Rumour Multiple GWS players are set to be suspended to start the 2025 season after distasteful costumes and skits from their post-season function

[Foxx]

Some things are just universally offensive though. I would say dressing and renacting rape would be one of them.

Exactly my point. Racism is no longer accepted. It's really no different than a lot of other things.

 

[Muddiemoose]

What if you did this at an end of season pub crawl?

People love equating them to a real job, but they dont have real jobs. They're not in the corporate world, their end of season function is very different to your Office Works xmas lunch

That’s were it gets tricky players have contractual clause’s directly surrounding public behaviour

Gets back to the private function at a public bar argument but at the end of the day someone has complained and it seems the players have breached some of stipulations in the contracts they have signed

 

[76woodenspooners]

Surely someone at GWS could foresee the possibility of 'issues' if they're running with a 'Troubled Couples' theme?
Not much offends me these days, but I'm certainly aware of things that might upset others, for various reasons. You just never know what people might have been through. Having said that, the punishment - unless more happened that we're not being told - is way, way over the top.

The point of parties is to have a laugh and have some fun.

“Troubled couples” sounds like a cracking idea for a party theme.

It seems the problem in this case was there were people who took it too far.

I suspect the folks who are in trouble would have got into trouble irrespective of the theme.

 

[Underarm]

Yes I would to. Did that happen?

That is what is being hinted at.

 

[iameviljez]

What if you did this at an end of season pub crawl?

People love equating them to a real job, but they dont have real jobs. They're not in the corporate world, their end of season function is very different to your Office Works xmas lunch

I would still be ****ed. HR is at pains to say that non-affiliated events are not a free pass and I have seen people get in very hot water over it before.

I get that it isn’t a regular job, but the comparison is worth making

 

[Bombermania]

Yes you would. But these players were not at a work party.

That could depend on who organised it.

 

[BomberManU]

The point of parties is to have a laugh and have some fun.

“Troubled couples” sounds like a cracking idea for a party theme.

It seems the problem in this case was there were people who took it too far.

I suspect the folks who are in trouble would have got into trouble irrespective of the theme.

It is a good theme, but most parties are 50/50 male - female, so there's always a sort of balance. No balance in a room full of males only and very easy for things to get out of hand. Not that I think this is in the same league, but the stories I've heard about suburban Mad Mondays over the past 20 years are staggering. And not in a good way.

 

[Bombermania]

What if you did this at an end of season pub crawl?

People love equating them to a real job, but they dont have real jobs. They're not in the corporate world, their end of season function is very different to your Office Works xmas lunch

They are professional footballers, and for that reason it is a job.

 

[iameviljez]

Yes you would. But these players were not at a work party.

Every company I have worked for in the last ten years would still fire you if you did this at an unofficial piss-up organised by work mates and word got around.

 

[Aussie in exile]

What this incident shows us what we already know and that is a majority of footballers are not the sharpest knifes in the draw. Some of them are so inartiulate that they struggle to string a sentence together in post match interviews

 

[Aussie in exile]

Every company I have worked for in the last ten years would still fire you if you did this at an unofficial piss-up organised by work mates and word got around.

And rightly so.

 

[Mofra]

Not posturing on what is right or wrong on this topic, but Zoomers definitely feel differently about this.
9/11 is a certified meme for kids nowadays.

Comedy = tragedy + time

 

[iameviljez]

What’s wrong with Northcote?

Too many people attempting Ruckers Hill on bikes with 1 gear

 

[76woodenspooners]

Not that I think this is in the same league, but the stories I've heard about suburban Mad Mondays over the past 20 years are staggering. And not in a good way.

Worse than hiring dwarves and setting fire to them?

 

[dangerwood]

I get the argument that it happened in a private setting and that it should be left at that.

What I don't get though is why these players felt the need to push the boundaries of taste as they did - can't they have a great day without doing that?

Have you not experienced the comradery that comes with team mates doing some uncomfortably awkward shit that everyone just pretends didn't happen and you bond over the shared secret that you all now must carry?

I've kept my mouth shut about things I witnessed during footy trips so don't come for me outraged about other people being outraged brigade....

but yes I agree, I never quite understood why some players felt the need to particularly weird shit at these kinds of things. Is it because if we all do weird shit and don't tell anyone it means we can trust each other?

 

[Aussie in exile]

Have you not experienced the comradery that comes with team mates doing some uncomfortably awkward shit that everyone just pretends didn't happen and you bond over the shared secret that you all now must carry?

I've kept my mouth shut about things I witnessed during footy trips so don't come for me outraged about other people being outraged brigade....

but yes I agree, I never quite understood why some players felt the need to particularly weird shit at these kinds of things. Is it because if we all do weird shit and don't tell anyone it means we can trust each other?

I do think we should cut the players a bit of slack. Just a little because some of them are not the sharpest knifes in the draw.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Except it wasn't a good thing, was it- because they had it at a venue with staff in attendance who were not part of the private guest list.

Could have just hired a party house on AirBnB like normal people do.

The venue should have vetted the staff to see who was ok with working a function for young footballers wanting to let their hair down.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

I hope venue staff were practicing the responsible service of alcohol.

 

[Plugger35]

I don't think the twin towers could ever be portrayed in any comedic way.

Gilbert Gottfried infamously made a 9/11 joke at a Hugh Hefner roast only a couple of weeks after it happened.

The joke itself wasn't that offensive it was just more shocking that he made the joke so soon after it happened.

It was also shocking that Norm Macdonald didn't beat him to it, although it may have been too soon even for Norm.

Gilbert was the first comedian to make a 9/11 joke in public but he certainly hasn't been the last comedian to make one.

Fining Toby Greene is the most bizarre thing to me, I don't recall Riewoldt being fined when St Kilda set fire to a dwarf.

The old Toby tax in action again and the AFL and the world in general wasn't quite so uptight and reactionary 10 years ago.

 

[iameviljez]

The venue should have vetted the staff to see who was ok with working a function for young footballers wanting to let their hair down.

“Hi. Are you ok with rape jokes?”

 

[HoldingThe Ball]

Some things are just universally offensive though. I would say dressing and renacting rape would be one of them.

Now you are just guessing.

When people make on point rebuttals - fair enough.

When people make shit up to further their agenda, then you've already lost.

Why would you accuse them of re-inacting a rape when you have no idea if they did or didn't.

You are playing dirty pool here my man.

 

[andy_20]

Exactly my point. Racism is no longer accepted. It's really no different than a lot of other things.

What's your definition of 'RaCiSmZ'?

 

[Red Black and Blue]

“Hi. Are you ok with rape jokes?”

Whats wrong with them? Why are you defending rapists from mockery?

 

[HairyO]

That just means that there's plenty of moron jokers about. They're about as funny as a train wreck.

People should never joke about tragic events.
I bet they wouldn't think it's that funny if something like that impacted their lives.

I think we get who is funny and who isnt.

Its ok. Not everyone gets it.

BTW, ever heard the expression "laughter is the best medicine" ?
How about "Making light of a bad situation" ?
"Make the best of a bad situation" ?

Life is littered with examples of using humour to deal with bad/sad events.

Its not new. Shakespeared wrote comedic tragedies a few years ago or more. But he wasnt any good either. Certainly not at the Foxx level.

You ever been to a Wake? Or never actually had anything good or bad happen in life?

 

[iameviljez]

Whats wrong with them? Why are you defending rapists from mockery?

Oh if the butt of the joke is the rapist, go for it.