Liam Jurrah facing 4 extra charges

[Maddhew]

It is really amusing reading all you soft southerner’s comments. None of you can even come to understand this issue until you’ve lived in these “traditional” Indigenous communities, where violence is a normal part of life. Where brain damage from alcohol and fighting is common. Where the first time a man is incarcerated is the only real initiation to manhood… Where there is complete fear for your safety and that of your family because of Indigenous violence! It must be great being a keyboard warrior in your leafy green middle class Melbourne suburb?

A lot of work has been done in the NT to try to better manage this problem. Football clubs (Eg: Wadeye Magic, Big River Hawks, Tiwi Bombers and Territory Thunder) have been developed where players are required to be in employment or study and not be charged or serving a community sentence for a criminal offence. This had a positive impact on our community. Suicide has dropped in the Tiwi Island. There has been a lull in the civil war in Wadeye. Yet the Melbourne Football Club think differently…

The Melbourne Football Club is a disgrace for allowing Jurrah to continue training, playing with Casey and now possibly playing AFL again. They are undermining all the good the work that has been done here. The Melbourne Football Club sends a message to young Indigenous men that violence is acceptable. This is one seriously pathetic club that lacks any sense of morality! The Melbourne Football Club is turning the Dreamtime Round into black violence round.

The Demons are a waste of space and the sooner they are out of the AFL the better!

PS: I’m not racist, I’m a realist!

Not sure what your point is? It seems contradictory

 

[headache1]

because people are racist

Well, some people are. Just like some people are absolutely clueless. I wonder which category you fall under?

 

[SirJimi05]

I'd suggest the Melbourne supporters up in arms would have a vastly different view if Jurrah played for another club.

He should be deregistered immediately, just as the others (for far less) were.

None of the players listed earlier were de-registered. They simply received suspensions. Big difference.

 

[markm106]

We live in Australia and the law is innocent until proven guilty. If he was pleading guilty sure he would be stood down. But as he pleading not guilty we can only assume he is innocent until proven otherwise. Therefore he should be playing if selected. The fact he was picked this week should not negatively impact on the club. We are standing by LJ.

 

[Tulip]

It is really amusing reading all you soft southerner’s comments. None of you can even come to understand this issue until you’ve lived in these “traditional” Indigenous communities, where violence is a normal part of life. Where brain damage from alcohol and fighting is common. Where the first time a man is incarcerated is the only real initiation to manhood… Where there is complete fear for your safety and that of your family because of Indigenous violence! It must be great being a keyboard warrior in your leafy green middle class Melbourne suburb?

A lot of work has been done in the NT to try to better manage this problem. Football clubs (Eg: Wadeye Magic, Big River Hawks, Tiwi Bombers and Territory Thunder) have been developed where players are required to be in employment or study and not be charged or serving a community sentence for a criminal offence. This had a positive impact on our community. Suicide has dropped in the Tiwi Island. There has been a lull in the civil war in Wadeye. Yet the Melbourne Football Club think differently…

The Melbourne Football Club is a disgrace for allowing Jurrah to continue training, playing with Casey and now possibly playing AFL again. They are undermining all the good the work that has been done here. The Melbourne Football Club sends a message to young Indigenous men that violence is acceptable. This is one seriously pathetic club that lacks any sense of morality! The Melbourne Football Club is turning the Dreamtime Round into black violence round.

The Demons are a waste of space and the sooner they are out of the AFL the better!

PS: I’m not racist, I’m a realist!

O you could just pick a side in the discussion.

 

[grizzlym]

Well, some people are. Just like some people are absolutely clueless. I wonder which category you fall under?

Them? The alias perma-banned variety.

 

[Bosk]

I'm going to ignore the debate about whether racism exists and to whom it applies. That's a very complex issue

Not as far as Bigfooty's concerned it isnt.

Here it seems that if you support Melbourne you'll most likely be arguing that because Jurrah is Aboriginal this somehow grants him immunity from the laws of this country, or at least mitigation against any punishment a non-Aboriginal would face for similar crimes..... and all because he happens to your club's best goalkicker.

Personally I find it disgraceful that Melbourne has named him in the seniors while these chargers are hanging over his head.
It does nothing to enhance the Melbourne "brand", and can only bring bad publicity to the club. Its a terribly short-sighted decision which I'd be furious with if I were a Melbourne supporter.

