AFL players have been told to report online abuse to police or quit social media if they want it to stop
AFL players are facing growing social media backlash and abuse from online users, who are targeting them over lost bets or poor fantasy scores. One expert says the only way to stamp it out is by going to the police.
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AFL players including Richmond’s Dylan Grimes have been told to call the police or get off social media if they want to escape the vile abuse being directed towards them which experts believe is getting worse.
Grimes was the latest player to go public with revelations he had received death threats on Instagram following the Tigers’ win over Essendon on Saturday night, which came after GWS’ Callan Ward copped the same a fortnight ago and Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters shared a sickening post that was sent to him referencing his parents on the weekend.
A member of Victoria Police for 27 years and now cyber safety expert Susan McLean said the current strategy of ‘calling out’ online abuse on social media was important but it was fruitless if not backed up with action.
Her warning comes as former AFL player Campbell Brown says the only way for players to truly escape it is to either set their accounts to private or delete them altogether.
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“I totally accept that raising it in the media is important, but I’ve said time and time again - unless the players go to the police and have it investigated, it’s not going to stop,” Ms McLean said.
“I read about the incidents on the weekend and it said due to the anonymity of it there’s not much we can do about it, that’s crap. They have to contact the police, make a report, because online abuse is a criminal offence and police can request the identification data from the social media platforms.
“Until we get runs on the board, where someone who might be tempted to abuse online goes ‘hang on a minute, Billy did it last week and he’s now facing court’ (nothing will change).
“Look at what laws are designed for - set the standards of what’s acceptable in the community, protect people and punish those who do the wrong thing and prevent, have a deterrent affect.
“When I work with the AFL clubs, (I tell them) unfortunately they’re going to have to cop things like ‘shitty kick, you should have kicked a goal’, and that sort of commentary is part and parcel of the occupation. But the minute it becomes personal, threatening violence, homophobic or racist, it is not acceptable. But what do we have to show for what’s not acceptable? Because we don’t have the actions.
“It’s getting worse and worse, ‘I’m going to hunt you down and kill you’ or ‘I hope your kid dies’ is just (abhorrent).
“Clubs are limited in what they can do. If someone is dishing out abuse with their personal account and they know he’s a member they can deal with you, but often it is behind a fake account so once the police charge them and it’s in the public domain the clubs can identify them too.
“I don’t know why there is such a reluctance of high profile people in going to the police. I don’t know why they won’t follow through.”
Brown said until social media platforms verified all accounts or stopped anonymous trolls then players would be targeted.
“So if you’re affected by the comments either put it on private or remove the comments, or get rid of your accounts,” Brown said.
“It’s the only way around it, it’s not fair but logical.”
Western Bulldogs forward Josh Bruce and Brisbane’s Mitch Robinson have both revealed their frustration at being targeted by abusive fans over gambling this season.
Port Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff believes cowardice and stupidity, not football’s obsession with gambling or the rise of same-game multi bets - is what’s to blame for the constant attacks on players. But he has pleaded with footy fans not to take their anger out on the players.
Power players last year made a rule not to touch their phones for an hour after games to encourage conversation and avoid them reading potential abuse immediately after matches.
The rule isn’t enforced but encouraged and players spend time with each other in the rooms.
Rockliff and his Lowdown Podcast co-host, Adelaide’s Brodie Smith, said online abuse was just as damaging as in-person only the aggressor was hiding behind either their phone or anonymity.
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“You can expect to cop a little bit of flak on social media but when it oversteps the mark and talks about death threats, everyone knows where the line is and clearly people are taking it way too far,” Rockliff said.
“If they don’t have the balls to (say) it to your face, sitting behind a computer screen or a phone and typing it is pretty disappointing and there’s no doubt it can affect people in different ways.
“There’s no doubt people are putting bets on and abusing you for having 14 instead of 15 (disposals) or 19 instead of 20 or not kicking a goal, but everyone is out there trying to perform and play their best.
“I don’t think it’s same game multis or fantasy footy (that’s to blame), it’s people maybe having a few beers and thinking they’ll flick a few Tweets out and abuse people.
“It’s more around people who think it’s OK to say those things to players.
“We’re not out there to get ‘x amount’ of kicks and handballs or tackles, we’re out there to win games of footy for our footy club, for our members, supporters and the organisation we’re involved in.
“People have got to remember that and take the personal attacks out of it. Most players can handle light hearted banter but the personal attacks have got to stop and I don’t know the best way to do it but I would encourage people before they send something on social media just consider whether it’s appropriate and how you would feel if you’re on the receiving end of what you’re saying.”
Smith said it was disturbing to find so-called football fans sending abusive messages to them directly after games.
“People going into your direct messages to tee off on you and call you all sorts of names,” Smith said.
“I haven’t had death threats to that extent but we’re out there trying our best and playing our role for the side, and that might be a role where we’re not going to have 15 touches, so if that affects your same game multi we’re sorry, but that’s not what we’re out there trying to achieve.
“Unfortunately a lot of people who do it are hiding behind computer screens and a lot are hiding behind fake accounts and for whatever reason they get off on sending players abuse.
“We need to find some way to stamp it out or find these people and ban them from betting agencies or coming to the footy because it’s not acceptable.”
AFL Players’ Association chief executive Paul Marsh would not comment on whether he believed a rise in betting on football had led to a spike in social media abuse directed at players, but said it was “disgraceful”.
“While we love the passion of fans, some need to remember that it’s a game,” Marsh said.
“It’s incomprehensible that anyone could revert to this type of behaviour, no matter what the circumstances.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au