News Welcome to Hawthorn Jon Patton : Retired

[Lickmesocks]

If there is a doubting attitude, the blame should lie with all those players caught using party drugs, who immediately go the 'mental health' card, because it shuts down further questioning.

When they hear it so often, public have no idea what is legit and what isn't.

People, I think, always have compassion for genuine mental health issues, like Rhys Shaw...but that doesn't mean one suspends a critical eye to the possibility of expedience.

On this occasion, I have no doubt that having all his sordid details out in public would be absolutely excruciating for Patton, with family, friends, acquaintences all getting the dirty goss. I reckon I'd have a breakdown if it was me (which it wouldn't be, cos I'm not such an entitled toxic male who does crap like that)

I did write when this thing first came out- Patton for a number 1 pick has suffered through 3 x acl injury’s and many other injury’s. We have regularly seen him very emotional at the Giants and now with us.

Would he be the only player perhaps dabbling in substances and sexting..... hell no is the answer and we all know that.

The press release mentioned “seeking treatment for ongoing management of his mental health”. I would confidently say by looking at his emotional state and behaviour etc there is a lot more to this.

The Giants were keen to give him up and in fact didn’t play him when they said they could to ensure he was fit for pre season at the Hawks. it was an open secret he was a Hawk 12 months out.

we will never know the true background. Was he taking medication and decided to go off it....... This in itself can lead to all sorts of strange behaviour.

I am not using the mental health card here but trying to point out that there is a lot more to this whole story and hope JP gets the necessary help whether he plays footy again or not.

 

[hawkdork83]

I did write when this thing first came out- Patton for a number 1 pick has suffered through 3 x acl injury’s and many other injury’s. We have regularly seen him very emotional at the Giants and now with us.

Would he be the only player perhaps dabbling in substances and sexting..... hell no is the answer and we all know that.

The press release mentioned “seeking treatment for ongoing management of his mental health”. I would confidently say by looking at his emotional state and behaviour etc there is a lot more to this.

The Giants were keen to give him up and in fact didn’t play him when they said they could to ensure he was fit for pre season at the Hawks. it was an open secret he was a Hawk 12 months out.

we will never know the true background. Was he taking medication and decided to go off it....... This in itself can lead to all sorts of strange behaviour.

I am not using the mental health card here but trying to point out that there is a lot more to this whole story and hope JP gets the necessary help whether he plays footy again or not.

Given your post, which seems pretty reasonable, do you have questions regarding the clubs recruitment of Patton? Specifically noting the points you have raised about GWS being keen to move him on, his time at GWS, and the videos that have surfaced regarding the players knowing, to a degree, his behaviours?

It's been an interesting point of discussion in here, and I had determined that I don't think the club could have 'vetted' for Patton's behaviour. But the points you have raised, in hindsight, fairly raise questions towards this.

 

[Lickmesocks]

Given your post, which seems pretty reasonable, do you have questions regarding the clubs recruitment of Patton? Specifically noting the points you have raised about GWS being keen to move him on, his time at GWS, and the videos that have surfaced regarding the players knowing, to a degree, his behaviours?

It's been an interesting point of discussion in here, and I had determined that I don't think the club could have 'vetted' for Patton's behaviour. But the points you have raised, in hindsight, fairly raise questions towards this.

We would have known there was issues for sure. JP has been sitting around not playing much footy for a long time.

Omeara and Scully are good mates with him and I am sure our recruiting team and coaching staff would have known to some extent what we were recruiting.

perhaps we figured getting him out onto the park and actually playing, with a fresh start and new environment might be able to sort some of these things out.......

As everyone keeps saying it was a low risk for high reward trade.

 

[westhawk]

Your doubting attitude is one of the major reasons for men not being comfortable declaring their mental health issues. Of course the stress of an enormous backlash would create or exacerbate mental illness at a time like this. Your suggestion it is a covenient time to declare it is disgusting.

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Yep, I think it becomes very convenient for some, which takes away from the real people who suffer mental health and don’t have the assistance. AFL players know if they say mental health, the media will leave them alone.

 

[hawkdork83]

We would have known there was issues for sure. JP has been sitting around not playing much footy for a long time.

Omeara and Scully are good mates with him and I am sure our recruiting team and coaching staff would have known to some extent what we were recruiting.

perhaps we figured getting him out onto the park and actually playing, with a fresh start and new environment might be able to sort some of these things out.......

As everyone keeps saying it was a low risk for high reward trade.

I don't think we can use 'low risk' given everything that has come to light. This won't cripple the club, but this situation further adds to the stink around us and our direction of recent years. As you can see, it's caused great angst and disappointment amongst the supporter base. Critical stakeholders.

