From Laura Ingraham of Fox News telling LeBron James to, “shut up and dribble,” Donald Trump demanding US women’s national soccer team co-captain Megan Rapinoe “win before she talks” to tennis star Naomi Osaka repeatedly recommended to, “keep politics out of sport,” it’s common for athletes to be told to keep quiet.
Carlton’s outspoken AFLW team is the latest target.
When the team lost to ladder leaders and two-time premiers, the Adelaide Crows in Round 5, fans came for them. “Focus on football,” “stay off social media,” and “it’s becoming a platform for everything other than playing football,” wrote members of one online fan forum.
One member even posed the question, “has the club worried too much about being PC to the detriment of on-field performance?”
The game was the club’s annual Carlton Respects match, a round that promotes gender equality for the prevention of violence against women. Let’s be abundantly clear, violence against women is a major issue in Australia.
Research suggests, “on average, at least one woman a week is killed by a partner or former partner in Australia,” while “eight in 10 women aged 18 to 24”, the core demographic of AFLW players, “were harassed on the street in the past year.”
Madison Prespakis of the Blues (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Winning and having strong values, while ideal, aren’t mutually exclusive. Research from Our Watch, a not-for-profit initiative under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022, identified that sport has “the capacity to influence, inform and shape attitudes about important issues, such as gender equality.”
But for many outspoken fans, championing this vital cause was a distraction to the 80 minutes of time the player’s spent on the field at Ikon Park.
Meanwhile, the same day, some 9,000+ kilometres away in Beijing, China, the world watched the Winter Olympics. A celebration of sport underpinned by the Olympic Movement founding principles of non-discrimination, humanism, universality, solidarity, and alliance.
The World Olympians Association website proudly boasts, “the Olympic Movement is committed to promoting the spirit of Olympism – the point at which sport, culture and education converge,” a sentence that could very well have been lifted straight from Carton’s AFLW mission statement.
The Round 5 match was not an isolated community event and call to action from the club. In Round 4, celebrating inclusiveness and gender diversity, the team wore their pride jumper to acknowledging the LGBTQIA+ community, of which many of the Carlton and indeed AFLW players are part of.
Last season, the team wore their inaugural Indigenous jumper. While still maintaining the famous monogram and navy-blue colours, the jumpers surrounding imagery symbolised women, wisdom, knowledge and Indigenous culture.
The club’s social impact is a strategic and calculated move and something they don’t shy away from. Written in their strategic plan for all to see, the club boldly aspire to be the leaders of Australian sport, “by using the power of the Carlton brand to positively impact the community.”
There’s no disputing the football landscape has changed with the times. The introduction of the AFWL in 2017 proves that. And while we cry out for more personalities and less recycled cliches in the game, when the status quo is rocked, or heaven forbid, a team doesn’t win, out comes the condemnation.
Let’s not be distracted by the true problem at hand; that such injustices and inequalities exist in Australian society in 2022, not the fact that AFLW players are talking about them.
This dismissive separation of sport and politics rhetoric regularly comes from those in positions of power and privilege and the view that teams, and indeed athletes, are corporations and not human.
The AFLW is a league made up of humans. Of teachers, nurses, trades workers, students, and, like it or not, game changers. These players have a platform, and are not afraid to use it; win, lose or draw. The Footy Show, a program ironically taken off the air after a slew of racism and sexism controversies said it best, it’s more than a game.
Michael
Guest
I'd say there is a couple of factors behinds crowds and ratings being smaller this season. COVID playing havoc with schedules and games being switched and in some cases relocated interstate means a lot of uncertainty (I was going to go watch the Pies play West Coast at VIC Park but that game got rescheduled to Perth), games getting rescheduled to midweek doesn't help with work and school etc. The other is time of the year the season is being run. A lot of the AFLW venues don't have great spectator facilities or terrible location (especially Casey Fields, Maroochydore albeit this is a temporary venue and some of the venues GWS use) with a lack of shade and seating, so it's a big ask to get people to go and sit in what has at times been really hot weather (high 30s, close to 40 at times). Ratings wise, going up against the Australia Open and the Winter Olympics was always going too have some impact as well. Personally I think the competition should be run in October (starting almost immediately after the AFL Grand Final). October is by and large not dominated by other leagues (aside from the NRL Grand Final which is a Sunday night game and the Spring Racing Carnival which are day events) and the weather is still tolerable enough for AFLW until December. The only other thing it is really competing with is AFL list management/trade news and the leadup to the draft.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Ultimately the "social justice" campaigns might make privileged people feel warm and fuzzy but if they don't improve the popularity of the league (or worse, reduce it) then what's the point? There have been noticeably fewer good news stories about the AFLW this year. Crowds have been poor, TV ratings have been underwhelming. Gone are the days of packed houses with queues to get in. Yet the standard has never been better. Perhaps it's covid, perhaps it's something else. But can you say that pride round (for instance) increased the AFLW's popularity? If so, on what measure? If not, what was the point?
