Interesting--From the Hun Today:
21: Josh Dunkley has revealed he was the target of shocking online abuse as coach Luke Beveridge defends Bailey Smith
Josh Dunkley was already reeling from a missed shot in the loss to the Swans in 2018. Then came one shocking direct message online which floored the star Dog.
Jon Ralph
5 min read
April 9, 2021 - 12:26PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
0 comments
Western Bulldogs star Josh Dunkley has spoken about the savage trolling of AFL players, revealing a fan sent him a Google map screenshot detailing the spot he should commit suicide after a 2018 game.
Dunkley said he had botched an easy goal that cost the Dogs the Round 4 match against Sydney, with the Swans snatching the contest in part because of his error.
With his Instagram direct messages open, he received a flood of abuse that included specific directions about how to end his life.
His former teammate Travis Cloke told the Herald Sun’s Sacked podcast last year he feared a player would self-harm after a torrent of abuse, calling on the AFL and social media giants to protect players.
Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
![[PLAYERCARD]Josh Dunkley[/PLAYERCARD] has revealed he was the subject of shocking online abuse in 2018. Picture: Julian Smith](/forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.api.news%2Fv3%2Fimages%2Fbin%2F8f14485d0c3aa6201a1bb6b9674b13d8&hash=62a19dd421ee727dd64090539a9d423d "[PLAYERCARD]Josh Dunkley[/PLAYERCARD] has revealed he was the subject of shocking online abuse in 2018. Picture: Julian Smith")
Josh Dunkley has revealed he was the subject of shocking online abuse in 2018. Picture: Julian Smith
Dunkley said he was already in a vulnerable state given the consequences of the loss, writing in an ESPN column he was still shocked at the message.
“By the time I had showered, packed my bags and arrived home, it was close to 10pm. There was not a single second where I wasn’t replaying that dropped mark over in my head, berating myself for the mistake,” he said.
“In my desperation to try and switch off from what had happened a few hours earlier, I decided to lean on social media. It’s fair to say, that wasn’t the greatest idea I’ve ever had. What I saw horrified me.
“My Instagram DMs were overflowing with literally hundreds of abusive messages, but one of them really stood out. Someone had actually sent me a Google Maps screenshot which had directions from Marvel Stadium to the West Gate Bridge.
“Here I am, just a 21-year-old kid, being advised by a disgruntled ‘fan’ to commit suicide after making an error in a game. No matter what the coaching staff and senior players tell you, you can’t help but feel responsible for the loss when you see something like that.
“Seeing that image made me feel sick to my stomach. Without any doubt, that was the lowest I have ever felt after a game. It was my rock bottom. All I wanted to do was hide.
“After a night of tossing and turning in bed, I decided to report the offenders and actually change my Instagram profile to ‘private’. I also learned a valuable lesson that day: never check social media after a game, particularly a loss. It’s something I still practice today.”
![[PLAYERCARD]Josh Dunkley[/PLAYERCARD] competes with [PLAYERCARD]Jarrad McVeigh[/PLAYERCARD] in that Round 4 game of 2018.](/forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.api.news%2Fv3%2Fimages%2Fbin%2F9e3a8eb9bb05b9bdd72576fd3f652b35&hash=09f83bbd1b73e61b6a85d572798e7fad "[PLAYERCARD]Josh Dunkley[/PLAYERCARD] competes with [PLAYERCARD]Jarrad McVeigh[/PLAYERCARD] in that Round 4 game of 2018.")
Josh Dunkley competes with Jarrad McVeigh in that Round 4 game of 2018.
Cloke said last year players were addicted to their phones and vulnerable to the kind of messages post-match they would normally laugh off.
“I truly do believe we will push the line with social media and someone will actually self-harm before we do get some really good results out of this,” he said.
“You walk into the room, sing the song if you have won, sit on the ground for a couple of minutes if you have lost, and then walk to the locker and grab your phone.
“You haven’t even had the coach’s address, haven’t spoken to an assistant coach, haven’t spoken to your wife, girlfriend or family.
“You grab your phone and that was not just me, it was 21 other players in the dressing rooms doing the exact same thing ... and back at the end of my career you weren’t allowed your phones …. but the boys still had their phones, don’t worry about that.”
* For help with emotional difficulties, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
‘We expect nothing less’: Bevo defends provocative star
Luke Beveridge has launched a fierce defence of star midfielder Bailey Smith after criticism he mocked an opponent in an Allen Iverson-style “step-over” move.
Dermott Brereton said he hated the look of Smith mocking opponent Brad Sheppard in the Round 2 win over West Coast after he kicked a goal and provocatively stepped over the fallen Eagle.
It brought to mind NBA star Iverson’s disrespectful step over on fallen opponent Tyronn Lue after draining a shot, with Brereton calling it the “humiliation of the vanquished”.