Given the club may potentially have been aware of Patton's behavioural issues, it can't be viewed as a 'low risk' trade imo. I would suggest it was a low capital, high reward trade.

 

[Nugett]

My sweeping generalisations are based on partial facts and some of my assumption based on GWS players acceptance of what he gets upto, my point is not around my assumption but on the clubs accountability, Patton and any other players ability to mark and kick a ball come into question when they significantly impact the culture and external standards of the club. This isn't the 90's anymore and you can't just sweep it under the rug.

We seem to pride ourselves on our culture so this is a significant blip that needs to be reviewed heaviliy, not sure why that keeps being defended?

if his GWS team mates knew what he was doing, then why wasn’t the issue sorted out at GWS while he was there? It’s fine to question our accountability, in his recruitment, but in doing so you also need to make his previous club accountable as well.

the only person I’m interested in taking accountability is Jon Patton in placing himself in this predicament. It is his actions that are being questioned.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

The Ice-cream video was pretty thinly veiled- after seeing that I wouldn't be surprised if it was widely known.
I do wonder about the other players coming through the GWS system at that time though.

Thinly veiled indeed. If that is in fact what he is referring to - again it leads to him being a pants man and not necessarily one that crosses the line. Being prolific with women does not necessarily mean you are automatically doing it in an untoward way.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I don't think we can use 'low risk' given everything that has come to light. This won't cripple the club, but this situation further adds to the stink around us and our direction of recent years. As you can see, it's caused great angst and disappointment amongst the supporter base. Critical stakeholders.

Given the club may potentially have been aware of Patton's behavioural issues, it can't be viewed as a 'low risk' trade imo. I would suggest it was a low capital, high reward trade.

I don't think it will be all that much of an issue. At the start of 2020 the Bulldogs in the NRL had two players get up to some shenanigans with young ladies in less than amazing circumstances involving social media. They lost sponsors etc. By then end of the year they had a new sponsor, recruited a high profile coach, one of the best young wingers in the game and are about to get Josh Addo-Carr from the Storm next year in addition to some other good young recruits. Despite finishing second last and having an off-field disaster they turned it around in months. Patton sliding into the DMs isn't going to hamper us on the recruitment/commercial front.

 

[hawkdork83]

I don't think it will be all that much of an issue. At the start of 2020 the Bulldogs in the NRL had two players get up to some shenanigans with young ladies in less than amazing circumstances involving social media. They lost sponsors etc. By then end of the year they had a new sponsor, recruited a high profile coach, one of the best young wingers in the game and are about to get Josh Addo-Carr from the Storm next year in addition to some other good young recruits. Despite finishing second last and having an off-field disaster they turned it around in months. Patton sliding into the DMs isn't going to hamper us on the recruitment/commercial front.

I agree that I don't see any long term impacts commercially. We will simply struggle to recruit if we remain a bottom four team. That said, if we are chasing a player with a daughter/s and Patton remains on the list?

I also don't think we as fans should be dismissed. Plenty are angry. How do female supporters feel about this in particular? Parents with teenage girls?

My primary point is that if the club was aware of his behavioural issues, you can't call it a low risk/high reward recruitment. Risk is evident and as such, I think it is fair to view the recruitment in a harsher lens than 'it was low risk and worth the punt, no big loss'.

 

[Randy Campbell]

A lot of assumptions in here.

 

[rei154]

Thinly veiled indeed. If that is in fact what he is referring to - again it leads to him being a pants man and not necessarily one that crosses the line. Being prolific with women does not necessarily mean you are automatically doing it in an untoward way.

In my eye's this points to more deep-seeded issues though. It points to a level of objectification of women and shows that Patton (and those who were aware of the video before it was released) has a level of misogyny that needs to be worked on.
This isn't me saying that just because he managed to get 100 roots he has issues it's the manner in which he went about getting them and the show-boating nature of it afterwards.
Having read dozens of the messages he sent and reading the different accounts of how he interacted with different women combined with his "numbers game" mentality (which in itself is inherently sexist in the context) I would say the dude has some serious issues to work through and I would be furious if the club didn't work through them with him/force him to confront these issues.
As soon as the ice-cream video went out alarm bells should have gone off like crazy at GWS and it should have been handled then, but it wasn't, and who knows what damage has accrued along the way because of it.

 

[Gralin]

I really don't think sporting clubs in this country give much of a shit what their players get up to as long as they are winning and it doesn't become public

 

[H00t]

I really don't think sporting clubs in this country give much of a sh*t what their players get up to as long as they are winning and it doesn't become public

Unfortunately this does seem to be the case. We’ve heard the shenanigans Richmond have gotten up to. From a lot of players up to the coach, but the powers that be at the tigers wouldn’t care as they are winning flags.

