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A game that tolerates violence
1points
Andrew Demetriou redefines "totally unacceptable" in reacting to the 7 match suspension of footballer Barry Hall. The consequences of the AFL's attitude to violence are a foreseeable manslaughter.
AFL player Barry Hall received a seven week suspension for punching another player on the jaw, knocking him unconscious. Australian Football has again shown itself to be a game that tolerates violence.
"On-field violence is totally unacceptable" says AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou in reaction to the penalty. His understanding of 'totally' and mine are very different.
If it were totally unacceptable, an offender would never play league football again. If it were totally unacceptable, his team would forfeit the match. If it were totally unacceptable, criminal charges would be brought. Demetriou described the punishment as "a very hefty penalty". That you can attack another person in a way that has the potential to kill him and then return to normal status after a short break is not a hefty or even an effective penalty, as Hall's repeat offences show.
Demetriou continues: "Again it sends out this strong message to everybody that this sort of behaviour won't be tolerated on our football field." But tolerance is exactly what has happened here. And not only can Hall return to the game, his status as an aggressive player is enhanced.
Does a player opposing Barry Hall know that he has a history of violence? You bet. Will it give Hall an advantage mentally against his opponents? They wouldn't be human if they weren't intimidated by his reputation. Not only does Hall remove an opponent from the game by hitting him, in time, he acquires a playing advantage based on violent actions.
There are recent examples of single punches proving fatal. The administration's unwillingness to eliminate violence of this sort means that eventually, someone will die. The person who hits him will be responsible for that death. But the administrators of the game should understand that their reluctance to properly curtail violent behaviour when the risks of that behaviour are well known, will make them in some way culpable for that death.
It seems they will wait until there is a fatality to change their policy. Before they make that change they will have to explain their interpretation of 'totally unacceptable' to the victim's wife, children and parents.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200702/r128067_419899.jpg
Comments
Brett’s commemts are totally valid in my opinion. There are cells of violence, coursing through Australian’s veins, and they are not being apprehended by the leadership of supposed administrators of high profile groups such as the AFL.
Perhaps however it is unfair of the “concerned” to leave all this blame of inaction at the AFL’s doorstep. Our politicians, law enforcement officers, courts and social commentators seem only too willing to let acts of unspeakable violence, escape with little more a slap on the wrist. One-punch KILLINGS (isnt that just the most apalling phrase you can contemplate), glassings, brawls, murders, shootings and generally people behaving badly seem to raise no more than just a slight flicker on the eyebrows of us all. Are we becoming de-sensitised?. It seems we are just willing to let these violent things happen without as much as a wimper of dissent, a public show of disgust or the publishing of our emotions.
Bad boy Barry, Andrew Demetriou of the AFL or the facile WA police, who don’t want to proscute a certain criminal, out on bail for glassing a young man in a bar in Northbridge several weeks ago, are just symptomatic of this malase sweeping over us all - “as long as I am not involved who gives a Rat’s ******”.
As for Barry - throw him out on his ear - its his third offense - isn’t it?
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What I found most curious about this incident was the seeming lack of conscious attention Barry
paid to the strike. It appeared to me to be an automatic, or sub-conscious action.
Perhaps this is a more compelling reason to remove such a player? Someone who can suddenly and without warning make such a strike - without being aware of it - is a very dangerous individual indeed.
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Might pay to do some research on “psychopathy” to understand such behaviour.
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Barry Hall…for whatever reason, seems to be a protected species. Premier Carpenter has come out in disagreement with the penalty making the statement that if it was a Dockers player, the penalty would have been far worse, and I am inclined to agree. Michael Johnson got 4 weeks last year for an accidental bump. Hall gets only 3 more? Ridiculous.
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He actually didn’t get 7 weeks. He will serve 7 weeks but got 10+ weeks (as I predicted). He did get a discount for having good recent record. Agree with this or not, its the system that the AFL has.
The incident can’t be accepted and I think the news that he is undergoing therapy to try to understand what happened is a positive development.
To say he should be banned for life is ****, but to say he should seek help in this area is a valid point!
JMTC
Molly of MMM Podcast
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