Caroline Wilson article re Swan and bad behaviour

[Number 10]

I think the subdued response from the club is because we are trying to come out as the good guys. I don't think they need to defend Swan, because clearly the public see straight through this article and if it's anything to go by, 95% of BigFooty are in Swan's corner it seems.

I think they are handling this article with a deflection to the wider issue of drugs in football and society which is good.

I think these two quotes from Ed sum up my point:

"People are focusing on this one player but what we have said consistently that this is a societal problem."

"This is not about a witch hunt. This is ... a health issue."

He's taking it away from Swan and stating the obvious that these issues exist and they are a health issue which includes addiction - which is something that is more serious than just taking a couple of poppers at a club.

 

[Collingwoodity]

Can we please refrain from some of the tasteless (borderline) sexist comments. I'd hope we are better than that. Cheers.

You're a mysogynist lol

 

[RuFiO]

Gutter journalism at its finest.

Which is why the age should seriously consider sacking Caroline Wilson. If it hasn't already.

But she's a woman, that would be sexist.
She must always think she writes for New Idea or whatever women's gossip magazines there are.

 

[regpies]

You can shoot the messenger all you want but I think it's clear from Eddie's reaction that there's something in it. If it wasn't true then Eddie would've gone nuts, he didn't.

Plus we raised the issue, Pert wouldn't have done it as a general passing comment, I think it was done for a reason, not sure what reason but Pert and Eddie aren't amateurs.

 

[jathanas]

Couldn't agree more with the points below. Ed's response wasn't soft, it was smart.

I think the subdued response from the club is because we are trying to come out as the good guys. I don't think they need to defend Swan, because clearly the public see straight through this article and if it's anything to go by, 95% of BigFooty are in Swan's corner it seems.

I think they are handling this article with a deflection to the wider issue of drugs in football and society which is good.

I think these two quotes from Ed sum up my point:

"People are focusing on this one player but what we have said consistently that this is a societal problem."

"This is not about a witch hunt. This is ... a health issue."

He's taking it away from Swan and stating the obvious that these issues exist and they are a health issue which includes addiction - which is something that is more serious than just taking a couple of poppers at a club.

 

[4#Didak#4]

Caroline's article is one of her worst in many ways. It jumped through a range of issues without going anywhere and dropped names in a way to associate particular players to various broad issues. Its an opinion piece that really failed to deliver one. It was a serious of random ideas trying to name & shame her perceived "bad boys". IF she had the courage to come out & say things like "in my opinion" or "my sources at..", I may take it more seriously.

Some of my favourite parts of Caro's article:

"Richmond is hoping that Dustin Martin is just young, experimental and impressionable - a risk-taker whose love for football and his teammates will get him through eventually. Yet there are those at Tigerland who seem prepared to envisage a future without him for all his explosive talent." - I am thinking its Caro who sees herself as part of Tigerland envisaging a future without Dustin.
"A colleague suggested Martin faced two clear choices." - At first I thought she was referring to a colleague of Martin, which is juicy, then I realised she was talking about a colleague of hers...possibly the cleaning lady at SMH.
"Yet there are those at Collingwood now who seem to be losing patience with their premiership-winning Brownlow medallist Swan" ....who Caro tell us ..... "who seems to have no interest in leadership or following team rules under a coach who, as a player, was one of the game's most committed disciplinarians" - Trying to say its Buckley who is losing patience without saying it directly, which of course was shot down by Bucks.

"Swan admitted early in the season that he was already looking to a life beyond the game, with the implication that he had better things to do" - stupid Swanny, thinkin about life after footy - what is he doing! Everyone knows footy players should just wait until they are finished and then drink away the remaining years. Lets throw in a few words like implicate & better things to do without explaining what that is in an article referencing drug use. Hell he even admitted it, case closed!

"The hope at Collingwood is that Swan's influence on impressionable young players can be minimised" - Who is hoping that?

"The same must be said of Sam Fisher, who has enjoyed something of a wild holiday season and is also one of St Kilda's best and most respected players. Yet Fisher's place in the leadership group is under threat and should be if half the stories about his behaviour are true. Clubs have no hope of building good cultures when senior players are poor influences." - more rumor and inudendo, ending with an association that he is a bad influence. What if none of the stories are true Caro?

"Emma Quayle suggest clubs had deliberately steered clear of a number of talented players with behavioural issues; notably Dayle Garlett" - this is probably true, but just in case I will distance myself by using another journalist as a reference.

"Another colleague, Michael Gleeson, pointed out....." - Caro had to go all the way over to the watercooler for that source of information. Well at least I named two sources in this article now EQ & MG. Mark Robinson would be proud of me.

