Shane Mumford’s sledge to Lance Franklin wasn’t savage but that’s not the point, it was wrong

PEOPLE in footy just can't get their heads around mental health. What Shane Mumford said to Lance Franklin was tame compared to what he could’ve said, but that’s not the point.

PEOPLE in footy just can’t get their heads around mental health.

What Shane Mumford said to Lance Franklin was tame compared to what he could’ve said, but that’s not the point.

The Swans and Franklin were offended — that’s a significant point. It doesn’t matter if you or I or Luke Darcy is not offended. Mental health sits with racism, sexism and homophobia. What you were able to say on a footy field 10, 20 years ago is utterly unacceptable today and good riddance.

To try to accept the Mumford-Franklin exchange as banter misses the point. The facts are Franklin started the sledging with comments about the Swans sacking Mumford, Mumford fired back with a crack about “summer holidays” and Franklin fired up.

Some would argue, it was tit-for-tat.

Others would say any reference to mental health is a no-go.

Shane Mumford has apologised for sledging Lance Franklin about his mental health battle. Picture: Toby Zerna

It’s a fair argument. Mental health is linked to suicides. People take their own life because the pressures of life are too overwhelming. They can’t face the real world, but because they try to live and work in the real world, it doesn’t mean it’s open slather on them.

Society has its problems. Not offering kindness, empathy and understanding to people with mental health can’t be one of them.

In Franklin’s case, he plays football as he deals with his issues. It’s ludicrous to argue that because he crosses the white line — and even if he started the babble — then he’s open to all kinds of sledging. And just maybe Franklin has learned a lesson himself:

I’M SORRY: MUMFORD, BUDDY PUT SLEDGE TO BED

GERARD WHATELEY: THE MAN BEHIND THE MIC

It was a hostile environment at the Swans-Giants game on Saturday.

Giant Lachie Whitfield, who is being investigated about allegedly being hidden from drugs testers, was verbally attacked by the Swans players. The Herald Sun understands he was being called a “cokehead’’ among other choice words.

So, is it is OK for Whitfield to get sledged and not Franklin? Ideally, no one sledges, but that’s not the real world

Lance Franklin has accepted Shane Mumford’s apology and was at training with his teammates on Tuesday. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Mumford’s comments in the heat of the moment weren’t savage, but clearly wrong.

Triple M’s Darcy missed the point.

“I’m just staggered that this is even an issue,” Darcy said on Tuesday. “I mean, how mild and how tame can you say it? If you can get someone sucked in to stuff like that, then that is part of your arsenal. If there’s anything to answer for that, then the game has absolutely lost its mind.”

Sledging is bullying.

And it appears the Triple M schtick has struck again, that it’s OK to bully.

Commentator Danny Frawley on Saturday thought it a terrific idea to rip to shreds Gerard Whateley after Whateley, one of the most respected commentators in the country, was the focus of a feature article in last Saturday’s Herald Sun.

It was pathetic. Pure bullying. Gags at another person’s expense. You’d think Frawley and Co. would’ve got a reality check after the Caroline Wilson debacle mid-season.

But, no, Frawley has to play the man.

Plenty of people will say he was “taking the piss’’, which is a traditional Australian pastime.

But when is it taking the piss and when is it bullying?

When it’s not about you?

As has been noted before, Triple M has some of its personnel dealing with mental health issues, but it doesn’t appear concerned when others are the target of their culture of bullying. It’s hypocritical crap. What if Whateley didn’t have the inner fortitude to deal with Frawley’s attack? Don’t even want to think about it.

Thankfully, Mumford has given it deep thought.

He swapped texts with Franklin in the previous 48 hours and on Tuesday said he had “overstepped the line”.

Giant Lachie Whitfield was also allegedly sledged during Saturday’s qualifying final. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I gave Lance a call in relation to my comments on the weekend,” Mumford said.

“With mental health being such a serious issue it was really not a good choice of words by me. He’s taken my apology on board he’s happy to move forward ... and focus on our relevant games in coming weeks.”

People will say this is PC overblown, but suspect some of the people saying that also defended the booing of Adam Goodes, couldn’t understand the outrage over the banana being thrown at Eddie Betts and thought Frawley was oh so funny for lampooning Whateley.

It’s bullying and it’s insidious.

Originally published as Shane Mumford’s sledge to Lance Franklin wasn’t savage but that’s not the point, it was wrong