AFL 2020: Carlton filthy after more juvenile team song touching

Just a fortnight after the AFL’s groping furore, a Carlton player has been reprimanded by his club after touching a cameraman.

Carlton has publicly pulled up forward Michael Gibbons for touching the bottom of a cameraman after the club’s 33-point win over the Gold Coast Suns on Monday.

A video posted on Carlton’s social media channels showed Gibbons reach into the circle and reportedly twice touch the bottom of the cameraman as the team sung its victory song.

Watch Footy LIVE & On-Demand Every Day from July 29 – August 17 with Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

The cameraman, from Amazon, was in the huddle for a docuseries that will cover the lives of six league personalities including Carlton’s Eddie Betts, following the stars throughout the 2020 season, including during the COVID suspension.

The other figures include the Crows’ Rory Sloane, Giants’ Stephen Coniglio, West Coast star Nic Naitanui, Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew and Richmond president Peggy O’Neal.

But after the win in Darwin on Friday night, Gibbons was captured smacking the cameraman’s bottom. It wasn’t broadcast on Channel 7, as the team performed the team song in the wrong room at the unfamiliar ground.

A fortnight on from the AFL groping furore that engulfed the Richmond Tigers and the league, it’s clear the sport still has a way to go.

But in a sign the league may be more alert to the change, one of the club’s football department immediately called Gibbons into line, with coach David Teague and head of football Brad Lloyd addressing the team to tell them the behaviour would “not be tolerated”, according to The Age.

“We were aware of the unacceptable actions that occurred during the team song on Friday night,” Lloyd said, as reported by the Herald Sun and The Age.

“The behaviour was addressed in the team meeting immediately after the game by senior coach David Teague, with the playing group affirming that such behaviour was clearly not to be tolerated.

“The club acknowledges its position as role models in the community and apologises for any offence caused.”

A JAM TV spokesperson, who are filming the series, also told The Age that the cameraman “didn’t take any offence to the action”.

Michael Gibbons snaps at goal.

It comes after vision of Richmond players groping at Mabior Chol with veteran report Hugh Riminton alleged Tigers defenders Nick Vlaustin and Jayden Short were involved in several incidents for their teammates while celebration a victory.

The vision circulated widely on social media and more vision quickly followed with incidents involving Tigers captain Jack Riewoldt and St Kilda star Dan Butler were also revealed.

It led to the AFL providing a brief to all 18 clubs on the requirement to ensure clubs environments are safe workplaces.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan even condemned the behaviour.

“The AFL and our clubs have made a strong commitment to gender equality and respect and responsibility and as part of this ongoing cultural change in our industry we need to ensure inappropriate conduct is not acceptable, whether it is the office or the changeroom. This is an ongoing journey and we are committed to change,” McLachlan said.

“What we saw in recent times with players from a number of clubs touching each other inappropriately is clearly not the standard of high performance in the workplace that we could – or should – accept.”