What unpopular AFL opinions do you have? (Part 1 - cont in Part 2)

[Sellyme]

As other posters have said, there's a difference between calling out racism (good), and trying to lecture me on how I should be ashamed of the colour of my skin because of things people unrelated to me did a hundred years ago (bad).

No-one is denying that there was, and still is, racism in Australia. But if you're trying to blame me for that just because I have the same skin colour, you're not helping the problem.

Also, I do find it slightly difficult to care about the injustices of slander aimed at someone earning 100x more than I am. Indigenous Australians as a whole were institutionally deprived of social status, but Adam Goodes is not. Again, racism is bad, but not when you use it as an attempt to claim the moral high ground when it has literally no direct connection to either party.

TL;DR: calling out the girl: good. Lecturing me for my skin colour: extraordinarily hypocritical.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Sections of Australian society have a proclivity for racism. Calling out racism is NOT grand-standing, it's not reverse racism or any of the other nonsense that dimwits like Bolt would have you believe. Its just a good excuse for them to sprout their nonsense because they think that there is still a place in today's society for racism.

Humiliating a thirteen year old girl in front of the entireity of Australia for a mistake is more than excessive

Believe me, I don't endorse racism in any form, and I've already said I highly doubt Goodes was actively looking to create a Winmar moment, but even still the slander levied at a child by Australia is ridiculous and with rhe benedit of hindsight or the opportunity to process the situation I'm sure Adam wouldn't have made such a public reaction.

 

[blackcat]

that all players take a supplement that piques their endogenous testo and gh, and even tho' steven would say it is a different pathway to the PEDs in the WADA statutes, it still works wonders.

I reckon Dank could have had Lance Whitnall playing to Carey's ability, if he could fix his endurance, riven 5 kgs of non-functional muscle, and make him Cloke-like in one-on-one wrestling contests... if geischen and Campbell allowed the gorillas to go mano a mano again.

 

[blackcat]

Humiliating a thirteen year old girl in front of the entireity of Australia for a mistake is more than excessive

Believe me, I don't endorse racism in any form, and I've already said I highly doubt Goodes was actively looking to create a Winmar moment, but even still the slander levied at a child by Australia is ridiculous and with rhe benedit of hindsight or the opportunity to process the situation I'm sure Adam wouldn't have made such a public reaction.

it was a Pavlovian reaction. Goodes was not a doorman in a nightclub in kings cross asking for age verifiability.

he just heard the remark, and his response was to the remark. not the person, not the age. in the cacophony and cauldron atmosphere, was Goodes really to determine he was pointing at a 13yo girl.

This is who Goodes was pointing at. He was pointing at every simpleton in the outer over his juvenile footy, nascent then veteran AFL pro career, who had voiced similar remarks. Difference now is, tables were turned, Goodes had the political leverage to say "not on". skipper kelly

 

[Unstable]

Humiliating a thirteen year old girl in front of the entireity of Australia for a mistake is more than excessive

Believe me, I don't endorse racism in any form, and I've already said I highly doubt Goodes was actively looking to create a Winmar moment, but even still the slander levied at a child by Australia is ridiculous and with rhe benedit of hindsight or the opportunity to process the situation I'm sure Adam wouldn't have made such a public reaction.

She didn't look 13. She looked at least 18

 

[blackcat]

She didn't look 13. She looked at least 18

not the point. she could have looked ten. Goodes was not responding to her age, and it was irrelevant. there was no filter in this circumstance. just like there was no filter and darcy was too stupid to hit the dump button when eddie said that goodes should promote the king kong musical theatre. eddies was more unacceptable, goodes was acceptable, and he was the one done wrong to in both circumstances.

people on 99% of occasions in life, talk with no filter, whatever comes into their brain comes out of their mouth.