"West Coast appears to have come the full circle since Ben Cousins was the club's spiritual leader. Suspected of having exaggerated Jack Darling's behavioural issues before taking him ridiculously late (No. 26) in the 2010 draft, the Eagles also recently recruited another of Collingwood's wilder players, Sharrod Wellingham" - this is just a weird paragraph which struggles to make sense other than loosely throw Jack Darling & Sharrod in the same basket as Cousins. That wild man Sharrod wearing oversized glasses and strange hair cuts what a f... disgrace he is, what are West Coast thinking.


Some late breaking news - Caro to the HUN?:

There are those at the Age who appear to be losing patience with Caroline "Caro" Wilson - an award winning football journalist, who seems to have no interest in jounralistic integrity or researching the facts anymore, at a paper where this has always been held in high regard. Her recent article "AFL needs to help men in trouble" illustrates this problem.

It might seem unfair to single out one article by a journalist notorious for defamatory articles, but this case is compelling given her talent and the fact that she is nearing the end of her career. The hope at The Age is that "Caro's" influence on impressionable employees can be minimised.

It is a cliche to say this, but one of Australia's greatest problems is that our young jounralists drink too much, take too many drugs, harbour depressive tendencies and sleep around too much with colleagues.

The hope at the Age is that Wilson's influence on impressionable young journalists can be minimised. A colleague suggested she faced two clear choices. Did she want to join the Herald Sun or stay at the Age. The clear inference being that Wilson was a bad egg who had made a successful career from fictional sources and creative writing and is ending her career as the joke of the office.

Wilson enjoys wild holiday seasons and Christmas parties. Yet Wilson's place at this years Christmas party is under threat and should be if half the stories about her behaviour are true. Newspapers have no hope of building good cultures when senior journalists are poor influences.
Another colleague made the point that there is a lot more single men on staff at the Herald Sun football department. The inference being that the Herald Sun are in a position to recruit an experienced female journalist and her constant badgering of fellow Age employees for quotes in her articles is becoming tiresome.

The Herald Sun Christmas parties appear to have gone down hill since Mike Sheahan was the Herald Sun's spiritual leader. Suspected of having exaggerated Mark Robinson's behavioural issues during an alteraction with a fellow football writer they are now in a position to recruit one of the Age's wilder players, Caroline "Caro" Wilson . It is true the Herald Sun now seems firm in the belief it has rebuilt its culture and will back itself.

The Herald Sun Xmas party must improve because its resources are better than those of any other paper in this country and its procedures - certainly in terms of sexual misconduct - are looser than most.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-needs-to-help-men-in-trouble-20121123-29yyp.html#ixzz2DfkTSPlL

 

[jathanas]

^^ Gold!

 

[blaze036]

flipping hope your right!

Bloke I spoke to is not a shit talker.

 

[Hardas]

Thanks, Dids, I [we?] needed that!

 

[mdizzle]

Admittedly, my knowledge of meth is limited to 5 seasons of Breaking Bad, but really, Swanny looks far from a meth ravaged wreck.

I highly doubt Swan is one of these two meth clinic patients. I doubt Pickering would be so beligerant and angry if there was an issue at hand. And you could bet your bottom $ the Hun or Age would name Swan if he was one of the men.
.

It's well known that Benny Cousins was on the gear for ages, and he didn't look like a 'meth ravaged wreck' while he was still playing... A few of my mates are regular users and they only look like shit if they haven't slept/eaten in a couple days, which given his training/diet/neccessity to maintain muscle I'm sure Swanny would be smart enough to eat properly and get some sleep, if indeed he is a user.

I'm a fan of Swanny, I like his humour and honest acknowledgement that in the grand scheme of things footy isn't the be all end all. Caro's article was a disgrace irrespective of whether there's any factual basis for it, but if there is, I certainly hope he doesn't follow the same path as Ben did. West Coast waited too long to act and it cost us, conversely it looks as though Collingwood are not only taking a proactive approach but one that treats drug use and abuse as a health & welfare issue, which they should be commended on.

There will always be AFL players who choose to enjoy their off season by indulging in illicit substances regardless of how strict the penalties are; the AFL and clubs should be focussed on educating and providing counselling to all players. At the end of the day though, it's a PERSONAL decision and if it doesn't affect their ability to train, play or be a team member then I say let them have their off season in peace.

 

[Number 10]

^^ Well said

 

[eddiebankbalance]

I wonder how much coverage she'll give the CROWS and Tppet being banned for 11 matches, cause that's big friggin news in the AFL.

