Football’s toxic culture: Former Matilda comes forward to detail horrifying abuse

Former players have shared shocking details about abuse the endured in football and the long-term effects it had on their lives as well as proof authorities failed to take action.

Former Matilda Renaye Iserief heads a series of fresh complaints raised against the toxic culture of football authorities that failed to call out abuse, bullying, body shaming and intimidation.

The former coach in the Northern New South Wales Federation joined Australian Olympian Lisa De Vanna in alleging football’s peak body had failed to investigate a series of incidents that left some players with eating disorders and others self harming.

While welcoming Football Australia’s announcement on Wednesday they were in the process of appointing an independent review of culture, Iserief said there were still “predators” in the system that FA were aware of and had failed to act on.

Over a period of a decade, Iserief sent letters to Football Federation Australia (now FA) expressing concern at the culture and alleged improper actions of some high performance coaches within the sport.

Some incidents raised included:

* Fat shaming;

* Abusive language including being called “f****** spastics”;

* Forbidding hydration and forcing players to play injured.

Football Australia has been forced into a review after De Vanna, supported by former Matilda Elissia Carnavas and former W-League star Rhali Dobson, also raised concerns about dysfunction in the sport.

Renaye Iserief detailed several allegations to the governing body.

Iserief said: “This toxic culture has been swept under the carpet for years - and I had to leave because I couldn’t do anything from inside the system to change it. Many of us had to get counselling, and some still do, because of what happened.”

“It wasn’t just me, parents also sent complaints to the governing bodies ... there just doesn’t seem to be any consequences ... I have witnessed terrible abuse. I love the game - I played 30 games for the Matildas, and then coached but ultimately I had to walk away.”

NOT ALONE IN SUFFERING

Former player Bronwyn Nutley had to wait two-and-a-half years for Soccer Australia (now FA) to investigate her complaint against representative coach Mark Jones that he was abusive, used inappropriate language and put her in such stressful situations that she was physically ill and suffered depression as a teenager in the early 2000s .

News Corp Australia has obtained a copy of the formal letter of complaint from Bronwyn’s mother Sue Nutley sent to football’s governing body in 2002 outlining allegations of harassment and abuse witnessed by Iserief (see below).

NCA also has a copy of a follow up letter from Sue Nutley sent to Football Federation Australia CEO John O’Neill in April 2004 complaining about the way the investigation was conducted.

In her letter Sue Nutley stated they left FFA offices “feeling very distraught and abused, it took us a long time to get over the interrogation and being treated like a criminal.”

Mark Jones - former Newcastle Jets Coach

THE FFA FINDINGS

Another letter revealed the FFA ultimately found Jones guilty of using crude, foul or abusive language that offended and intimidated the player, Bronwyn Nutley.

The federation also found that at the time of the complaint, some of Mr Jones’s coaching techniques were unsuitable for the coaching of female teams or teams including minors.

While Jones continues to coach women’s soccer to this day, Ms Nutley never made another representative team after making her initial complaint.

BELOW: READ THE LETTERS IN FULLAND THE ‘FFA’S’ RESPONSE

Bronwyn Nutley said: “I am 38 now ... and people say why speak about this now? I was abused, we were told not to talk to our parents, players were told they were fat ... I have a daughter now and I don’t want her to go through the same thing.

“I hope Lisa (De Vanna) does get the support of the footballing community because when I spoke out about what was happening I was made to feel like I was the one who was doing something wrong.

“And it’s the system that has let us down.”

When contacted, Jones said the matter had been dealt with 20 years ago and that he was “irate” with how it was handled.

He said he continued to coach under current guidelines and he had moved on.

Letter of complaint to the FA detailing abuse

Letter of complaint to the FA detailing abuse

Letter of complaint to the FA detailing abuse

Letter of complaint to the FA detailing abuse

Letters of complaint and response between victims and FA

Letters of complaint and response between victims and FA

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