 

[Tulip]

We live in Australia and the law is innocent until proven guilty. If he was pleading guilty sure he would be stood down. But as he pleading not guilty we can only assume he is innocent until proven otherwise. Therefore he should be playing if selected. The fact he was picked this week should not negatively impact on the club. We are standing by LJ.

Along with the fact that its a football game. Its his job; a leisure activity. In our justice system he is innocent, in the NT we don't know. People need to stop taking the issue of him playing a football game so seriously. If he is found guilty by all parties, than I will be in full support of him never playing another game for the club - even if he gets off without jail.

 

[Drakescoffeecake]

Here it seems that if you support Melbourne you'll most likely be arguing that because Jurrah is Aboriginal this somehow grants him immunity from the laws of this country.

Amen

But arguing against it is racist.

 

[jadr76]

Along with the fact that its a football game. Its his job; a leisure activity. In our justice system he is innocent, in the NT we don't know. People need to stop taking the issue of him playing a football game so seriously. If he is found guilty by all parties, than I will be in full support of him never playing another game for the club - even if he gets off without jail.

According to NT law a custodial sentence is mandatory for any adult convicted of a violent offence. Jurrah will have a family reunion at Alice Springs Correction Centre!

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Is it really a rumour if he's been officially charged though?

Hope for Jurrah's sake he can beat the charges or at least get a plea bargain to reduce a sentence if he is convicted

Why? **** him if he's done it.

 

[cammo78]

None of the players listed earlier were de-registered. They simply received suspensions. Big difference.

Cousins was deregistered for the 2008 season.

http://m.watoday.com.au/wa-news/ben-cousins-charged-with-cannabis-possession-20120417-1x4wf.html

 

[royals1922]

Let me give you a slightly different example.

Let's say player X is charged with match fixing and the case is going to court. Let's also assume that player X denies the charge and there is no issue that he bet on the game so he didn't as such breach any of the gambling protocols per se.

Player X is entitled to the presumption of innocence but should he play. Of course not given that he could bring the game into disrepute.

How much worse then is it that we have a player who has been accused of using a lethal weapon amongst numerous charges and is apparently banned from the NT playing this weak.

This will bite the AFL in the backside bigtime.

 

[SirJimi05]

Cousins was deregistered for the 2008 season.

http://m.watoday.com.au/wa-news/ben-cousins-charged-with-cannabis-possession-20120417-1x4wf.html

I was referring to the list of players that the other poster mentioned, the ones you thought were all de-registered. Obviously Cousins was.

 

[mightymouse75]

As a man with aboriginal heritage I think it is disgusting Melbourne are going to play this guy.

Some of our communitys are being destroyed by violence, so many of our youth end up in jail. Women are beaten to within an inch of their lives, even a womans murder is not that uncommon and what do you do, you reward someone who is standing trial for some seriously violent crimes, but wait, why not highlight this by rewarding him during indigenous round.
What kind of message does this send to our communitys where a lot of our kids only indigenous role models are agoriginal afl stars.

You are saying it is ok to war with other familys, its alright to attack someone with a weapon and why shouldnt women get a beating as well.
Thankyou Melbourne Footy Club and Jurrah for undoing the good work the likes of Kevin Sheedy and Michael Long have managed over the past 20 years.

 

[Dustin Credible]

Playing Jurrah smacks of desperation on the part of the Dees.

I doubt a club in a stronger on field position would even contemplate playing him right now.

IMO he should've been suspended from playing (not training) for the Demons from the outset, until proved innocent or otherwise.

 

[campbell]

As a man with aboriginal heritage I think it is disgusting Melbourne are going to play this guy.

Some of our communitys are being destroyed by violence, so many of our youth end up in jail. Women are beaten to within an inch of their lives, even a womans murder is not that uncommon and what do you do, you reward someone who is standing trial for some seriously violent crimes, but wait, why not highlight this by rewarding him during indigenous round.
What kind of message does this send to our communitys where a lot of our kids only indigenous role models are agoriginal afl stars.

You are saying it is ok to war with other familys, its alright to attack someone with a weapon and why shouldnt women get a beating as well.
Thankyou Melbourne Footy Club and Jurrah for undoing the good work the likes of Kevin Sheedy and Michael Long have managed over the past 20 years.

mm. as an aboriginal woman, i agree in part.

sad that he is playing imo. too much attention now, damaging to him. he is innocent until proven guilty.

