Players told not to read Bigfooty & other fan websites - Herald Sun

[w00dy]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23732964-19742,00.html

AFL players have been banned from scouring fan websites, for fear the vicious player appraisals could lead to depression.

At one club, support staff also have been threatened with the sack if they are caught blogging or leaking valuable information to the websites.

Labelled "cyber bullying" and "big brother" blogging by the AFL Players' Association, clubs have taken the drastic step of encouraging a boycott of the popular fan sites.

"I wouldn't encourage any players to use them. I think it's for bloggers, and I think it's mostly for titillation rather any decent feedback," AFLPA general manager of psychology, people and culture, Pippa Grange said yesterday.

"It's more your big brother-type trivia.

"I would agree with coaches telling players not to look, but I would also encourage the players not to think of it in any way as criticism - it's just a random sample of people with not much better to do."

Most football clubs have independent supporter websites, including Saintsational, TalkingCarlton, Demonology, Punt Road End, Nick's Collingwood Page and and Bomberblitz.

One of the most popular is BigFooty.

On them, anonymous bloggers ritually attack players for their performances, and the criticisms sometimes carry racial and sexual overtones.

One coach, who did not want to draw attention to his players, yesterday said: "They get real nasty."

The coach said he was aware of one player receiving "particularly scathing" criticism and he had approached the player and asked if he was aware of it.

"Thankfully, he said it didn't matter because he didn't read it, but bloody oath, it could affect the player," the coach said. "It's a serious issue, a major issue.

"Even if one player gets depression, or his form falls away, it could end his career."

One club official last night confirmed the coach had directed some of his players to stop reading sites.

"Yes, we have suggested to some players they avoid online fan sites," the official said.

A football manager from another club said he had addressed the issue with the players.

He also revealed he had warned support staff that if they leaked information to websites, or people knowingly connected to the websites, they would be sacked.

"We have said, 'Whatever you know is not to be passed on to people outside the club'," he said.

He said players had to avoid any scathing critiques.

"It's like critical fan mail, it could do your head in, and it's the same thing with websites.

"You should read some of it, it's rubbish.

"You've got to understand the ego of players and fragility comes with that as well."

Grange yesterday said AFL footballers were in the "culture of celebrities".

"And there's a lot of nasty stuff out there," she said.

She likens it to cyber bullying at schools, where there are alarming cases of bullying bringing on forms of depression and even attempted suicide.

"There's no restriction of what people are able to do with the internet," Grange said.

"Blogging on websites about players is a form of bullying, it's public bullying of people in celebrity positions.

"And the footy players, unless they personally take some course of investigation, have got absolutely no comeback."

Grange said public criticism of players had been addressed, although cyber criticism hadn't specifically been on the agenda.

"We talk to the players about building resilience about feedback and what they need to let through to the keeper, and what's actually value for them and how they make a choice about each," she said.

"We don't specifically focus on websites, but that's going to happen with our digital lifestyle at the minute."

More serious, she said, were players' identities being taken by bloggers.

"The biggest thing I've encountered in my role where it's been a problem is where people take the identity of the player and claim to be making comments on behalf of the player," she said.

"They get obviously quite upset about that."

ANYONE with personal problems can call Lifelineon 131 114; Victorian Statewide Suicide Helpline on 1300 651 251; or Mensline Australia on 1300 789 978.

i wouldn't have thought the players would even think about reading the dribble people post on these sites... they ignore getting sledged over the fence, why do they care what we write on the internet?

 

[Upgrayedd]

good move, if the likes of Anthony Rocca/Zac Dawson ever stumbled upon bigfooty...

 

[w00dy]

One coach, who did not want to draw attention to his players, yesterday said: "They get real nasty."

The coach said he was aware of one player receiving "particularly scathing" criticism and he had approached the player and asked if he was aware of it.

any thoughts on which player? maybe we could start a poll?

 

[pinkus maximus]

good move, if the likes of Anthony Rocca/Zac Dawson ever stumbled upon bigfooty...

or mcmanus

it is true that criticism of players on this site can go too far at times. i do cringe at some of the personal attacks

still, i would imagine they have other things to do than read messageboards

 

[w00dy]

i wonder how many draftees have grown up on bigfooty, and if they've kept an interest in the site once they're drafted...

 

[unstable punt]

or mcmanus

it is true that criticism of players on this site can go too far at times. i do cringe at some of the personal attacks

still, i would imagine they have other things to do than read messageboards

its easy for the gutless to slag players off from behind their keyboards, the reality is they are cowards. lf l was a player l wouldn't want to read the drivel some write on these sites, and it is only some who do it.

 

[The_Eagles]

hopefully rowan jones never read bigfooty

 

[WA ROO]

What about the players that post?

 

[SweetLeftFoot]

That piece clearly refers to the rest of you, not me.

