Proof Lisa De Vanna’s attempts lift lid on toxic culture fell on deaf ears
Lisa De Vanna’s move to go public with allegations of abuse from senior players has receved strong support from her former Matildas coach.
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Lisa De Vanna’s first Matildas coach has supported the Australian football stalwart’s decision to speak out against the alleged abuse she received from senior players.
Adrian Santrac, the Matildas coach from November 2001 to December 2004, said De Vanna was an outstanding talent who deserved better.
Santrac would not comment or add to the specifics of De Vanna’s allegations, which include indecent assault, sexual harassment, bullying and grooming.
However, he backed De Vanna’s decision to highlight the alleged culture problems within Australian women’s football.
Well done to these women who have spoken out.
— Lisa De Vanna (@lisadevanna11) October 7, 2021
You’re lucky to have moved on Mark … these brave women, and all the others, the impact and hurt remains. https://t.co/cdMu0o0v55
“Lisa has gone through a fair bit and she deserves better,” said Santrac, who also played in the old National Soccer League for West Adelaide and Adelaide City.
“Every player has the right to feel safe and comfortable in their team environment.
“Whether it’s in men’s or women’s soccer, no one should be fearing for their safety.
“I feel very sorry for Lisa. She has done so much for the sport and has always worn her heart on her sleeve, whether it’s on or off the field.
“She felt she needed to get this off her chest.”
The allegations of De Vanna and another former Matilda, Rhali Dobson, have led to an “independent complaint management process” being established.
Sport Integrity Australia will receive, assess, and manage all complaints independent of Football Australia.
“The wellbeing of our diverse community is our priority, and we’re committed to safe, inclusive environments for all footballers and staff,” FA chief executive officer James Johnson said.
“There is no place for abuse, harassment or bullying in our sport and it’s incumbent on organisations like ours to take the lead when it comes to dealing with these issues head-on.
“We approached Sport Integrity Australia recently and we’re pleased with this timely announcement that the proposed process will enable anyone with concerns to come forward, with the confidence that their concerns will be heard and assessed independently.”
Santrac hoped 36-year-old De Vanna, who made 150 appearances for the Matildas, would be remembered for her on-field efforts.
“No one should effort forget what Lisa did on the field,” Santrac said of the retired striker.
“She was a fantastic player and gave tremendous service to women’s football.”
DEEP COVER-UP: FA’S SYSTEMIC FAILURE TO ADDRESS ABUSE
Lisa De Vanna never planned to go public about the abuse she says she experienced during her long and decorated career with the Matildas.
She was determined to speak up because she didn’t want other players to experience the same abuse and harassment she had but didn’t want to make it about herself.
So she brought up her concerns about the culture within the sport privately with the game’s top officials, hoping they would act.
The first meeting took place on Zoom on July 29, 2020. The most recent took place just last month.
No one disputes that the two sides were in talks but both are at odds about what happened at their meetings.
FA released a statement confirming that several of the sport’s officials had met with De Vanna numerous times over the past year but say she never disclosed what she claims she knew.
“We have had several meetings with Lisa, the most recent in the past few weeks,: FA chief executive James Johnson said.
“While it’s not appropriate to discuss the details of those meetings, they covered a range of topics including general matters relating to culture, but at no point were we made aware of the specific behaviours that have been alleged.”
An FA source said De Vanna was told that if she had concerns she should raise them through the proper channels, but chose not.
But De Vanna’s closest advisers say FA’s version of events is wrong.
READ THE LETTER BELOW
They say her requests were ignored, agreed meetings were cancelled and emails were blocked from De Vanna’s manager.
“She could have gone to the media two years ago after the World Cup but I said to her ‘use the system, go and talk to your coaches, go and talk to management, go and tell them what you’ve seen and what you’ve heard, what you feel,” De Vanna’s mentor and former manager Rose Garofano said. “And we were redirected, blocked and cancelled.
“She made it clear it was never about her. It was about the fact that she needed to say to them, ‘you’ve got to do something’.
