Hurleys case adjourned until march

[Skeeta Olly]

Now that it's before the courts, there's not a lot they can do.

Mick in the Shits

By Hearld Moon Journalist

Michael Burley appears in the Broadmeadows Federal Court on assault charges where he could find himself with a one way myki ticket to Pentridge prison.

Budda to his team mates, Liz is looking for the silver lining, "I've never been there before".

?

 

[Ben the Gooner]

one way myki ticket to Pentridge prison.

Good to see he avoided the slammer.

 

[TimeReaper]

I do not want him jailed or anything like that since the victim was not badly beaten and it is his first offence. But......
Even if he goes through the program or found guilty he should be suspended and for atleast 4 weeks by the club. The only other alternative I would like to see is that if he plays he gives his match fee or apportioned amount of his contract $$ to the victim for 4 weeks or alike, Assault is a terrible act even if it is provoked.

 

[M29]

The feedback on the main forum is hilarious. Not as funny as the herald sun comments section, but some of the stuff is pure comedy.

Personally, I think he should get the chair and be deported. AT THE SAME TIME.

 

[Rack Watts]

Fine him 10% of his wages, No NAB cup and disallow him to play the first two regular season matches, I think this is pretty fair.

Assault is assault, first time offense but still a very stupid thing to do, we all know he is a decent kid and I would put my life on it that no more off field stuff will happen from Hurley, a real kick in the butt and will help him mature.

 

[DaSawx]

And LMAO at the thread on the main board. Seriously worse than the indian media.

This is the part I like.

 

[Pevers-Legend]

The wowsers clearly have won.

I hate violence - can't stand it unless it is on computer screen or a movie.

People let's get some perspective. Lovett and McVeigh screwed up footy related issues i.e. training.

Hurley's was in the off-season and I think this is critical. He had his first season, got too drunk and acted like a tool.

He has copped plenty of media and race related crap - that is a punishment in itself.

For me though - suspending him from games helps no one for a once off, off season event.

Plenty of community service, fine hime $2K - seems to be the going rate for these offences by footy clubs - see Masten and David Johnson.

What does suspending him from home games prove? How would you feel if your work suspended you just to look good in the media?

Of course if he did this during the season it is a totally different matter, because then he is actually breaking team rules i.e. he is on Essendon FC time, not the off season i.e. his personal time.

 

[Bomberattack]

The wowsers clearly have won.

I hate violence - can't stand it unless it is on computer screen or a movie.

People let's get some perspective. Lovett and McVeigh screwed up footy related issues i.e. training.

Hurley's was in the off-season and I think this is critical. He had his first season, got too drunk and acted like a tool.

He has copped plenty of media and race related crap - that is a punishment in itself.

For me though - suspending him from games helps no one for a once off, off season event.

Plenty of community service, fine hime $2K - seems to be the going rate for these offences by footy clubs - see Masten and David Johnson.

What does suspending him from home games prove? How would you feel if your work suspended you just to look good in the media?

Of course if he did this during the season it is a totally different matter, because then he is actually breaking team rules i.e. he is on Essendon FC time, not the off season i.e. his personal time.

I heard the cabbie didn't trust him to go inside to put some food in his stomach which sounds like something you would encourage considering how much hurley drunk. I'm not saying hurley was innocent, but i do know from working in hospitality for years that drinking does exaggerate how you feel, so if someone is provoked their reaction would be alot worse than if they were sober. Did the cabbie take this into account or maybe the cabbie provoked him? We all know what cabbies can be like, is this cabbie claiming innocence and racism because of his skin colour, like the cabbies that claim they can't speak english and take us the longest way home?

 

[morebeer]

First offence & minor injury = Token fine / suspension from the NAB club.

I dont really get the racial thing. As much as the BF crew (and internet forums in general) think of themselves as being a class above, they really are just a reflection of the average Today Tonight audience. Just so dramatic.

How funny is it that people are saying we should go the same road as Collingwood with Dids and Shaw. They only did this because they lied to the club and made Ed look like a flog. Remember the 'scaley mates' comments and the JFK analogy.