 

[weirdtim]

My unpopular opinion is that Victoria should not have 10 teams in a supposedly national competition. I know the AFL grew out of the VFL, but times have changed. This competition is meant to be for all of Australia, and yet half the teams in the competition are based in 1 city. I think at least 2 teams, possibly 3 from Melbourne should be relocated. It's absolute rubbish that in this age in a national competition that there is still a state without a team, and no representation for the Northern Territory which has produced so much brilliant Indigenous talent.
I would love to see 1 team move to Tasmania. Another move north and represent Northern Australia, playing games in Darwin and North Queensland. And if this New Zealand experiment works, move a team over there to engage our neighbours, open up the market and build talent over there. Obviously you would not move the big successful teams like Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn, Essendon who manage to get great membership numbers and bring lots of fans to the games. But the Bulldogs, the Demons and take your pick of St Kilda or North could be moved.
It would make fans angry, but I think it needs to happen to keep the game moving forward and to engage the whole country, and the next logical point of expansion, New Zealand. People would argue that their teams are old and have heritage and should be respected, but that doesn't really mean anything if they are a drain on the resources of the AFL. Some teams whether they like it or not have to move. Besides, Fitzroy was an old club, as was South Melbourne. There's a precedent.
And it's not like we can keep creating more teams. I would argue that 18 is already stretching the talent pool to breaking point. If we up it any more we are going to see skills continue to deteriorate in the AFL.

 

[Big Fresh]

Why move a club that tens of thousands of people love to a place where no one will care about it? It's absolutely not worth it.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Will never happen, but clubs should return back to Suburban grounds and that Zoning should be reintroduced. When Zoning was in there was a reason why you supported your club, now the clubs are just plastic franchises that mean very little..

 

[TheMcGrathMan]

Humiliating a thirteen year old girl in front of the entireity of Australia for a mistake is more than excessive

Believe me, I don't endorse racism in any form, and I've already said I highly doubt Goodes was actively looking to create a Winmar moment, but even still the slander levied at a child by Australia is ridiculous and with rhe benedit of hindsight or the opportunity to process the situation I'm sure Adam wouldn't have made such a public reaction.

This is ridiculous. Yes, in hindsight, Goodes would probably feel bad for the girl. But how is it in anyway his fault that a lot of people love faux outrage and love to insult anonymously? Goodes never slandered the girl, he never did anything but stand up and say "Hey, I shouldn't be abused for the colour of my skin". The girl could have been 13, she could have been 30, it could have been anything - he responded to the comment, and the girl learned a life lesson that due to the media etc was all to unfortunately public.

 

[Remon Tea]

I like Damian Barrett.

 

[KillaKanga]

Obviously you would not move the big successful teams like Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn, Essendon who manage to get great membership numbers and bring lots of fans to the games. But the Bulldogs, the Demons and take your pick of St Kilda or North could be moved.
It would make fans angry, but I think it needs to happen to keep the game moving forward and to engage the whole country, and the next logical point of expansion, New Zealand. People would argue that their teams are old and have heritage and should be respected, but that doesn't really mean anything if they are a drain on the resources of the AFL. Some teams whether they like it or not have to move. Besides, Fitzroy was an old club, as was South Melbourne. There's a precedent.

North will have near on 40,000 paid up members this year. Change it to the Tassie Roos and it will lose 80% of them. AFL is treated like a business and this is bad business.

BTW Fitroy dying is one of the blackest spots in the AFL'd history.

 

[HirdyLannister]

I like Damian Barrett.

Too far . . .

 

[Leeda]

That the only thing is important is that it always remains a boyz club..

that they are temperamental, hypercritical, loose in morals, and above all, above all scrutiny

they can also be lacking in substance, using the high moral ground to apparently attract females and also believe that females will jump on board if they choose a slightly less hypocritical view and then all will be well...

it's a mish mash but hell has no scorn than a woman belittled..

"they" being the opposition. take that as you will, I am sure my words are monitored ..hmmbug.

 

[marcmurphy#3]

I reckon probably a small percentage, maybe around 10% or so of women who attend the footy understand what is going on.

What level of understanding are we talking about? Sometimes I think only 10% of all attendees understand what's going on, especially when people constantly groan at sideways kicks for a switch in play and scream "just kick it!"

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

What level of understanding are we talking about? Sometimes I think only 10% of all attendees understand what's going on, especially when people constantly groan at sideways kicks for a switch in play and scream "just kick it!"

Infuriating... they need to hand out shock collars which ping people every time they say 'just kick it'.

 

[pokerspiv]

The people that carried on incorrectly in that incident were the Victorian police, who held a 13 year old girl in custody without parental supervision and without charge for 2 hours.

The MCG had every right to evict her from the ground, and Goodes was within his rights to point her out to security. But the jackbooted thugs then held her in an interrogation room for 2 hours for a thought crime. All police involved should have been sacked.

