns and vaccine requirements.” In other words, it is a rallying cry for those who want their cake and who want to pig out on it at the same time. It is a cry to lift individualism, and its wants, over community needs. It is a mindset that demands and desires others to make sacrifices while you just reap the benefits without any contribution. And that is the end point of our culture where we have the belief that somehow every individual following their own selfish desires will combine to create the optimum outcome. That clearly is ridiculous, but it is the way we operate – and it will one day end badly for the majority who are not wealthy or powerfully connected to avoid the result when the proverbial hits the fan. Once you start to invent hardships as Djokovic camp are doing – imprisoned, torture, war against Serbia, etc – you know you do not have a real case to stand on. We know society is partly run on outright corruption, bending of regulations, favouritism, privilege, elitism. No one is surprised Djokovic has been allowed in – but it is still shocking. The same applied when Kerry Stokes was allowed to Q in his mansion instead of a hotel like every other returning Australian. We know the law does not apply equally. But we still are hurt and disappointed when more examples of such discrimination arise. The real threat to our society will come when such inequality is accepted without shock or murmur. When Nigel Farage, Craig Kelly and George Christensen are in Djokovic’s corner, then you instinctively know something stinks. Another loser besides Truth is its brother, Values. Both continually take a pounding. There will come a time when all of the manipulated myths about what Australia stands for, will be peddled out to lift us to make future sacrifices, only to see them fall on deaf ears as we finally live the message that we are all in it for ourselves and that the most selfish will feast on the biggest piece of the cake. You do what you can get away with. The most rewarded in society have relentlessly taught us that message.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/lying-ahole-leaked-video-shows-seven-stars-trashing-novak-djokovic/news-story/190c9cb29e21723f12ab233883000af6
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Probably, it can take the Roar a few days to publish something. Especially if there are a few articles on the same thing. Makes for outdated articles sometimes though…
jameswm
Roar Guru
Exactly. I reckon the Govt will re-cancel. Would be a popular move. They have been made fools of.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
Just saw it. They're saying what everyone is thinking
Redcap
Roar Guru
A good read, thanks Joe. You've skewered a few a lot of the nonsense surrounding this affair very well. I think the Federal Government missed a trick on this one. They had an opportunity to outline a clear position on whether, and in what circumstances, they might use their discretionary powers under the Migration Act. Now they appear to be dithering and run the risk of looking weak or overly punitive, depending on what the Minister decides. Or perhaps, as you suggest, they'll do nothing and let their propagandists spin the issue beyond recognition.