Bayswater Football Club apologises after junior players attended function with strippers

BAYSWATER Football Club has been forced to apologise to parents after junior players were caught up in a wild night involving strippers.

Officials at a suburban footy club have been forced to apologise to parents after junior players were caught up in a wild night involving strippers.

OFFICIALS at a suburban footy club have been forced to apologise to parents after junior players were caught up in a wild night involving strippers.

Bayswater Football Club called an emergency meeting after parents complained about underage players being present when strippers performed an X-rated show at a club function.

Angry parents say their kids were told to say the event was “a dress-up night’’ but several 16-year-old players instead ­attended an evening with strippers organised by adults.

MORE NEWS: MISSPELT DIGGERS’ NAMES RIGHTED

HEARTLESS VANDALS TRASH DAD’S GRAVESTONE AGAIN

$15 KMART PRODUCT ‘EXPLODES’

AFL Victoria has warned clubs to “meet the expectations of the community’’, and red-faced club officials have sanctioned players in the wake of the scandal.

The club has changed rules so no player aged under 18 can attend functions without a parent or guardian and promised to make a donation to breast cancer research.

Bayswater president Gary Galvin confirmed a stripper attended an under-19s function at the club, in view of several minors last month.

“It’s wrong that it happened,’’ he said.

“We’ve addressed it, we’ve made sanctions, we will make sure it never happens again.’’

But Mr Galvin denied a junior player had been in a state of undress and whipped by the stripper during the show.

“I believe they hired a stripper … we wish it didn’t happen but we have to move on,’’ Mr Galvin said, adding the playing group would face further penalties at a meeting tonight.

“I didn’t realise there was going to be kids there,” he said.

“I’m pretty disappointed.’’

AFL Victoria confirmed in a statement it was aware of “a matter’’ at a Bayswater Football Club function on May 19.

“The Eastern Football League and Bayswater ­Football Club have addressed the issue with the players involved, club members and parents, and have dealt with the matter consistent with their rules and regulations,’’ it said.

“Clubs and players are reminded to familiarise themselves with the AFL Respect and Responsibility Policy to ensure that they continue to create a safe and inclusive environment.’’

But Women’s Forum Australia managing director Rachael Wong said the club and league had not gone far enough in penalising the behaviour which sent an “extremely dangerous message for young boys’’.

“The decision is highly irresponsible, particularly in light of the children in attendance, but sadly reflective of a culture within some male-dominated sports,’’ she said.

“It is a step backwards in a society supposedly concerned about respect and equality.’’

Mr Galvin said he knew similar scandals had gone unchecked at other clubs.

“We’ve done the best we can to rectify the problem,’’ he said.

“We’re too good a football club to have this happen and we don’t want it to hurt our reputation.’’

Beaconsfield Football Club was forced to apologise after strippers attended a senior team function in 2016.

VAFA club Prahran was criticised in 2009 after a stripper was hired to perform before a game.

[e-mail]

Twitter: @rolfep