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Waterhouse v Singleton, ASADA v Essendon Bombers, ASADA v Cronulla Sharks; these are just the most recent examples of how self-governance within our sporting codes is not reliable.
Cultural organisations, in particular sporting ones, are a road littered with the burnt out wrecks of self-regulation being subject to conflict of interest, lack of incentive and turning a blind eye.
The episode of poor sporting governance began with a tit-for-tat between John Singleton and Gai Waterhouse over alleged insider trading-like information shared among the Waterhouse family about a Singleton horse.
It was built up all week, like a story with such famous and traditional names will be, and was supposed to reach some sort of climax today.
Only it didn’t.
The state racing authorities did start compiling evidence such as betting records and conducted a steward’s inquiry. However the details that emerged from the inquiry were not particularly explosive.
There were some details about treatment of the horse that were partially known and Gai may have something to answer for, but the major questions haven’t really been addressed.
Those questions revolve around the position of the Waterhouse family on both sides of the fence.
The position of Tom Waterhouse himself being on the betting side and the presentation of sport side of another fence.
Far be it from me to suggest rugby union is completely clear of vested interests, but in order to maintain integrity, George Gregan had to drop his irregular coaching role with the Brumbies in order to maintain a role at the Australian Rugby Union.
That was deemed necessary to achieve a level of best governance without conflict of interest.
A myriad of other conflict of interests at left alone in a sport such as racing that places large emphasis on public gambling when the public have very little information a select number of insiders and, apparently, footy players or brothel owners also have.
These obvious issues aren’t addressed at a steward’s inquiry, and possibly shouldn’t be included in the scope of such an investigation.
But Blind Freddy could pin the tail on the donkey here and point out the need for bigger issues to be addressed. Will that happen inside racing once this inquiry blows over? Probably not.
Focusing on the finicky details in this inquiry is a nice diversionary tactic and the hope will be it causes the media and public to miss the forest for the trees.
It’s been clear for some time we can’t rely on the governing bodies of this type of organisation to actually mete out real punishment or deliver change that may affect their own friends.
Last night ABC program Four Corners focused on Surf Life Saving Australia, an organisation that has done much good work but is also an example of self-governance gone awry.
There have been three deaths due to what appears to be lax safety standards at the Surf Life Saving Australia at national championships.
A previous director of SLCA has been quoted as saying, “there is nothing wrong with the organisation at the beach level. What is wrong is the people that manage that, and at the national level (they) need to consider a change.”
The organisation commissioned a report by Deloitte to try and get to the bottom of the governance and information structure within the organisation in the wake of these deaths.
Since the report was turned in by Deloitte it hasn’t been made public in full by the organisation and the only obvious change was confusion over new, or re-publicised, safety equipment.
A feature of the Four Corners report was the repeated “not comment” responses from the Surf Life Saving acting CEO.
It is clear the institutional governance can’t be fully relied upon to do the best thing for the people in the sport and accept appropriate responsibility.
Looking toward the international cycling community provides example of how internal regulation failed spectacularly in the case of performance enhancing drugs, but also in general policing and investigation.
It has taken a belligerent and possibly overly aggressive investigation by US government bodies to crack open the rock of Lance Armstrong’s cheating.
It seems as though at a minimum of a couple – and probably a fair few – stages, the governing bodies were aware of cheating and probably even helped cover it up. I’m sure they would use the ‘for the good of the sport’ lines to help themselves sleep well at night.
When the proverbial hit the fan in cycling, International Cycling Union President, Pat McQuaid wanted us to believe he was “shocked and angry” after reading the revelations in the USADA report details of doping.
Nothing has changed. He’s still in charge of the organisation despite plenty of people who don’t want him there, including online petitioners.
It looks like the International Cycling Union has called the public’s bluff because they’ve not even decided to run through the rigmarole of finishing their own pointless internal inquiry.
It is from that angle that I watch the unfolding problems with drugs at the Essendon AFL club and Cronulla Sharks NRL team. It’s clear the bodies governing sport won’t govern themselves to a high standard on their own.
There is clearly an inbuilt culture of disinterest with following the rules and complying with public expectation of clean competition.
The disinterest shows up clearly in the NRL when players turn up to interviews wearing thongs like they’re ducking down to the shop for milk.
If a young man believes the investigations into his club aren’t worth getting as dressed up as most people I know do for work each day it reflects on the guidance and information he receives on a day-to-day basis.
Disinterest and even disrespect rears its head when Paul Gallen feels confident saying that ASADA is “running their own rules” and isn’t asked to pull his head in by his employers.
For a start, the rules ASADA adhere to are dictated by a Member of Parliament of your country Paul, so maybe take that into account if they aren’t in lock-step with the priorities of your own.
It’s now at the point where ASADA hasn’t even been able to complete its interviews.
If the NRL doesn’t want to comply then say so, don’t pretend you do and then make it as hard as possible to get the job done. That’s behaviour parents are usually weeding out of their children during their early teenage years, not befitting of a professional sport.
In the AFL the problem at Essendon is spiralling to further depths.
The new exciting catch-terms are “exotic substances”, “experimental environment”, “Ziggy Switkowsky report”, “the football department”, “the buck stops with me” and “I’ll put myself up for election – in November”.
Taking the step of conducting a review might put the AFL club in a slightly better light than the NRL counterparts but there has been very little commitment to improvement or changes.
Portioning blame toward “the football department” inside a football club is almost humorous and subtly allows the people in oversight positions to escape much of the blame when the dust settles.
The players unions of both sports have been pushing all the blame to the clubs while attempting to remove any expectation of adulthood from the players themselves. Apparently the players aren’t supposed to know what’s being put into their bodies and the culture of absolute trust should absolve them that responsibility.
We haven’t even reached the part where criminal involvement in sport, betting or drugs has been fully investigated yet.
Before the racing inquiry this week racing lawman John Schreck was quoted in Fairfax press as saying “the most important thing is the sport, and the sport has to be the first priority in everybody’s mind at all times such as this [one].”
Too often what is best for the sport in the eyes of governing bodies, athletes, insiders and financial parties is very different to what the public believes and expects. That much is clear.
As a sports fan it is natural be peeved at any government intervention or government body involvement with our beloved cultural interactions.
Next time those thoughts cross your mind, remember the clear track record of self-regulation failing or operating half-heartedly in sports. That is exactly why bodies like ASADA need to step in.
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