58 The Australian Women’s Weekly|MAY 2019
Controversy
NEWSPIX. AAP.Tigers,saysMarina,
“peoplein ourclubsay,
whydidwehaveto get
ridof him?It’sstillvery
mucha boys’club.”
Marinaapplauded
whenBenBarbawas
sackedin Februaryby
theNorthQueensland
Cowboysafterhewas
filmedonCCTV
throwingrocksat his
partnerin a casinoand
thenbannedbythe
NRL.“Itis quitecontroversial,thereare
peoplein thegamereallyangrythatthe
Cowboysruinedhiscareer.”He’sdriving
a trucknow.
In aneffortto cleanupfootball’s
image,in FebruaryARLCommissioner
PeterBeattie,andNRLCEOTodd
Greenbergannounceda “no-faultstand
down”forplayerschargedwithserious
criminaloffences.If a playeris charged
withanoffencethatcarriesa maximum
penaltyof lessthan 11 yearsbehindbars,
clubCEOswillhavethepowerto stand
a playerdownwheretheallegedoffence
involveswomenorchildren.Peternoted
thatif theydidnottakea strongstand,
“wewon’thavea game”.
“Thatis massive,”saysJessica
Halloran.“Itis worldleading,thatis
a bigdeal,fantastic.”
Therewasa lotat stake.Peoplewere
turningawayfromthesport,whosetotal
consolidatedrevenueforthe 2018 season
was$499.9million,witha $46million
profitonthebackof broadcast
sponsorship and digital revenue.
“Thisis a gamethatis bleedingmoney
andfindingit hardto signsponsors,”
saysJessica.“You’vegotto thepoint
wherepeoplearesaying,‘I amleavingthe
game,I havehadenough,’andsponsors
arethreateningto pullout,”saysMarina.
“Wehadsponsorssaying,‘Wereallylike
yourclubbutwedon’tlikerugbyleague,
evenif theincidentwasnotin ourclub.
Soyouendupmissingoutonmoney.”
Thenewpolicywasimmediately
legallychallengedbySt.GeorgeDragons
player,JackdeBelin,whohasbeen
chargedwithaggravatedsexualassault.
Ata timewhenhiswifewasheavily
pregnantwiththeirchild,a youngwoman
toldpoliceshemetdeBelin,28,andhis
friendCallanSinclair,at a nightclubin
Wollongong.Thinkingshewas
accompanyingthemto anothernightclub
theywentinsteadto DeBelin’scousin’s
apartment.In policedocumentstendered
to WollongongLocalCourt,thewoman
saidwhileshewasin thebathroom,de
Belinallegedlywalkedin naked.She
walked out and de Belin had a shower.Comingoutof the
bathroom,deBelin
allegedlyforciblyremoved
herclothesandthenwith
hishandaroundher
throat,rapedher,inviting
hisfriendto “comehavea
go”.Thepairthen
allegedlyengagedin
jointrape,oftenwith
hishandonthecrying
woman’sthroat,
makingit hardforher
tobreathe.When
Sinclairtired,it’s
allegeddeBelinkept
rapingher. She
allegedlycontinuedon
toanothernightclub
withthemen,butleft
togotoWollongongHospital,
whereshewasfoundtohave
injuriestoherlegs,neck,lower
abdomenandshoulder.
Currentlybeforethecourts,both
deBelinandSinclairhavepleadednot
guilty. “I aminnocentandwillvigorously
defendthechargeagainstme,”deBelin
saidin a statementviatheSt.George
IllawarraDragons.
“Thereshouldbeanautomatic
standdownforpeopleonrapeor
domesticviolencecharges.I justdon’t
thinktheyshouldbeallowedback,”
saysJessica.“ButI amhappyformy
sontoplayrugbyleaguenowbecause
thereis thislinein thesand.”
“SydneySwanshasthisNo
D*ckheadspolicy,”saysSamMostyn,
whojoinedtheclub’sboardin 2017
aftermorethana decadeservingasa
CommissionerwiththeAFL.“They
calleachotheronbeingd*ckheads.
Theyneverallowa playertogoout
partyingwithoutsomeonesoberwith
them.A lotofconsiderationis given
tothesethingsbygoodsporting
organisationswhoappreciatetherisk
ofhavinglargegroupsofyoungmen
builttobeincrediblesportsmenand
communityleaders,andverywealthy.”
Andtheoneswhomakemistakes
anddostupidunthinkingthings,are
a smallpercentagein a bigheadline.
“Themajorityofourfootballersare
kind,considerateandpassionatefor
the game,” says Todd Greenberg.AWWClockwisefrom
aboveleft:Jason
Akermaniswith
hiswifeMegan
anddaughters
in2010;Sydney
SwansBoard
Director,Sam
Mostyn;former
WestsTigers
chair, Marina Go.