 

[nickh32]

I would really like to know why they didnt go in the drive thru?

 

[yaco55]

If Hurley had missed training, then I'd agree with you. This is a couple of levels up from that.

I'd love him to play against Carlton in Rd 3, but the principle of the matter is more important. We have to lay down the law, whether it's a member of the leadership group (McVeigh), a senior player (Lovett) or a future superstar (Hurley).

Ben

You are making a supposition that Hurley's case is more serious than MvVeigh's or Lovett's case. All we know in the latter cases are that they missed training because they were drunk - There could have been more to their cases.

 

[yaco55]

A bit of a lighter side to this discussion.

I took my wife ( Indonesian ) to Melbourne in 2007 and 2008.

We caught lots of taxis and she was surprised to have an Indian or Sri Lankan driver every time.

She said ' Do any Aussies drive taxis '.

And a further aside

English mate took his wife ( Thai ) to England for the first time and by the time she had got through Heathrow she was still waiting to see her first English man.

 

[yaco55]

It appears as though Hurley will plead guilty and go through a Diversion Program.

This step has advantages for Hurley and the Legal System

- Hurley if he behaves in the next 12 months will have no conviction
- Frees up resources in the legal system
- Stops a trial that the Prosecution could lose
- Gives first offenders a taste ( albeit briefly) of the legal system

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Ben

You are making a supposition that Hurley's case is more serious than MvVeigh's or Lovett's case. All we know in the latter cases are that they missed training because they were drunk - There could have been more to their cases.

Neither of them were charged with an offence, let alone assault, so my point stands.

 

[Pevers-Legend]

Neither of them were charged with an offence, let alone assault, so my point stands.

But how is it football related?

People are blurring the lines here.

McVeigh and Lovett stuffed up relating to footy matters i.e. missed training. This is the difference between them and Hurley.

If Hurley had missed training - I would agree with the sentiment.

Hurleys case is worse, but if it was in his own time after the season, why does a football club have a mandate to punish their player?

Would anyone here expect their employer to suspend them or dock pay for an incident on your holidays?

 

[ant555]

I agree as well.

India doesn't and unfortunately I can see part of the sentence being racial orientated.

Look at it this way. Imagine instead of seeing the bullshit India promote about Australia, they see a famous person serving out his punishment in the Indian community in Melbourne, all the smiling faces and good comments on how helpful he is and so on. It's a chance to restore Victoria's image (not that I believe this is the way). People need to understand about how people are made an example of. I know it's bullshit, I think it's bulllshit but the media control is amazing in these situations. (I don't believe this is the right thing to do).

Also, take off your Essendon biased glasses and look at it this way, not many people know what actually happened that morning, but things could have been said, or things could have been done that could possibly be called racist (be it in India or Australia) or nothing at all happened that could be called racist yet it would look better if he did something Indian orientated (not that I believe it's right). The attack wasn't a racist one, but few know what went on after that.

Ideally I hope if he is to do any community service it involves donating a nice sum of money to a Taxi Union (or what ever) and in some way helping out.

One problem Skeet and that is the court has to prove it was racially driven otherwise it has to be treated like every other assault charge.

There is a whole discussion we can have about India and the certain percentage of racist morons that have seen this issue be blown up big time but you still have to prosecute crimes based on what they are and what can be proven.
You can not force or change the law to suite the needs of a certain problem.
It would be like someone going to jail for doing 65 in a 60 zone simply because the community wants to crack down on people doing 100km plus and wiping themselves out.

If it can be proven the assault was racially driven then sure it is a different matter but you can not stuff around with the law so we can change perceptions.

If the bloody media reported every cabbie assault evenly and not just single out the Indian ones then it may be a different story. Our media here is adding to the current problems because they have turned into a bunch of tabloid w***ers who don't have to bother with reporting all the facts anymore !

 

[ant555]

But how is it football related?

People are blurring the lines here.

McVeigh and Lovett stuffed up relating to footy matters i.e. missed training. This is the difference between them and Hurley.

If Hurley had missed training - I would agree with the sentiment.

Hurleys case is worse, but if it was in his own time after the season, why does a football club have a mandate to punish their player?

