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Brendan Fevola of Brisbane looks on after a loss in the AFL Round 12 match between the Western Bulldogs and the Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne. Slattery Images
On the back of a certain nude photo scandal and yet another Brendan Fevola incident, not to mention countless other big stories last year, it’s easy right now to attack the AFL and other bodies that oversee players for “not doing enough”. Surely they can do more to educate and guide players, you may say.
But there are two simple truths that don’t get much of a mention whenever a big story breaks.
Firstly, it’s that the players are indeed given plenty of education and guidance and warnings and advice. And secondly, before you start thinking indiscretions are all just the fault of the player involved, it’s that there are many, many potential pitfalls not just for AFL footballers, but for young men in general.
I spent Monday at the AFL Players Association induction, a camp which wrapped up yesterday and involved all the first-time draftees from every club.
While a lot of media reporting on the day focussed on the AFLPA schooling the new boys on the dangers of social media, in truth the focus was on the myriad of other issues that can confront players. Like drugs, alcohol and even road safety.
Nathan Thompson got on stage to talk about his battle with depression. Mark Eustice talked about his post-career battle with drug use.
Thompson delivered one of the more memorable quotes of the day when he said, “The only way you can control what people say about you is with your actions.”
The education continued on the second day of the camp, run largely by the AFL, where there were sessions on anti-doping, illicit drugs and gambling, and respect and responsibility.
There was a lot for the kids to take in, but it’s important to keep in mind this was just one event. When you factor in all that the AFL, individual clubs and AFLPA staff that visit every club do, it’s obvious that the game does not rest on its laurels when it comes to the welfare of its players.
It’s easy to blame an entire code for the misdemeanours of a select few of its players. But maybe it isn’t always fair to do so.
Likewise, it’s easy to put all the blame on the players, or join the “footballers need to grow up” crowd. But maybe this isn’t so wise, either.
Issues with gambling, drugs, alcohol and the like catch out many young men, but for whatever reason, our standards for AFL footballers are higher. It’s almost as if the fact they are in the so-called “public eye” means they should be perfect, upstanding citizens 100 per cent of the time. Which is crazy.
That’s not to say players don’t need to take responsibility for their own actions. Or that the clubs, the league or even the AFLPA shouldn’t be held accountable.
It’s just that sometimes, more appreciation of what is being done and a greater understanding of the risks that exist are needed. The urge to heap all the blame on either the code or the player, meanwhile, doesn’t seem so smart.