 

[Campbell's Chunky]

Well its obviously not the Crows, as our media manager posts on here occasionally.

 

[Forrest Gimp]

That was harsh on BF. There is just as much healthy, intelligent discussion on the main club boards as there is on Bay13. If you were a shit player, you would want to avoid it, as some of the stuff on here would be brutal to read if you were the recipient, however, I don't think they should just dismiss a massive forum full of thousands of football mad internet users because of this.

 

[estibador]

hopefully rowan jones never read bigfooty

What do you think gave him that bald spot?

 

[Southerntakeover]

Gotta love the traditional media forms attacking their competition, whilst claiming to be protecting the players from horrible fans.

Meanwhile: In tomorrows newspaper: Which AFL player tested positive for what... we've bought the results.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Well its obviously not the Crows, as our media manager posts on here occasionally.

Yeah, doubt its Brisbane either. We have a good relationship with the club...

They even let us interview players.

 

[Forrest Gimp]

What do you think gave him that bald spot?

Rojo carrying us these last few years?

 

[estibador]

That was harsh on BF. There is just as much healthy, intelligent discussion on the main club boards as there is on Bay13. If you were a shit player, you would want to avoid it, as some of the stuff on here would be brutal to read if you were the recipient, however, I don't think they should just dismiss a massive forum full of thousands of football mad internet users because of this.

I'd be very disappointed if someone in the footy departments didn't monitor these sites (the club boards anyway). It's a perfect source of free 'customer' feedback that very few industries are lucky enough to have access to.

But players should avoid this place like the plague. It's full of kneejerk bullshit, particularly after a loss. And it's very, very rarely constructive when it comes to opinions on players.

 

[Kram]

Dear lord, imagine if Ritchie Tambling read some of the stuff on here?

Common sense for players to not even read the paper really.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Dear lord, imagine if Ritchie Tambling read some of the stuff on here?

Imagine if Franklin did. His head would inflate to the size of a hot-air balloon.

 

[sauce_head]

I hope Ross Llyon reads it, some good ideas on our board.

 

[And_ROOS]

I think if Buddy ever has his form drop, they should save all the current millions of threads made about him.

If reading them wont get his confidence back, nothing will.

 

[estibador]

Rojo carrying us these last few years?

That would explain Juddy's chrome dome too I guess.

 

[Silvagnis]

good move, if the likes of Anthony Rocca/Zac Dawson ever stumbled upon bigfooty...

Gibbs.

 

[Benno_900]

Heh, some of the stuff we say about Browny could very well get him depressed ...

 

[footyfreak]

I'd be very disappointed if someone in the footy departments didn't monitor these sites (the club boards anyway). It's a perfect source of free 'customer' feedback that very few industries are lucky enough to have access to.

But players should avoid this place like the plague. It's full of kneejerk bullshit, particularly after a loss. And it's very, very rarely constructive when it comes to opinions on players.

Agree with the first comment. Companies would pay ten of thousands of dollars for the information that clubs can get here for free. If they were smart they would have people posting as ordinary supporters who build up some cred or become "known" to some degree and then asks questions every now and then like "do you think it would be good if our club..........." etc.

BF is a clubs target market to a large degree coz lets face it, if you post here you clearly have more than a passing interest in the game.

Re players reading this, I have a mate who plays AFL and i would often tell him of the positive feedback he received on here when he got it.

I must admit i was vague about what the site was/where the info could be found as i wanted to give him the feedback without him then wanting to come here and look at it himself as he was a player that is/was much maligned and cops a fair bit on here. I knew he wasn't tech savvy so i always thought it was pretty safe until the day he rang me and asked for specifics as his dad wanted to look it up LOL

 

[favourites]

Players cop a blogging

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23732964-19742,00.html

• AFL players have been banned from scouring fan websites, for fear the vicious player appraisals could lead to depression.

At one club, support staff also have been threatened with the sack if they are caught blogging or leaking valuable information to the websites.
Labelled "cyber bullying" and "big brother" blogging by the AFL Players' Association, clubs have taken the drastic step of encouraging a boycott of the popular fan sites.
"I wouldn't encourage any players to use them. I think it's for bloggers, and I think it's mostly for titillation rather any decent feedback," AFLPA general manager of psychology, people and culture, Pippa Grange said yesterday.
"It's more your big brother-type trivia.
"I would agree with coaches telling players not to look, but I would also encourage the players not to think of it in any way as criticism - it's just a random sample of people with not much better to do."
Most football clubs have independent supporter websites, including Saintsational, TalkingCarlton, Demonology, Punt Road End, Nick's Collingwood Page and and Bomberblitz.
One of the most popular is BigFooty.
On them, anonymous bloggers ritually attack players for their performances, and the criticisms sometimes carry racial and sexual overtones.