 

[OniAu]

This is ridiculous. Yes, in hindsight, Goodes would probably feel bad for the girl. But how is it in anyway his fault that a lot of people love faux outrage and love to insult anonymously? Goodes never slandered the girl, he never did anything but stand up and say "Hey, I shouldn't be abused for the colour of my skin". The girl could have been 13, she could have been 30, it could have been anything - he responded to the comment, and the girl learned a life lesson that due to the media etc was all to unfortunately public.

She didnt use it in a racist context, she admitted to not knowing it was used as a racism term towards aboriginals. You cant really say she made a racist slur on those admissions.

Again people on here are quick to point out "it doesnt matter if shes 13" It actually does , at 13 you would not have had a clue that was a racist slur towards aboriginals. Kids are more honest than adults and call things on how they see it , i doubt she would have drew on history from the 1930s era in her name calling of Goodes.

That said i wont hijack the topic with any more of this!!!

 

[OniAu]

Will never happen, but clubs should return back to Suburban grounds and that Zoning should be reintroduced. When Zoning was in there was a reason why you supported your club, now the clubs are just plastic franchises that mean very little..

Becoming very americanised and a business more than a passion to play for the jumper. I suppose the players created it more than anything. I still rate the loyal players that stick by the club for money, in saying that if i was offered double my wage id leave quick smart!

 

[TheMcGrathMan]

She didnt use it in a racist context, she admitted to not knowing it was used as a racism term towards aboriginals. You cant really say she made a racist slur on those admissions.

Again people on here are quick to point out "it doesnt matter if shes 13" It actually does , at 13 you would not have had a clue that was a racist slur towards aboriginals. Kids are more honest than adults and call things on how they see it , i doubt she would have drew on history from the 1930s era in her name calling of Goodes.

That said i wont hijack the topic with any more of this!!!

Rubbish. Absolute rubbish. At 13 kids know a lot more than you give them credit for. She might not have known the exact reasoning for it being insulting, or been aware as to why it was insulting, but there's no doubt in my mind that almost all 13 year olds across Australia would know that calling a black person (of any ethnicity) a 'monkey' would be grossly offensive to that person.

 

[Damon_3388]

I don't know who is umpiring, I don't care who is umpiring, I can't even see who is umpiring most of the time, because when I'm watching the game on tele, they're off screen most of the time when they're making calls.

I've never understand those who really "take note" of who is umpiring, and really "keep track" of the calls particular umpires make, to the extent that they develop a grudge against a particular umpire and really think that a particular umpire has a real grudge against their team. I mean, get a life FFS.

 

[Righteo]

That might work if they weren't mic'd up and the commentators didn't constantly draw attention to them.

 

[OniAu]

Rubbish. Absolute rubbish. At 13 kids know a lot more than you give them credit for. She might not have known the exact reasoning for it being insulting, or been aware as to why it was insulting, but there's no doubt in my mind that almost all 13 year olds across Australia would know that calling a black person (of any ethnicity) a 'monkey' would be grossly offensive to that person.

Beg to differ. She wouldnt know the link to the word for the history of it . Agree to disagree

 

[Mezz]

She didnt use it in a racist context, she admitted to not knowing it was used as a racism term towards aboriginals. You cant really say she made a racist slur on those admissions.

Again people on here are quick to point out "it doesnt matter if shes 13" It actually does , at 13 you would not have had a clue that was a racist slur towards aboriginals. Kids are more honest than adults and call things on how they see it , i doubt she would have drew on history from the 1930s era in her name calling of Goodes.

That said i wont hijack the topic with any more of this!!!

I beg to differ here. The average 13 year old knows exactly what they're saying, they know the difference between right and wrong, and they know how to throw a racial slur around the playground. I hear it every day in children much younger.

I only saw one interview involving the mother and daughter, and I would not be surprised at all if they lied about not knowing that it was a racism term, afterall the comment had unleashed an almighty shitstorm. What better way to sweep it all under the carpet? Deny, deny, deny.....

 

[sparklig]

'White' Australia is bearing the brunt of the racism in the past.

You are being lectured on you on how you should be ashamed of the colour of your skin because of things people unrelated to you did a hundred years ago.