Analysis Is it acceptable for AFL clubs to be politically biased?

[Rusty Brookes]

It's interesting to note also that the very formation of most clubs was rooted in politics, that of religion anyway.

There were working class Catholic clubs like Collingwood, Richmond and North Melbourne on one hand, and Protestant clubs like Melbourne, Essendon and Carlton on the other.

It didn't get much more political than Catholic v Protestant back then. But it that political aspect was probably integral to the club's identity.

In recent times we've had the idea of the "family club" as an appeal to a certain identity/ demographic. But all in all, the club's are all the same now really, they are positioning themselves to appeal to as broad an audience as they can.

The whole Protestant/Catholic thing is interesting. It is one of the reasons why there was no green or orange in VFL jumpers. The colours had too much political/religious connotations.

Hawthorn was split apart by sectarianism in the 1950s - it was one of the drivers of seeing Col Austin (Hawthorn's best player at the time) leave the club alongside Alec Albiston who felt he'd been overlooked for the captaincy due to being Catholic. John Kennedy (a staunch Catholic at a predominantly Protestant club whose longest serving president was Jewish) looked to end the sectarianism that had plagued the club and the competition.

Testimony, Witness, Authority

What does it mean to listen faithfully to how stories are told through a web of verbal and near-verbal media? How do dynamics of testimony, witness, and authority work to determine the politics and poetics of human experience? This collection of essays addresses fundamental problems that...

books.google.com.au

 

[Aussie in exile]

Plenty of people don't even know they were there. Even more don't know the French were there.

On moto g(6) plus using BigFooty.com mobile app

Well there is a bit of history you have learnt

 

[BattlerGM]

Why do businesses, charities, governments and other organisations advertise then?

To help get the message across! Do they NEED to advertise? Probably not, but you're pushing sh*t up hill trying to get cut through if you don't.

Why is it the AFL's business to get the message across?

 

[kickazz]

Why is it the AFL's business to get the message across?

I thought that was obvious, to increase reach and grow their market

 

[Occidental]

The whole Protestant/Catholic thing is interesting. It is one of the reasons why there was no green or orange in VFL jumpers. The colours had too much political/religious connotations.

Hawthorn was split apart by sectarianism in the 1950s - it was one of the drivers of seeing Col Austin (Hawthorn's best player at the time) leave the club alongside Alec Albiston who felt he'd been overlooked for the captaincy due to being Catholic. John Kennedy (a staunch Catholic at a predominantly Protestant club whose longest serving president was Jewish) looked to end the sectarianism that had plagued the club and the competition.

Testimony, Witness, Authority

What does it mean to listen faithfully to how stories are told through a web of verbal and near-verbal media? How do dynamics of testimony, witness, and authority work to determine the politics and poetics of human experience? This collection of essays addresses fundamental problems that...

books.google.com.au

So glad religious sectarianism was kept out of our game. Look at scenes this morning of celebrations of Glasgow Rangers winning the Scottish League for the first time in 10 years.
Street parades, roads blocked, flares going off, mass crowds on the streets, Union Jack flags being waved everywhere.
Those are the scenes in Belfast.
It is seen as a Protestant football victory and is celebrated wildly by the Unionists in Northern Ireland.
So glad we don’t have this.

 

[Aussie in exile]

So glad religious sectarianism was kept out of our game. Look at scenes this morning of celebrations of Glasgow Rangers winning the Scottish League for the first time in 10 years.
Street parades, roads blocked, flares going off, mass crowds on the streets, Union Jack flags being waved everywhere.
Those are the scenes in Belfast.
It is seen as a Protestant football victory and is celebrated wildly by the Unionists in Northern Ireland.
So glad we don’t have this.

And Celtic title victories are celebrated by Catholics all over Ireland and the UK

 

[Green Hammer]

I’ve noticed a recent trend of AFL clubs making comment on political issues, such as Australia Day etc.

Is it fair for them to make comment on issues that over 50% of their members disagree with?

Who decides to post on behalf of the club on this stuff?

Discuss.