He also brought up Smith getting in the face of North Melbourne captain Jack Ziebell after a Dogs goal, worried those kinds of actions were taking the gloss off Smith’s brilliant game style.
But ahead of the clash with Brisbane in Ballarat, Beveridge backed in Smith as a fierce “Bulldog”.
![AFL Round 3. 02/04/2021. North Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne. Bulldog [PLAYERCARD]Bailey Smith[/PLAYERCARD] during the 4th qtr. . Pic: Michael Klein](/forum/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.api.news%2Fv3%2Fimages%2Fbin%2F5bd490cf0743283ce93db6676743e389&hash=41a92d956ece198cc02680103751f363 "AFL Round 3. 02/04/2021. North Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne. Bulldog [PLAYERCARD]Bailey Smith[/PLAYERCARD] during the 4th qtr. . Pic: Michael Klein")
AFL Round 3. 02/04/2021. North Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne. Bulldog Bailey Smith during the 4th qtr. . Pic: Michael Klein
“I love Derm. I do know about it. I think it’s just you can imagine Bailey’s game and the banter and the voice out there in his direction and the physical side of the game.
“A couple of instances have been highlighted in regard to Baz and what he is doing and I love the way ‘Baz’ plays, he is such a proud player, a competitive AFL beast and he’s not going to change or step away from the confrontational side of the game. He will fly the flag for his teammates and definitely fly the flag for himself.
“Those instances are just a build up of what has happened through the course of the game and we would expect nothing less. Deep down he’s a very humble person. When he crosses that white line he’s a Bulldog.”
Smith will be part of Bulldogs midfield core that will take on Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale, with Beveridge not afraid to tag him if the star gets out of control.
Neale got away from the Bulldogs last year, tallying 36 possessions and a goal, with in-form clearance specialist Tom Liberatore the likely tagger or at least “cooler” if he gets out of control again.
“It’s a misnomer we won’t go that way,” Beveridge said of a Neale tag.
“The last three times we have played Brisbane we have run with Lachie. Libba has done some terrific jobs but the last time we played Brisbane, Lachie was their best player, so as a group we weren‘t able to quell their influence. It’s always a consideration.”
The forecast for Ballarat is a showery day with wind upwards of 30km and up to three millimetres of rain.
The Dogs train at a windy Whitten Oval and are happy to take on the Lions away from Marvel Stadium but know they need to play a specific way at Mars Stadium.
“It might be a bit damp. The main one is wind. There will be a significant breeze down the left-hand end as far as the broadcast goes and we have already talked about that and what it means for the defensive structure and our numbers game and how we go about that.
“That is probably the quirk. Most of the grounds we play on, there is some wind but it swirls and it’s mostly down one end.”
More Coverage
‘Welcome to the party, Eddie, but I’m in charge’: Tassie Premier Victorian kid proves Swans may just be better at drafting The fixture change AFL must make to protect its future
The Footscray side has a rest week before the VFL season starts next weekend so Mitch Wallis will not get to push his case for a senior game.
Beveridge said Jamar Ugle-Hagan was progressing well but still needed to be fit enough to run out a full game as he improved his professionalism after no football in 2020.
https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?te...h/news-story/9478c0eafc1c813b5322382e1fcba157
21: Josh Dunkley has revealed he was the target of shocking online abuse as coach Luke Beveridge defends Bailey Smith
Josh Dunkley was already reeling from a missed shot in the loss to the Swans in 2018. Then came one shocking direct message online which floored the star Dog.
Jon Ralph
5 min read
April 9, 2021 - 12:26PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
0 comments
Western Bulldogs star Josh Dunkley has spoken about the savage trolling of AFL players, revealing a fan sent him a Google map screenshot detailing the spot he should commit suicide after a 2018 game.
Dunkley said he had botched an easy goal that cost the Dogs the Round 4 match against Sydney, with the Swans snatching the contest in part because of his error.
With his Instagram direct messages open, he received a flood of abuse that included specific directions about how to end his life.
His former teammate Travis Cloke told the Herald Sun’s Sacked podcast last year he feared a player would self-harm after a torrent of abuse, calling on the AFL and social media giants to protect players.
Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
Josh Dunkley has revealed he was the subject of shocking online abuse in 2018. Picture: Julian Smith
Dunkley said he was already in a vulnerable state given the consequences of the loss, writing in an ESPN column he was still shocked at the message.
“By the time I had showered, packed my bags and arrived home, it was close to 10pm. There was not a single second where I wasn’t replaying that dropped mark over in my head, berating myself for the mistake,” he said.
“In my desperation to try and switch off from what had happened a few hours earlier, I decided to lean on social media. It’s fair to say, that wasn’t the greatest idea I’ve ever had. What I saw horrified me.
