Cameron England: Even corporate boxes aren’t safe from bigoted boofheads

Even $142,000 per year corporate boxes can't stop homophobic loudmouths ruining the football for the real fans, writes Cameron England.

• Footy fan hurls homophobic slurs from corporate box

After enduring what was a fairly disappointing show of football skills on Saturday evening, it was an order of magnitude more disappointing to hear that the boofhead two corporate boxes down who’d been bellowing all match had been throwing around homophobic slurs.

It’s also deeply disappointing that the business which was hosting him (or employs him), didn’t shut him up, and/or throw him out.

I’d been doing my best to ignore this idiot, who seemed to delight in screaming various pieces of advice to both sides.

After the whistle he and his mate also had some choice words for Josh Jenkins, Bryce Gibbs and Darcy Fogarty who were doing laps in the rain after sitting out their side’s loss against West Coast.

While I was inside chatting as the Crows crumbled, my colleagues who were in a corporate box with me, and our hosts, were copping an earful, and were appalled not only at this man’s behaviour, but that nothing was done to bring it to a close.

The offending “F” word was thrown out more than half a dozen times, which couldn’t have been much help for former Crows player Tyson Edwards, who was calling the game for radio just metres away.

Perhaps if he’d been in the outer he’d have been dobbed in, or heckled down, by surrounding fans.

It goes without saying that this breaches the Stadium Management Authority’s code of conduct for patron behaviour, which says supporters should: “Use appropriate language, without threatening, foul or abusive content based on race, religion, sexuality or gender’’.

As if that needs to be spelled out in 2019, and after a dark few years in AFL marred by unfortunately regular racial abuse of legends such as Eddie Betts, Adam Goodes and Majak Daw.

You wonder whether being safely ensconced in a $142,000 per year corporate box affords you some protection?

Certainly the Stadium Management Authority, whose box is directly next to Schneider’s, didn’t jump into action. For the record the SMA said there were no complaints to staff during the game and they’re investigating the incident following a complaint after the match.

Perhaps if he’d been in the outer he’d have been dobbed in, or heckled down, by surrounding fans.

But you can see why there are currently no openly gay footballers in the AFL.

They’ve seen what their colleagues with differently-hued skin go through and would likely be wary of singling themselves out for abuse.

Contrast that to the AFLW, where the diverse sexuality of our best players is celebrated as a sign that as a society, we are increasingly inclusive and accepting.

It looks like the AFL has some work to do.

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