WATCH FA’S RESPONSE TO LISA DE VANNA’S ALLEGATIONS IN THE PLAYER ABOVE
“It’s not just the sexual harassment, it’s the bullying, it’s the isolation.
“It’s a cultural thing. And she’s been trying to have her voice heard.
“What‘s important to note is that she tried to do it right.”
The Daily Telegraph has seen several letters that support Garofano’s version, including an email that De Vanna sent to FA director Remo Nogarotto.
That letter was dated 16 September 2020. She received a reply in December 2020 that her request had been denied.
Her last meeting with the board was September 20.
FA abuse scandal taken out of their hands
The federal government’s powerful new sports investigation department has been given total control of the upcoming probe into the allegations of sexual abuse within Australian football.
The sport has been rocked by claims from one of Australia’s greatest players that she was subjected to vile abuse when she was a teenager and throughout her long and distinguished career in the green and gold
Admitting he was shocked by the allegations, Football Australia’s new chief executive James Johnson commended both Matildas’ legend Lisa De Vanna and Rhali Dobson for calling out the dark secrets in the high performance program.
“We must acknowledge that at the centre of this, we have two players who have shown great courage to speak about and to share their personal experiences. Lisa and Rhali, we see you and we hear you,” he said.
“Australian football takes a zero tolerance approach to any conduct which breaches the standards and values expected of the people involved in our game, our community.
“In relation to Lisa De Vanna, a legend of Australian football, we are serious and committed to deepening our understanding and knowledge of the claims being made.”
Significantly, Johnson also confirmed FA would hand over complete control of an upcoming inquiry into the sordid accusations to Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) and the National Sports Tribunal.
That’s a huge game-changer from FA because it means the national sporting body will have no say in the most important investigation that has taken place within Australian football – a concession that few Australian sporting bodies have made before.
The explosive revelations come at a sensitive time for FA with Australia selected to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 but Johnson said any claims of inappropriate behaviour needed investigating.
“The wellbeing of our diverse community is our priority, and we are committed to safe, inclusive environments for all footballers and staff,” he said.
“There is no place for abuse, harassment or bullying in our sport and it is incumbent on organisations like ours to take the lead when it comes to dealing with these issues head-on.”
The full details about how the investigation will proceed will be revealed in coming weeks but SIA will manage and manage and assess complaints from current and former footballers and staff regarding any abuse, harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, or bullying.
SIA chief executive David Sharpe said FA was right to hand over control of the investigation so that the complaints could be heard independently.
“Having an independent body to hear complaints is critical to giving athletes and staff confidence that their concerns will be heard openly and that they will be treated fairly,” he said. “Nothing can be swept under the carpet.”
The National Sports Tribunal will have jurisdiction to hear any disputes that arise from the proceedings.
FA’s decision to allow for an independent investigation came in record time – less than 24 hours after De Vanna’s bombshell interview with News Corp, which has been making headlines around the world.
Capped 150 times by the Matildas, the 36-year-old alleged that a teammate pulled her down from behind and she was dry-humped, prompting the star striker to threaten to fight them.
She also alleged that indecent assault, sexual harassment, bullying and grooming were all happening within the sport and officials were turning a blind eye.
Her claims were backed up by other players, including Dobson, a former W -League star who said she was a target of predatory behaviour.
The Professional Footballers Australia’s Co-Chief Executives Beau Busch and Kathryn Gill issued a statement praising the players for speaking up.
“We are deeply concerned about the experiences highlighted by players in the media and we recognise that the decision to speak publicly would not have been made lightly,” they said.
“All players should feel safe, included and respected.
“It is critical that the sport provides a safe and inclusive workplace and, importantly, the players are supported to come forward.
“The PFA has reaffirmed all support and reporting mechanisms available to players and will continue to ensure that the full resources of the PFA are available to all current and former players.”
DO YOU KNOW MORE? CONTACT Julian.Linden@news.com.au and Selina.Steele@news.com.au
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