Lives were getting destroyed at the eagles in the early 2000’s with the drug problems which only got sorted out after they won a flag and Judd was leaving.

Clubs are in the business model of cover up what happens to protect the brand but not caring about what happens behind the scenes. Only what makes the front page.

Odds are some people at hawthorn knew about his issues before it broke in the newspapers. But until it does no one is going to bother about it. All clubs would cover up a lot of stuff from minor to severe and fans definitely wouldn’t hear most of it.

 

[spudmaster]

I reckon I'd have a breakdown if it was me (which it wouldn't be, cos I'm not such an entitled toxic male who does crap like that)

Smallish pecker too huh?

 

[OnTheRocks]

Of course the stress of an enormous backlash would create or exacerbate mental illness at a time like this.

He may be finding the fear of embarrassment a wee bit hard to deal with. It's localised backlash at most

On this occasion, I have no doubt that having all his sordid details out in public would be absolutely excruciating for Patton, with family, friends, acquaintences all getting the dirty goss.

As long as he is contrite and not just embarrassed for getting "caught out".

 

[eldorado]

Smallish pecker too huh?

The data compression required to get it down to file sharing-size is not worth it.

 

[PhatHQ]

We would have known there was issues for sure. JP has been sitting around not playing much footy for a long time.

Omeara and Scully are good mates with him and I am sure our recruiting team and coaching staff would have known to some extent what we were recruiting.

perhaps we figured getting him out onto the park and actually playing, with a fresh start and new environment might be able to sort some of these things out.......

As everyone keeps saying it was a low risk for high reward trade.

The guy was always going to be a pin up boy for a mental health issue considering the injury history.
To apply the resilience that it takes to keep coming back from injury and be regarded as fit to play AFL each time that would be more than enough to do anyone’s head in.
Now his actions are wrong and he should pay for it. Sitting around after surgery and during rehab would be like a poor mans case of Covid iso to some extent.
All very appealing and real observations from those close to him.

Those close to him would have been selling the not banged up version as well as the upside of a fit Patton at the club. A fresh start was what he needed but the mental damage had already been done by the look of it.

If he is claiming mental health as a cover, I would bet he absolutely needs it.

 

[Lickmesocks]

I really don't think sporting clubs in this country give much of a sh*t what their players get up to as long as they are winning and it doesn't become public

Malthouse was a favourite with the rat pack. He knew what they were up too on the weekends.

His theory was make sure you turn up in a fit state to train on Monday.

Football clubs educate as much as they can during business hours. Beyond that the individuals are cashed up and young males and the rest as they say is history.

 

[Lickmesocks]

Unfortunately this does seem to be the case. We’ve heard the shenanigans Richmond have gotten up to. From a lot of players up to the coach, but the powers that be at the tigers wouldn’t care as they are winning flags.

Lives where getting destroyed at the eagles in the early 2000’s with the drug problems which only got sorted out after they won a flag and Judd was leaving.

Clubs are in the business model of cover up what happens to protect the brand but not caring about what happens behind the scenes. Only what makes the front page.

Odds are some people at hawthorn knew about his issues before it broke in the newspapers. But until it does no one is going to bother about it. All clubs would cover up a lot of stuff from minor to severe and fans definitely wouldn’t hear most of it.

Bingo. 40 odd young males cashed up with heaps of spare time.

The club can try and educate and get people in to talk to the players but once they leave the club they are going to make there own decisions.

Player managers spend a huge amount of time sorting and fixing after hour issues with there clients.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

it's truly bizarre that people have this aura around afl players from their club and seem completely unable to comprehend that young men like pingers and sex

 

[Brishawk]

it's truly bizarre that people have this aura around afl players from their club and seem completely unable to comprehend that young men like pingers and sex

I don’t think that is Jon’s problem, unfortunately.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

it's truly bizarre that people have this aura around afl players from their club and seem completely unable to comprehend that young men like pingers and sex

I do love when people foam at the mouth about players at other clubs taking rec drugs all the while thinking that our club has nothing nothing but virtuous straight edgers on the list.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

I don’t think that is Jon’s problem, unfortunately.

no he seems to have a deeper 'problem' (not sure you can really call having a night out with ecstasy and casual sex a problem) but it was in response to the broader AFL culture

 

[Kanga Commando]

I do love when people foam at the mouth about players at other clubs taking rec drugs all the while thinking that our club has nothing nothing but virtuous straight edgers on the list.

Yep - people tend to favour things that support their own beliefs.

 

[hawkdork83]

Patton isn't being investigated for the occasional use of a party drug, although he partly may be, or for liking sex. He is being investigated for allegedly providing sexually explicit content to alleged victims, plural, who state that this was unwanted and that they felt uncomfortable or worse by his alleged actions.