AFL 2020: Dylan Grimes calls out sickening abuse from Instagram trolls
AFL players have revealed the sickening abuse and death threats they’ve received in an abhorrent 24 hours of maliciousness.
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Four players. Three games. One black day for football.
AFL players across the league have revealed the disgusting death threats and personal abuse that have followed controversial incidents on the field on Saturday.
Led by Richmond defender Dylan Grimes after he was accused of staging for a free kick in the Tigers’ Dreamtime win over Essendon in Darwin on Saturday night, players have named and shamed disgusting trolls who have abused them on Instagram.
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Grimes was criticised on Saturday night for denying Essendon star Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti a goal when he appeared to take a dive after contact from Bombers forward Jake Stringer.
However, Grimes’ post shows a horde of trolls took it way too far when he revealed a torrent of abusive messages and death threats sent to him on Instagram.
Grimes posted a screenshot recording as he flicked through the abusive messages.
“I apologise in advance for the swearing but this is ridiculous,” he posted in an Instagram story.
“Death threats and suicide suggestions. Come on.
“Reminding the Essendon fans that inboxed me that this is a game we play for fun.”
The abuse was sickening.
“F***ing dumb c*** you and your whole team,” one user wrote.
“Hey mate. Any chance you were gonna compete in the 2020 Olympics for diving this year? Just curios (sic) cause ya seem f***en good at it. If that doesn’t work out ya might wanna go and apply at a talent agency cause f*** me your (sic) good at acting,” another fan wrote.
Another user wrote: “C*** u are the biggest flop in the AFL. Grow a f***ing set of nuts u soft c***.”
Teammate Nick Vlaustuin also revealed some of the abuse he received, including a message that called him a “f***ing fairy”.
“Few nice messages after the game ... good for the mental health,” he wrote alongside screenshots on his Instagram page.
The AFL world continues to debate the accusations of diving that have been levelled at the two Richmond players, with footy legend Matthew Lloyd declaring on The Sunday Footy Show he expects the AFL to fine Grimes for staging for the free kick.
Hawthorn great Jordan Lewis told Fox Footy on Saturday night: “It’s a borderline flop”.
“I think if we’re going to be hard on forwards that play for free kicks, I think the same needs to be said for defenders who are trying to draw a free kick.
“For him to dive forward at least another couple of metres, after getting body contact, I think he’d like to have that moment again.”
The sickening abuse comes as Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters and Fremantle’s Caleb Serong also revealed abhorrent abuse they received after playing on Saturday.
Serong captured a screenshot which showed he was racially abused by a troll.
While Butters revealed a horrific personal attack that included disgusting comments about his parents.
The dark day of abuse is just the latest incident for AFL players. In August alone the AFL has been hit with a series of abuse incidents, including:
— North Melbourne star Aaron Hall and his partner Sophia Absalom calling out “disgusting” abuse
— Swans star Elijah Taylor sharing racist abuse he received from social media troll after he was suspended for the rest of the 2020 AFL season; and
— Brisbane Lions player Mitch Robinson putting trolls on notice that players were sick of hearing about multi-bets that fell through.
There are many more abusive incidents that have been publicly revealed by players — and countless more than have never been made public.
Originally published as AFL 2020: Dylan Grimes calls out sickening abuse from Instagram trolls