 

[blaze036]

Did anyone hear caroline's question at the hearing? so amazingly stupid i was laughing.. pretty sure the guy she asked laughed at her as well then she continued with it as though it was a smart question

 

[Busse]

It's well known that Benny Cousins was on the gear for ages, and he didn't look like a 'meth ravaged wreck' while he was still playing... A few of my mates are regular users and they only look like shit if they haven't slept/eaten in a couple days, which given his training/diet/neccessity to maintain muscle I'm sure Swanny would be smart enough to eat properly and get some sleep, if indeed he is a user.

I'm a fan of Swanny, I like his humour and honest acknowledgement that in the grand scheme of things footy isn't the be all end all. Caro's article was a disgrace irrespective of whether there's any factual basis for it, but if there is, I certainly hope he doesn't follow the same path as Ben did. West Coast waited too long to act and it cost us, conversely it looks as though Collingwood are not only taking a proactive approach but one that treats drug use and abuse as a health & welfare issue, which they should be commended on.

There will always be AFL players who choose to enjoy their off season by indulging in illicit substances regardless of how strict the penalties are; the AFL and clubs should be focussed on educating and providing counselling to all players. At the end of the day though, it's a PERSONAL decision and if it doesn't affect their ability to train, play or be a team member then I say let them have their off season in peace.

Meth effects take up to 2 days to eliminate a single dose, it is a drug, Swan can not just turn the effects off when he wants to get some sleep or to work out. If he is one of the users that need to go to a clinic to get off of it I highly doubt he is just a casual user, as the effects to a high user is very visible. All in all I thinks if one of the players is Swan I think it would be very obvious to the club and the players and I believe the club would have already taken the appropriate action on him.

 

[mdizzle]

Meth effects take up to 2 days to eliminate a single dose, it is a drug, Swan can not just turn the effects off when he wants to get some sleep or to work out. If he is one of the users that need to go to a clinic to get off of it I highly doubt he is just a casual user, as the effects to a high user is very visible. All in all I thinks if one of the players is Swan I think it would be very obvious to the club and the players and I believe the club would have already taken the appropriate action on him.

Bit of a simplistic viewpoint I'm afraid. You can use a small amount of meth and be able to sleep 6 hours later; you could hit pipes for hours then use downers (e.g sleeping pills) to force yourself to sleep when you need to; you can be an addict but manage to hide it from your friends, family and employers and still remain a highly functional member of society. Those that are addicts aren't necessarily junkies in the traditional sense. My club was aware of Ben's problem towards the later years of his time at West Coast certainly, but he managed to hide it from the club and continue playing good football while maintaining an addiction for a long period of time prior to that. What I'm trying to illustrate is that addiction isn't always obvious, especially in the case of those who have something to protect (like an AFL career), and that addicts can at times be highly functional still. Of course, the transformation from functional to struggling addict can happen very quickly (hence the two unnamed AFL players seeking rehabilitation), after which it would indeed become quite obvious.

 

[blaze036]

Bit of a simplistic viewpoint I'm afraid. You can use a small amount of meth and be able to sleep 6 hours later; you could hit pipes for hours then use downers (e.g sleeping pills) to force yourself to sleep when you need to; you can be an addict but manage to hide it from your friends, family and employers and still remain a highly functional member of society. Those that are addicts aren't necessarily junkies in the traditional sense. My club was aware of Ben's problem towards the later years of his time at West Coast certainly, but he managed to hide it from the club and continue playing good football while maintaining an addiction for a long period of time prior to that. What I'm trying to illustrate is that addiction isn't always obvious, especially in the case of those who have something to protect (like an AFL career), and that addicts can at times be highly functional still. Of course, the transformation from functional to struggling addict can happen very quickly (hence the two unnamed AFL players seeking rehabilitation), after which it would indeed become quite obvious.

Thanks for your informed response mate... hope this isn't happening at our club

 

[Paul.]

Some late breaking news - Caro to the HUN?:

There are those at the Age who appear to be losing patience with Caroline "Caro" Wilson - an award winning football journalist, who seems to have no interest in jounralistic integrity or researching the facts anymore, at a paper where this has always been held in high regard. Her recent article "AFL needs to help men in trouble" illustrates this problem.

It might seem unfair to single out one article by a journalist notorious for defamatory articles, but this case is compelling given her talent and the fact that she is nearing the end of her career. The hope at The Age is that "Caro's" influence on impressionable employees can be minimised.

It is a cliche to say this, but one of Australia's greatest problems is that our young jounralists drink too much, take too many drugs, harbour depressive tendencies and sleep around too much with colleagues.

The hope at the Age is that Wilson's influence on impressionable young journalists can be minimised. A colleague suggested she faced two clear choices. Did she want to join the Herald Sun or stay at the Age. The clear inference being that Wilson was a bad egg who had made a successful career from fictional sources and creative writing and is ending her career as the joke of the office.