 

[Linc3333]

Absolutley. Its almost embarassing to Melbourne that they have picked him to play. One he will be very much underdone and two he has committed an offence which will most likely see him sent to jail if convicted! He probly shouldnt even be playing reserves until he is found inoccent (which seems unlikely). I doubt this would happen at any other club.

 

[campbell]

Let me give you a slightly different example.

Let's say player X is charged with match fixing and the case is going to court. Let's also assume that player X denies the charge and there is no issue that he bet on the game so he didn't as such breach any of the gambling protocols per se.

Player X is entitled to the presumption of innocence but should he play. Of course not given that he could bring the game into disrepute.

How much worse then is it that we have a player who has been accused of using a lethal weapon amongst numerous charges and is apparently banned from the NT playing this weak.

This will bite the AFL in the backside bigtime.

Sure will. disgusting imo....

tribal law and black magic are just a part of remote indigenous communtities, sad but true.

and in my experience, this is only the beginning a lot of waters to pass under this bridge.

 

[Tulip]

You're very sensible Campbell.

(All to my knowledge, correct me if I'm inaccurate) I don't by any means applaud what Liam did, but I do feel sorry for him. He comes down to Melbourne to play football, and within two years he's back in Yuendemu: A famous elder in a aggressively divided town with family on either side. If only he hadn't gotten on the drink.

 

[cammo78]

I was referring to the list of players that the other poster mentioned, the ones you thought were all de-registered. Obviously Cousins was.

Cousins is the important one. That man has not been found guilty of any offence whatsoever. Irrespective of his own admissions.

The AFL saw fit to ban him from the competition.

Fevola is the other. Guilty of no more than being a grade-A arsehat.

Wasn't deregistered - but ostracized on an ongoing basis by City Hall who were unsure if theyd allow him to enter the draft or not.

Yet this other man is on charges of nearly having killed someone, and is deemed fit to continue unhindered. On the basis of "culture".

If you don't smell something wrong with this picture, remove your head from your arse.

Poor old Matty Rendell must shake his head in dismay.

 

[Tulip]

Cousins comes out and admits drug abuse, Jurrah maintains innocence

'Bringing the game into disrepute' simply is illegal in our justice system.

 

[mightymouse75]

Im not concerned of the ramifications the decision will have on the Melbourne footy club, I have no sympathy for Liam, he made his own bed, the problem I have is the message this will show the kids that are being dragged up in these situations.
You southerners have no idea the damage these feuds cause our kids, instead of breaking the cycle Melbourne is saying it is acceptable, well its not.
Some are saying it is cultural, well it was part of english culture 2000 years ago as well. Just because something is cultural in any society does not mean it is acceptable and it should continue, I for 1 am glad the incas stopped sacrificing humans by the thousand to their sun god.
And I will be even happier when the violence stops in our communitys.

 

[WCE_phil]

You're very sensible Campbell.

(All to my knowledge, correct me if I'm inaccurate) I don't by any means applaud what Liam did, but I do feel sorry for him. He comes down to Melbourne to play football, and within two years he's back in Yuendemu: A famous elder in a aggressively divided town with family on either side. If only he hadn't gotten on the drink.

No, if only he hadn't got involved in taking a machete to a bloke.
Forget 'culture', Forget 'Race'

People need to be responsible for their own actions and the media are the absolute worst in this situation and only show what an absolute bunch of hypocritical fools they are. Lets all feel sorry for a bloke who was a part of a lynch mob that almost killed someone...........

 

[Tulip]

Im not concerned of the ramifications the decision will have on the Melbourne footy club, I have no sympathy for Liam, he made his own bed, the problem I have is the message this will show the kids that are being dragged up in these situations.
You southerners have no idea the damage these feuds cause our kids, instead of breaking the cycle Melbourne is saying it is acceptable, well its not.
Some are saying it is cultural, well it was part of english culture 2000 years ago as well. Just because something is cultural in any society does not mean it is acceptable and it should continue, I for 1 am glad the incas stopped sacrificing humans by the thousand to their sun god.
And I will be even happier when the violence stops in our communitys.

Fair point.

At the end of the day, if you believe what you're saying and you subscribe to Westminster justice; than Liam is innocent until proven guilty.

We'll see what happens after the hearing.