Almanac Footy Fans: Pull Your Head In
AFL has these entry conditions which essentially apply to all AFL run events regardless of venue.
In section 2.14, behavioural policies are shown, namely
2.14 [You agree as follows] not to do any of the following in or around the Venue:
- (e) engage in any conduct, act towards or speak to any player, umpire or other official,
performer or other patron or attendee in a manner, or engage in any conduct, which
threatens, offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, disparages or vilifies that other person
on any basis including, but not limited to, that other person’s race, religion, colour,
descent or national or ethnic origin, special ability/disability or sexual orientation,
preference or identity; - (f) disrupt, interrupt or behave in any manner that may disrupt or interrupt any of the
Matches, events, functions or other activities at the Venue, distract, hinder or interfere
with an AFL Official, player, umpire or performer, interfere with the comfort of other
patrons or attendees or their enjoyment of any of the Matches, events, functions or other
activities at the Venue; - (g) use indecent or obscene language or threatening or insulting words, or otherwisebehave
in a threatening, abusive, riotous, indecent or insulting manner;
On behalf of a friend, I ask you to imagine that you were in the position of having to enforce these policies on match day and how you would respond to these very very fictitious spectator scenarios.
- Calling Daicos (any of them) a wanker?
- Lampooning Bailey Fritsch for his ridiculous hair style? Is the answer different if you don’t support Melbourne?
- Turning around and giving the opposition supporters behind you the middle finger/Bras d’honneur (look it up)? What if they don’t turn around, directing the gesture to no-one in particular?
- Two blokes watching the game together asking each other “your buy you old c—?”
- Calling field umpire #123 a cheat?
- Calling field umpire #123 an f-ing cheat?
- Collingwood supporter yelling at Melbourne supporter to “go back to the snow”?
- Melbourne supporter yelling at Collingwood supporter to “go back to Centrelink”?
- Spectator walking up to attendant saying “I can’t find me f-ing ticket on this stupid f-ing phone”?
I hope that you, as Arthur Fonzarelli once said, get my drift. (I’m pretty clear which side of the line anything racial or homophobic sits as, I would argue, do the very vast majority of current day spectators)
Does your response differ if no-one complains to you about the above? Is there a notional scale with humour at one end and venom on the other?
Is it all just a bit of passion/letting off steam/an essential part of the Australian psyche without which we would all be poorer?
What role does humour play in all of this? Or offense? Or gender? Or class? Or earplugs?
Let me know what you think.
p.s. – Where do some of these people get all of their hate from?
More from Swish Schwerdt can be read Here.
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About Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt
Saw my first SANFL game in 1967 - Dogs v Peckers. Have only ever seen the Dogs win 1 final in the flesh (1972 1st Semi) Mediocre forward pocket for the AUFC Blacks (1982-89) Life member - Ormond Netball Club -That's me on the right
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I’m sure this article was born out of that last bullet point some time on the weekend.
I am a full on ranter/swearer at footy matches. Got it from my grandparents 60 years ago. If they hadn’t the social outlet of screaming at Mark Posa (DLP umpire) or Neil Kerley (thug) or Fos Wiliams (genocidal maniac) on game day they would have murdered each other during the week.
I had the full repertoire of homophobic (Noel Pettingill); sexist (timid Torrens players) and racist slurs (Sonny Morey – Captain Midnight and much worse).
Over time I realised that all these were neither funny or even vaguely true. The worst of any footballer or umpire was generally better than me on a good day.
Still I think that the ability to “scream at clouds/gods/the unfair universe” is healthy – particularly with a dose of humour or self deprecating irony.
The trick is not directing malice at individuals – in the crowd or on the field.
AFL/NRL is like social media in granting anonymity to vile abusers. Spending more time in crowds of a few hundred at WAFL games in recent years has been a good reminder that the players and umpires all have brothers, wives, girlfriends, kids and parents within earshot. Some of whom can be very direct and personal in reminding me the game is easy from the grandstands; and that a walk in the hall of mirrors is warranted.
Any piece that quotes the Fonz has my attention.
It is getting worse and worse.
I am getting older and older.
Quite frankly, I’ve had a gut full of it. Very much taken away the enjoyment of watching the game at the ground. And you cant challenge them as most of them are pissed.
The language is a disgrace these days Swish. The worst I ever heard was at a NRL state of origin at Marvel. A Blues supporter screamed ” give ‘im spina bifida!”. I turned to him and said, “thats a congenital disease isnt it?”. Confused look and pause. Then “gouge his eyes out!” So much anger and hatred in this country. What have we got to complain about really? Cheers
Thanks all for your considered responses.
I’ve been to plenty of games recently as a neutral observer and it can depend on whereabouts in the crowd I am as to the crowd enjoyment index in my surroundings. Like PB, I had my moments in my younger days that I’m not too proud of (often directed at my own club’s whipping boys).
And what the hell does “special ability” mean? Methinks the AFLs entry conditions might inadvertently be a tad ableist.
Also, later in the same section, they slip in the term, riotous. Considering the dictionary stretches the meaning of this word from boisterous to inciting a riot, I’d say over 90% of barrackers at most close games are liable to riotous behaviour subject to one bad umpires call late in a game.
In the larger document which you kindly included a link to there is the following no-no:
You agree as follows, not to:
(a) wear or otherwise display commercial, political, religious or offensive signage or logos of
any kind;
So, no Gary Ablett Snr or Hocking jumpers allowed.
Thanks Rick. Always read the fine print.
Almost 6 years to the day, there were Behavioural Awareness Officers prowling around the Darklands. That went well too.
Swish I’m way better re players than I used to be mind you have to keep reminding myself it’s the bloody selectors picking-Murphy for the-Crows.My massive frustration is everything about umpiring as a maggot pure and utter incompetence