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Nice attempt to manipulate the point. Do you not agree that there has been a concerted effort to silence those views? Even the Whitehouse has had its say on Rogan.
.kraM
Roar Rookie
A+ drivel, even by your standards
.kraM
Roar Rookie
.
.kraM
Roar Rookie
Rogan and Rowling are really struggling to have their voices heard :laughing:
Space Trains
Guest
Women's Sport's political posturing is entirely because it is a corporate entity. They share all of the same causes as Google, Amazon, Netflix, Disney, Facebooks, Twitter, all four of the Major Banks, Bonds, Ben and Jerrys Coles and Woolies, Colgate - Palmolive etc etc etc In fact the corporate owners of the Women's sports leagues include all of this posturing in its men's game as well. The only difference is that being progressive is the main selling point in the all professional women's sports brands. Men's sport is still sold as something you might be entertained by.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Why? Because we hear it from sports people from every sport, TV advertising, businesses, politicians, activists...the list goes on. People are sick and tired of being berated any time the turn the TV or radio on, or go on the internet. It isn't just about a "reminder", it's pervasive. And people need to ask the question of the motives behind what they are being told and what is being expected of them. There is no doubt that people can't speak against the mantra or they run the risk of public humiliation and threats to their livelihoods - to very prominent examples recently are JK Rowling and Joe Rogan. When we reach the point that it's not ok to debate and have dissenting views there is a very big problem with our society; history has proven that time and time again. That's why they shouldn't use the bully pulpit to remind the world that we need to do better.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
That's so lame Max. Mick is absolutely correct to challenge the agenda of the author. And the validity of the claims of the social engineering brigade should absolutely be challenged. If they're valid they won't have any problem with defending them. People absolutely have the right to question and determine what type of society they want to live in, and right now it's people like you and the author who want to shut down that debate, but you can't and you never will.
Kevo
Roar Rookie
Good to see social justice issues addressed on any platform and in any forum. However sports people and administrators are often not without large and even fragile egos and can push barrows to make themselves appear relevant. It makes sense we promote gender equality and diversity but also we should promote gender differences......which imo is the greater reality that is often ignored... but regardless I'd sooner see sporting people focus on sport mostly and do community, social justice work behind the scenes and out of the public lime light. I guess also it helps if people have done or shown something of value in life for us mere mortals to believe they are credible and worthy of respect before we pay much attention to them...... otherwise it can come across just as more gimmicky shyte that takes away from the soul and pleasure of sport. They can kick a footy or hit a ball therefore they must have a good moral compass........... When they retire or as they approach retirement then go for it and use their hard earned credibility to pursue and promote the next chapter of their life if they want to make a contribution to the world. Exceptions for me would be core heart issues that can genuinely make a powerful statement like taking a knee in the U.S.......and you know straight off this is powerful, consciousness changing, deeply heart felt and not self serving.
JAMES G HASLAM
Guest
To the Carlton women and the rest of the AFLW. Keep speaking out. You have a platform, use it. Billie Jean King did not toss the coin at the Super Bowl because of a bunch of tennis titles. We will catch on, eventually, thanks to the Grace Tame's of the world.
Max power
Guest
Got under your skin mr snaw fluke
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Yeah but to pretend like kicking a Sherrin immediate precludes you from talking about something is the height of hubris. They have a prominent position in society so why shouldn’t they use the bully pulpit to remind the world that we need to do better
Willy Wokester of SBS and ABC
Guest
Quite right too.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Oh dear Brendan, in this very first post you overlooked revealing that you do this for a job, comfortably ensconced at Melbourne University (funded primarily by taxpayers) with your wagon hitched to all the latest fashions. It is important work in an election year, I know, I know - but there is nothing in your self-promoting political pieces about sport. Not a thing. Making rain / stopping rain, being sorry about stuff, hating the Prime Minister, eulogising the recent visitor to his home who made a point of dismissing his wife on camera ... There is this sort of thing in bucket loads: "The religious discrimination bill is a petty attempt at revenge for Australia’s decision to support Same Sex Marriage. We chose the future, stop living in the past." but nothing at all on sport. I believe you are lost.
Ben
Guest
Only hijab wearing Muslim women are allowed to object to fighting against "injustices and inequalities" without facing any repercussions, in fact they are praised for their "bravery".
Brian
Guest
Or maybe the pundits realise that kicking a sherrin doesn't improve your ability to tackle's society's problems. These moves are done by AFL clubs to try and improve fan engagement. The real truth is if you want better social outcomes take action on these and turn the footy off.