Don’t they let the army reserves on to the ground? Doesnt get more political than that

 

[Bostonian]

So glad religious sectarianism was kept out of our game. Look at scenes this morning of celebrations of Glasgow Rangers winning the Scottish League for the first time in 10 years.
Street parades, roads blocked, flares going off, mass crowds on the streets, Union Jack flags being waved everywhere.
Those are the scenes in Belfast.
It is seen as a Protestant football victory and is celebrated wildly by the Unionists in Northern Ireland.
So glad we don’t have this.

What a basic uneducated view you have.

 

[Gough]

What a basic uneducated view you have.

Gazza going all Orange man in front of the Celtic fans during an Old Firm game was hilarious.

 

[mr bagcroft]

Why is it the AFL's business to get the message across?

Virtue signalling on a mass corporate level.
If you think its anything more than best positioning for the "brand", your utterly deluded.

 

[Gough]

Virtue signalling on a mass corporate level.
If you think its anything more than best positioning for the "brand", your utterly deluded.

Yep the market has spoken and bigoted old white people are no good for your brand anymore.

 

[Bostonian]

Yep the market has spoken and bigoted old white people are no good for your brand anymore.

Either is virtue signalling.

It's almost like the best strategy is to provide a product people need with the only message being put out is the information on why you need that product.

 

[Bostonian]

Gazza going all Orange man in front of the Celtic fans during an Old Firm game was hilarious.

Gazza is English. Has zero relevance to the ancient history of Scotland to Northern Ireland which isn't based on religion.

 

[kickazz]

It's not just virtue signalling because they back it up with action as well.

Try yelling out some racist or homophobic abuse at a game and see if the league or club concerned welcome you back or cancel your membership.

 

[Jade]

That's a crap argument, and who gets irked these days? We watch football because we enjoy the sport, we don't want to hear the views of some wokeaf leftie or equally absurd extreme right winger.

He didn't make an argument. He stated a couple of very simple facts.

And what exactly have AFL clubs taken a position on that would qualify as 'wokeaf leftie' or extreme right wing?

 

[Jade]

Doesn't bother me. Seems most clubs are making statements that are in line with the trajectory that our society is heading anyway.

It's amazing how frequently people seem to miss this.

 

[Jade]

Further to this, I'll give you an example.

If the AFL was the progressive beast it would like to present itself as, why are there currently no openly gay AFL football players? There absolutely are gay AFL players at the moment but their social progressive talk is just that, talk. Their culture is totally different on the inside.

Just see it all for what it is, posturing and self promotion. It's hot air that changes nothing.

Because the individual players haven't felt comfortable enough in expressing that fact?

 

[Jade]

"The Australian government is free to make comments on whatever they want, and if you don't like it simply go live overseas".

False equivalence - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Enjoy your read.

 

[Jade]

Being a fan of or a member of a club is completely voluntary and does not impact your ability to live.

I'm an Essendon fan.

You think I'm choosing this shit?

 

[Jade]

Let's be honest... Almost to a tee, anyone that says "sporting clubs and organisations should stay out of politics" is in reaction to aforementioned sporting club and/or organisation supporting a stance they themselves do not take.

The Venn diagram of people that use the words 'politics should stay out of sports' and being a racist arseh*le is a circle.

 

[Jade]

Just a question - is it ok for sport to be political but not religion - is this not double standards?

Who says religion can't be political?

 

[Jade]

Every AFL club has a supporter base which covers a broad political spectrum and injecting themselves into political debates is a great way of sending a message that supporters of certain political leanings aren't welcome

Supporters of certain political leanings AREN'T welcome.

 

[Jade]

Mine to.

Come on.

I'm no fan of North Melbourne, but they have continued to act in a way that suggests they do value community leadership as a pillar of what they are.

 

[Jade]

If you truly think your club is being too political, you can always attend the AGM and raise it with the board of directors and other members and stakeholders.

You can, but if they're anything like my club, they treat their membership with disdain as far as AGMs are concerned.

 

[boncer34]

Double digits. Raise the bat.