AFL slammed for letting off Zac Webster with two-match ban after making secret sex tapes

THIS footy player was caught making secret sex tapes without women’s knowledge. Now victim’s groups say he’s being let off too lightly.

MUST CREDIT: Supplied/AFL Media... Zac Webster during the 2014 Hawthorn Hawks official headshot session at the Ricoh Centre, Melbourne on January 20, 2014. (Photo: Sean Garnsworthy/AFL Media) Picture: Media Supplied/afl

THE AFL and its premiers Hawthorn have been slammed for the lenient punishment of a new recruit, who was caught filming women during sex without their consent.

Tasmanian newcomer Zac Webster will miss just two pre-season games after he was convicted in a Hobart court for making sex tapes of women without their knowledge last year, the ABC reports.

The then 18-year-old was given a fine and community service order in October.

Zack Webster was selected Hawthorn in 2013 in the AFL rookie draft

The Hawthorn player will have two games off in the pre-season.

In a statement, Hawthorn Football club said Webster had completed “education sessions” following his conviction, and that the club “does not condone this behaviour”.

Along with these sessions he’s been given a two-match penalty, to be served in the pre-season.

The club has been blasted on social media and by advocacy groups for the “lenient” sentence.

Webster, a medium-sized forward, begun training with the Hawthorn just days after his court appearance.

Webster was not a listed player when the offence occurred. He informed the club of his circumstances in December 2013, a month after he was rookie-listed, and was promoted from the rookie list at the start of 2014.

Spokeswoman for the Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault Carolyn Worth says the AFL and the club should reconsider.

“The AFL is showing scant regard for moral standards, and they should really have another look at how they are handling this,” she told news.com.au.

“Making sex tapes of women without their consent is very serious and this sentence sends a really bad message.”

Victorian Centre Against Sexual Assault’s Carolyn Worth says the AFL and the club should reconsider the message they’re sending.

As well as criticising the club, Ms Worth said the court’s sentence seemed lenient, and even though the offence didn’t take place while Mr Webster was signed to the club, it should have been given greater scrutiny.

“In most jobs in Victoria, you would be required to undergo a criminal check and working with children check — in a high profile organisation like the AFL it’s surprising they wouldn’t be more careful in considering these things,” she said.

“They set up these young men as role models — they send them into children’s wards, hospitals, all sorts of events, so that children see them as heroes — it’s important they take very seriously the messages they’re sending and the examples they’re setting.”

Karen Willis of the NSW Rape Crisis Centre said Webster’s penalty was “a slap on the back of the hand”.

“I would encourage (the AFL) to think of the impact that this has and the message it sends to the Australian community,” she said.

“They need to be taking a more powerful stance.”

The club has also faced backlash on social media.

Yes, @HawthornFC are a disgrace - gave Zac Webster a mere 2 match suspension for secretly filming sex with women http://t.co/GDvg1GUacA

— Pauline Vetuna (@paulinevetuna) December 2, 2014

@scottrdare Yep. Just like the ADFA scandal. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept, @HawthornFC.

— Kevin Griffin (@kpgriffin) December 2, 2014

This hero secretly films sex with women and gets a two game ban? What the hell is wrong with the world? @HawthornFC pic.twitter.com/bolueOb0Ej

— Loz (@lozpmd) December 2, 2014

That looks suspiciously to me like the AFL and @HawthornFC aren't recruiting good men. And then they wonder why they have a toxic culture.

— Sarah Stokely (@stokely) December 2, 2014

The AFL enforces a Respect and Responsibility Policy, introduced in 2005 to represent the AFL’s “commitment to addressing violence against women” and “increase players understanding of how sexual assault, violence, harassment and abuse can affect the lives of women and girls”.

Webster will also be required to make a presentation “to the entire playing group to reinforce the club’s and league’s values of respect and responsibility”, Hawthorn said.

He has completed his community service and paid the fine, the club has indicated should such behaviour ever occur again, Webster would be refused immediately.