Would anyone here expect their employer to suspend them or dock pay for an incident on your holidays?

Yes but you do not sign a contract that says you will behave and uphold the values of your employer do you ?

All they players are given specific education in this area and they are expected to not cross the line.
I will give you an example , Tommy Hislop ! Received several 1 or 2 game suspensions (from Bendigo) for drinking related incidents but he was not a high profile player and not in the seniors so it all passed by without comment. Now he did not miss training nor where his issues football related but they still suspended him.

I'm with Ben on this. If found guilty he has to get a game or 2 suspension from the club. Otherwise you end up with a situation like Carlton had to face where it gets a bit out of control with continual drinking issues.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

But how is it football related?

People are blurring the lines here.

McVeigh and Lovett stuffed up relating to footy matters i.e. missed training. This is the difference between them and Hurley.

If Hurley had missed training - I would agree with the sentiment.

Hurleys case is worse, but if it was in his own time after the season, why does a football club have a mandate to punish their player?

Would anyone here expect their employer to suspend them or dock pay for an incident on your holidays?

The problem with these analogies is that you can't draw a straight parallel between an average workplace and a football club. Like it or not, if footballers stuff up, they have to be punished. At the very least, the sponsors demand it.

 

[BringBackCransberg]

I remember back when all this started, some people claiming to have inside info said that Hurley was adamant he'd done nothing wrong (besides maybe "putting himself in a position where an incident could occur", to quote Jackson). Does anyone know if there's any truth to this, and if so, if it's still the case?

 

[Giggidy Giggidy]

I remember back when all this started, some people claiming to have inside info said that Hurley was adamant he'd done nothing wrong (besides maybe "putting himself in a position where an incident could occur", to quote Jackson). Does anyone know if there's any truth to this, and if so, if it's still the case?

Pure speculation of my behalf, but he probably does still feel that way, and has possibly convinced the EFC that he'd done nothing wrong. However as is so often the case in the judicial system, he would have been advised to take a path in which he admits guilt in order to diffuse the matter with a lesser penalty rather than fight it and risk copping a greater penalty (and dragging his name further through the mud in the process).

IIRC, this was also the suggestion to NLM, however he decided to fight, and fortunately (and justifiably) the charges were thrown out.

 

[Pevers-Legend]

The problem with these analogies is that you can't draw a straight parallel between an average workplace and a football club. Like it or not, if footballers stuff up, they have to be punished. At the very least, the sponsors demand it.

Have never siad he shouldn't be punished. Just reckon it should be non football related since it was a non football related incident i.e. outside of the season.

Smack him with so much community service he won't be able to go out at night. Put severe restrictions on his nightlife etc.
I'm sure his moaning throught the season would be more of a deterent than a one of game ban.

Missing games of footy seems like a pointless exercise for an off-season incident.

 

[BringBackCransberg]

I hear what you're saying P-L.

Everyone bemoans the apparent special treatment that footballers/sportspeople get when it comes to crime/punishment. But by suspending him for a completely non-football related incident is to use the same logic as reverse discrimination.

 

[Slattery_20]

I think the club probably will suspend him if/when he's found guilty and of what.
The fact that it took over a month to lay charges, and now it's been adjourned, suggests that there's some doubt over the facts of the case.

If he just walked up and assaulted him unprovoked it'd be open and shut.

 

[Slattery_20]

Pure speculation of my behalf, but he probably does still feel that way, and has possibly convinced the EFC that he'd done nothing wrong. However as is so often the case in the judicial system, he would have been advised to take a path in which he admits guilt in order to diffuse the matter with a lesser penalty rather than fight it and risk copping a greater penalty (and dragging his name further through the mud in the process).

IIRC, this was also the suggestion to NLM, however he decided to fight, and fortunately (and justifiably) the charges were thrown out.

That wasn't my recollection, I think the club believed him & stood by him all the way.

 

[Giggidy Giggidy]

That wasn't my recollection, I think the club believed him & stood by him all the way.

The club believed him, but I think the legal advice was still to plead guilty to the lesser offence.