AFL must get its priorities right when handing out punishments, writes Mark Robinson

THE AFL has its priorities wrong when a racist throwaway line gets you sacked but insinuating violence against a female goes unpunished, writes Mark Robinson.

IN 2012, Matthew Rendell was sacked by Adelaide because he made a mistake.

It was a throwaway line about not recruiting an indigenous player unless he had at least one white parent.

Rendell, who has done more to help indigenous young players than 99 per cent of the population, was referring to the attrition rate of indigenous footballers being lost to the AFL.

Good intentions. Sloppy line. Cue AFL intervention.

Then chief executive Andrew Demetriou demanded the Crows investigate and Rendell was removed that day.

The AFL denied it played a part in Rendell’s sacking, but they would, wouldn’t they.

A good man lost his job because the AFL, and the Crows, said he was a racist.

“I’ve never had a policy like that in my life. I wouldn’t have a policy like that, it’s ridiculous, silly. Everyone’s the same,” Rendell said.

“I don’t care about the job. I’ll survive, our family will survive. My greatest fear is that one of the hundreds of Aboriginal people I’ve met along the way over the last 35 years, out of all this ... I’d be mortified if they thought I was a racist. Mortified.”

Then Adelaide recruiter Matthew Rendell, with Mitchell Grigg, Cameron Ellis-Yolmen and Nick Joyce after the 2011 draft, was sacked by the club for a throwaway line.

Bad luck chief, on your bike.

“There is no place in our game for discrimination in any form, whether it is based on race, gender or sexual identity, and quite simply it will not be tolerated,” Demetriou said.

On Tuesday, North Melbourne coach Brad Scott was fined $30,000 for questioning the integrity of AFL umpires.

The AFL chugs along making up, or not applying, penalties.

In the emotional hot-seat post-match, Scott was heated, angry and wrong and the AFL was seething. Scott apologised wholeheartedly on Monday.

“I’d like to add my personal, unreserved apology for statements made in the post- game press conference,” Scott said.

“Whatever the AFL feels is an appropriate sanction, I’m happy to accept.”

The AFL whacked him 30K, and North Melbourne 50K, and in a statement said the comments by Scott were “extremely serious in regard to the conduct and professionalism of the umpires” and “totally inappropriate”.

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On Monday, the AFL called Eddie McGuire, James Brayshaw and Danny Frawley to account for what has been nationally recognised as perpetuating the acceptance of violence against women, and, at the very least, bullying.

McGuire addressed the matter on radio and then Collingwood TV, Brayshaw on his radio station, and Frawley on his radio station and on Tuesday again at the St Kilda Football Club.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire leaving the club’s headquarters after a board meeting on Tuesday night. Picture: Ian Currie

McGuire did not want to apologise on Sunday, made an apology with caveats on Monday morning and corrected it all with a heartfelt apology on Monday night.

The AFL accepted McGuire’s first apology which is now curious because even McGuire didn’t accept it, hence the second try.

“The women I’m listening to and speaking to feel the apology was legitimate and acceptable,” AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said.

Two things: One, you need to talk to more women, Gill, and two, you accepted Eddie’s half-a---d apology, which even Eddie ultimately didn’t, but not Scott’s.

On the drowning “joke”, we haven't yet heard from Triple M, nor North Melbourne. At least the Collingwood board, with McGuire’s input, got on the front foot.

You would think Triple M could stop playing the best of Nickleback for a moment and say something about one of the most discussed issues in the country. Like, maybe, sorry.

North Melbourne released a press statement within an hour of the umpire penalties being announced, but still hasn’t publicly addressed Brayshaw’s involvement in the radio barrage on Queen’s Birthday Monday.

The AFL, meanwhile, chugs along making up, or not applying, penalties.

A casual racist throwaway line gets you sacked and tarnished for life. Question the integrity of umpires and it’s an $80,000 fine.

Casual bullying and insinuating violence against a female? Call out the perpetrators and move on. Clearly, the priorities are wrong.

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