MAY 2019| The Australian Women’s Weekly 55
$8milliona yearonplayereducationin
anattemptto instilculturalchangein
youngmenwhohavetheworldat their
feet.ButsaysJessica,“it’snotworking.”
Hyper-masculinemalecontactsports
arefullof highlyaggressive,competitive
sportsmenwhoaretrainedto takerisks
andconquer.“Itis almostlegitimised
tribalwarfare,”sportspsychologist
JeffBondhassaid.
“Theyexpectyouto livelikea priest
allweekandfightlikethedevilonthe
weekend,”said 2005 BrownlowMedallist
BenCousinsin a documentary,SuchIs
Life, whichairedin 2010anddetailedhis
drugaddiction.Benis currentlyonbail
facing 14 charges, 12 of whichrelateto
breachinga familyrestrainingorder.
St.GeorgeIllawarrapropJames
GrahamrecentlysuggestedtheNRL
attractsa personalitytypethatis drawn
to thesport’saggression.Certainly,more
than a few players have come fromdifficult,troubledbackgroundsin what
is knownas theworkingman’ssport.
“I wouldliketo seea clinicalpsychologist
in allfootballclubs,”saysJessica,“to
helpthemwithalldifferentissues.”
NRLveteranLukeLewishaswritten
abouttheextremedomesticviolencethat
hegrewupwithandthetraumathathe
experiencedas a result.Hehasgoneon
to becomea WhiteRibbonambassador
andto speakopenlyaboutthe
importanceof breakingthedomestic
violencecycle.Heis notalone.
JasonAkermanisgrewupwitha single
motherin a “rough-and-tumble
environmentthatwasn’talwaysgreat”.
Hesays:“It’srareto seesomebodyfrom
a greatfamilywithwealthyparentsin
theAFL,becausethethingthat
eliminatesthemis theydon’thavegrit,
theydon’thavethemotivationto getout
of wheretheycomefrom.Kidsfrom
tough backgrounds know how to standupforthemselvesin fights,they’re
street-smartandperceptivewithpeople.”
Andtheydoneedto betough.“Guys
playingfootyhavejustas manycollisions
as peoplewhogothroughcertainlevels
of caraccidents– whiplash,soreneck,
soreback.Withina week,wecomeback
andplayanothergameof football,and
runaroundforanother 14 to 20games.
Thatshowstheexpectationsandmental
strengthit takesto keepgoing.”
Addto thistheadulation,being
pampered,theglitzandglamour,and
“moremoneythanmostpeoplewillsee
in a lifetime– hundredsandthousandsof
dollars,”saysMarinaGo,whorecently
resignedas chairwomanof WestsTigers,
andyoucanseewhya youngmancould
feelthateverythingis golden,thatheis
invincibleanduntouchable.“Thewhole
thingcompounds,”saysMarina.
AndsaysJason,“justbecauseyou’re
good at Aussie Rules football doesn’t→^MISCONDUCT
JackdeBelin(picturedcentre,andopposite
page)hasmadeheadlinesintheNRL’s
controversialoff-season.Heis vigorously
defending the sexual assault charges.