54 The Australian Women’s Weekly|MAY 2019
AAP. NEWSPIX.T
heFridaynightlights,the
glory.Theroarofthecrowd
asthemuscularfootballers
taketothepitch,carrying
thehopesofmillionsoffans.
Powerfuleliteathletesin theirprime;
gladiators,courageous,masculinityin
motion.Pumpeduptopeakphysical
performancetheyenthral,theydodge
andweave,andseehowtheyrun.
Underthetelevisionlightsthey
assumea godlikepresence.
“Thecrowdis willingyouontodo
thingsthatarephysicallyimpossible
whentherearenocrowds,things
outsidetherealmof yournormalskills,”
saysformerAFLtriplepremiership
playerJasonAkermanis.“Youget
thatadrenalinesurge;theyareonly
cheeringthatloudlybecauseyouhave
donesomethingtrulyamazing.That
is thebeautyofplayingin frontofbig
crowds – you feel unbelievable.”Theyarerichandfamous,theirposters
areonbedroomwallsacrossthecountry
andtheirnamesarespokenwithreverence.
Theyaretheprivilegedfew.
“I’vegotabout50,000petsnamed
afterme,”saysJasonruefully.“NowI
ama lotolder,peoplecomeupto meand
saythatthedogthatwasnamedafterme
died,butit wasa beautifuldog,andnow
theyhavegotanotherdogcalledAker2.”
Butthencomesa differentkindof
headline– whentheshiningherofalls,
showshimselfto besordid,andthegloss
is gone.
Overthepastsummer,footballershave
paradedin frontof thecamerasforall
thewrongreasons.Disgraced,ontheir
wayin andoutof court,accusedof
sexualassault,rape,drink-driving,
domesticviolence,obscenebehaviour,
viciousassault.Dayafterday,weekafter
week,sextapesorphotosemergeof
footballers drunk and disorderly,bringingthebelovedsportintodisrepute,
drivingawaysponsorsanddisillusioning
fans.Nobodywantsto nametheirdog
aftertheseguys.
“WhenI havegotmykidswatching
Fridaynightfooty,I justdon’twantthem
to bewatchingfootballersouttherewho
havehistoriesof domesticviolenceand
violenceagainstwomen,”saysSunday
TelegraphsportscolumnistJessicaHalloran.
“I don’tthinkthatis toomuchto ask.”
Lastsummer’shorrorstretchis nota
newstory– it is noteventheworststory.
In 2004,Australiamadeinternational
newswhen 20 rugbyleagueand
Australianrulesfootballerswereaccused
of at leasteightincidentsof gangrape
andsexualassault,exposingtheseedy
underbelly,themurkyandmachoculture
of footballclubs– andtheattemptsto
coverit up.
Fifteenyearslater,thereshouldbeno
excuses. Now the NRL is spendingThey’reelevatedtogodlikestatusandadored
bymillions,butwhydowekeephearingstories
aboutourfamousfootballersdisgracing
themselvesandtheircodesinevermore
shockingways?SusanCheneryinvestigates.
Controversy
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