Wilson enjoys wild holiday seasons and Christmas parties. Yet Wilson's place at this years Christmas party is under threat and should be if half the stories about her behaviour are true. Newspapers have no hope of building good cultures when senior journalists are poor influences.
Another colleague made the point that there is a lot more single men on staff at the Herald Sun football department. The inference being that the Herald Sun are in a position to recruit an experienced female journalist and her constant badgering of fellow Age employees for quotes in her articles is becoming tiresome.

The Herald Sun Christmas parties appear to have gone down hill since Mike Sheahan was the Herald Sun's spiritual leader. Suspected of having exaggerated Mark Robinson's behavioural issues during an alteraction with a fellow football writer they are now in a position to recruit one of the Age's wilder players, Caroline "Caro" Wilson . It is true the Herald Sun now seems firm in the belief it has rebuilt its culture and will back itself.

The Herald Sun Xmas party must improve because its resources are better than those of any other paper in this country and its procedures - certainly in terms of sexual misconduct - are looser than most.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-needs-to-help-men-in-trouble-20121123-29yyp.html#ixzz2DfkTSPlL

****ing loved this mate!

 

[catman 71]

No kidding her personality resembles someone of a WWE character.

She reminds me of someone in WWE called "Vickie Guerrero".

 

[catman 71]

Maybe Collingwood should teach Caro a lesson by not speaking to the "Age" , "Footy Classified", 3AW, or anything else Caro is associated with, until they sack her from their organisation.

Maybe Caro should be ignored at press conferences, and denied access to anyone at Collingwood. Not being able to write about the most famous AFL club would cripple her reporting somewhat, and if the Age and other organisations who employ her are "blacklisted", I am sure it will get to a stage where they throw her under a bus, rather than be starved of Collingwood stories.

This worked one time. Dillion Howard, a reporter for 7, revealed confidental details of Hawthorn player's medical records. The AFLPA hit back by banning any player from talking to Channel 7, until Howard was sacked. Seven relented and sacked Howard when it looked like the station would be shut out of Grand Final coverage, the parade etc, and that players would boycott the Brownlow. So, put enough pressure on, and the media outlet will sooner dismiss their reporter than miss out on coverage.

 

[Old Spice]

I don't think we need to run her out of town, but if her assertions are incorrect, she certainly needs to be held to account.

 

[NT.Thunder]

I have no time for her. In a world where media beats up on the small guy for persecuting someone without evidence on the internet or twitter or facebook, why should your average joe bloggs put up with media making accusations towards clubs, players or supporters.

If Dane Swan is caught with a needle in his arm or picking scabs from taking too much meth then i'll accept her unsettling journalism, for me, this is a pathetic attempt at making an off season story about nothing.

To me she is borderline and a journalist that constantly pushes the edge. If Dane Swan ran out on the field with a tatoo that says 'Caroline Wilson is a rug muncher' he would probably be banned from playing footy, yet a moron like her can put pen to paper about this.

Print the story when there is a story

 

[loki04]

You can shoot the messenger all you want but I think it's clear from Eddie's reaction that there's something in it. If it wasn't true then Eddie would've gone nuts, he didn't.

Plus we raised the issue, Pert wouldn't have done it as a general passing comment, I think it was done for a reason, not sure what reason but Pert and Eddie aren't amateurs.

It does appear the club is laying the foundations for a future fallout...

 

[Temploar]

She reminds me of someone in WWE called "Vickie Guerrero".

Excuse me.... I said EXCUSE ME.
I have something to say...

 

[blaze036]

I have no time for her. In a world where media beats up on the small guy for persecuting someone without evidence on the internet or twitter or facebook, why should your average joe bloggs put up with media making accusations towards clubs, players or supporters.

If Dane Swan is caught with a needle in his arm or picking scabs from taking too much meth then i'll accept her unsettling journalism, for me, this is a pathetic attempt at making an off season story about nothing.

To me she is borderline and a journalist that constantly pushes the edge. If Dane Swan ran out on the field with a tatoo that says 'Caroline Wilson is a rug muncher' he would probably be banned from playing footy, yet a moron like her can put pen to paper about this.

Print the story when there is a story

Are you sure she has no evidence or are you just guessing? I doubt she would make accusations that she is legally accountable for without evidence in case she gets sued for slander... the editor and lawyers would be all over that for sure.

 

[NT.Thunder]

Maybe she does! but would like to hear it first. Happy for her to right generic articles about such topics, but unless she is prepared to play her evidence then she should refrain from naming players, clubs, officials etc!