“My Instagram DMs were overflowing with literally hundreds of abusive messages, but one of them really stood out. Someone had actually sent me a Google Maps screenshot which had directions from Marvel Stadium to the West Gate Bridge.
“Here I am, just a 21-year-old kid, being advised by a disgruntled ‘fan’ to commit suicide after making an error in a game. No matter what the coaching staff and senior players tell you, you can’t help but feel responsible for the loss when you see something like that.
“Seeing that image made me feel sick to my stomach. Without any doubt, that was the lowest I have ever felt after a game. It was my rock bottom. All I wanted to do was hide.
“After a night of tossing and turning in bed, I decided to report the offenders and actually change my Instagram profile to ‘private’. I also learned a valuable lesson that day: never check social media after a game, particularly a loss. It’s something I still practice today.”
Josh Dunkley competes with Jarrad McVeigh in that Round 4 game of 2018.
Cloke said last year players were addicted to their phones and vulnerable to the kind of messages post-match they would normally laugh off.
“I truly do believe we will push the line with social media and someone will actually self-harm before we do get some really good results out of this,” he said.
“You walk into the room, sing the song if you have won, sit on the ground for a couple of minutes if you have lost, and then walk to the locker and grab your phone.
“You haven’t even had the coach’s address, haven’t spoken to an assistant coach, haven’t spoken to your wife, girlfriend or family.
“You grab your phone and that was not just me, it was 21 other players in the dressing rooms doing the exact same thing ... and back at the end of my career you weren’t allowed your phones …. but the boys still had their phones, don’t worry about that.”
* For help with emotional difficulties, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
‘We expect nothing less’: Bevo defends provocative star
Luke Beveridge has launched a fierce defence of star midfielder Bailey Smith after criticism he mocked an opponent in an Allen Iverson-style “step-over” move.
Dermott Brereton said he hated the look of Smith mocking opponent Brad Sheppard in the Round 2 win over West Coast after he kicked a goal and provocatively stepped over the fallen Eagle.
It brought to mind NBA star Iverson’s disrespectful step over on fallen opponent Tyronn Lue after draining a shot, with Brereton calling it the “humiliation of the vanquished”.
He also brought up Smith getting in the face of North Melbourne captain Jack Ziebell after a Dogs goal, worried those kinds of actions were taking the gloss off Smith’s brilliant game style.
But ahead of the clash with Brisbane in Ballarat, Beveridge backed in Smith as a fierce “Bulldog”.
AFL Round 3. 02/04/2021. North Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, Melbourne. Bulldog Bailey Smith during the 4th qtr. . Pic: Michael Klein
“I love Derm. I do know about it. I think it’s just you can imagine Bailey’s game and the banter and the voice out there in his direction and the physical side of the game.
“A couple of instances have been highlighted in regard to Baz and what he is doing and I love the way ‘Baz’ plays, he is such a proud player, a competitive AFL beast and he’s not going to change or step away from the confrontational side of the game. He will fly the flag for his teammates and definitely fly the flag for himself.
“Those instances are just a build up of what has happened through the course of the game and we would expect nothing less. Deep down he’s a very humble person. When he crosses that white line he’s a Bulldog.”
Smith will be part of Bulldogs midfield core that will take on Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale, with Beveridge not afraid to tag him if the star gets out of control.
Neale got away from the Bulldogs last year, tallying 36 possessions and a goal, with in-form clearance specialist Tom Liberatore the likely tagger or at least “cooler” if he gets out of control again.
“It’s a misnomer we won’t go that way,” Beveridge said of a Neale tag.
“The last three times we have played Brisbane we have run with Lachie. Libba has done some terrific jobs but the last time we played Brisbane, Lachie was their best player, so as a group we weren‘t able to quell their influence. It’s always a consideration.”
The forecast for Ballarat is a showery day with wind upwards of 30km and up to three millimetres of rain.
The Dogs train at a windy Whitten Oval and are happy to take on the Lions away from Marvel Stadium but know they need to play a specific way at Mars Stadium.
“It might be a bit damp. The main one is wind. There will be a significant breeze down the left-hand end as far as the broadcast goes and we have already talked about that and what it means for the defensive structure and our numbers game and how we go about that.
“That is probably the quirk. Most of the grounds we play on, there is some wind but it swirls and it’s mostly down one end.”
More Coverage
‘Welcome to the party, Eddie, but I’m in charge’: Tassie Premier Victorian kid proves Swans may just be better at drafting The fixture change AFL must make to protect its future
The Footscray side has a rest week before the VFL season starts next weekend so Mitch Wallis will not get to push his case for a senior game.
Beveridge said Jamar Ugle-Hagan was progressing well but still needed to be fit enough to run out a full game as he improved his professionalism after no football in 2020.
https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?te...h/news-story/9478c0eafc1c813b5322382e1fcba157
).
