GWS Giants CEO David Matthews says Stephen Coniglio won’t be impressed by Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett’s comments
Hawthorn was believed to be in the running to sign GWS midfielder Stephen Coniglio but Jeff Kennett’s comments may have changed all that.
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Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett may have killed his club’s hopes of snatching Stephen Coniglio from the Giants stone dead.
GWS CEO David Matthews is adamant the player he knows won’t be impressed with comments made by Kennett regarding behavioural awareness officers at Marvel Stadium.
While debate has raged about the right for fans to barrack, the perception of a crackdown on behaviour and a heavy-handed approach by security staff, Kennett caused a storm by suggesting some of those called in to patrol crowds were “new arrivals” to Australia who didn’t understand the game.
He appeared to double down on those comments on SEN on Tuesday morning but at 2.55pm, expressed his regret via Twitter following a conversation with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan.
The Hawks are believed to be one of several clubs desperate to snare star GWS midfielder Coniglio, with St Kilda the latest to be linked with the 25-year-old.
“At the Giants we are very focused on diversity and inclusion and Jeff Kennett’s comments serve to undermine the efforts of a lot of people within the game and at community level,” Matthews told The Daily Telegraph.
“They were offensive and the irony is they came from the leader of a club that gets linked to having an interest in our vice-captain, Stephen Coniglio.
“Well, good luck selling yourself to a person of Stephen’s character, particularly given his role as an AFL multicultural ambassador.”
Matthews added that the Giants worked incredibly hard to provide a positive environment for fans, especially families.
“For a number of years in a row Giants Stadium has been ranked amongst AFL surveys as the number one for fan experience so that’s always been very pleasing for us,” he said. “We’re only a young club and still working hard to build our crowds.
“What we do know is that people are experiencing a really high quality stadium but also all the attributes that gets measured on — safety, security. Those elements always rank really high.”
And the AFL Fans Association yesterday declared its in-tray was empty when it came to fan complaints over security at both Giants Stadium and the SCG.
This morning I spoke to Gill McLachlan about my comments yesterday 're a Behavioural Awareness Officer at Marvel Stadium at Friday night's game. I expressed my regret at using some of the words I did and apologise for doing so.
— Jeff Kennett (@jeff_kennett) June 18, 2019
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“I can’t think of one (a reported problem in Sydney) that’s come to mind. No-one’s written in,” AFLFA president Gerry Eeman told The Daily Telegraph.
“Both stadiums are pretty well-liked,” said Eeman, a longstanding Sydney Swans fan.
“They’re well liked by locals and well-liked by interstate visitors.
“We haven’t had complaints about security in the same way that we’ve had complaints about security in Melbourne.
“Here (in Melbourne) it’s been an over correction but it’s one that is to a reaction to reports of fights. That hasn’t occurred in Sydney so I don’t think stadium operators have felt under as much pressure to beef up their security.”
A Sydney Swans spokesperson said on Tuesday night the club is not planning any changes to security arrangements for Friday night’s match against Hawthorn at the SCG.
And there’s no chance of either set of Sydney fans having to keep a watch for behavioural awareness officers.
AFL chief executive McLachlan said they were “not right and they should go”, but reaffirmed there had been no increased focused on spectators.
Originally published as GWS Giants CEO David Matthews says Stephen Coniglio won’t be impressed by Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett’s comments
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