Angela Williamson’s sacking is incomprehensible and forever unforgivable

WHO is the real villian in the unfair dismissal case, asks BRETT GEEVES.

ON June 18, the State Government and Cricket Tasmania announced 240,000 reasons for women’s cricket in Tasmania to smile.

Cash.

At the time of the announcement, I thought to myself, sheesh, the branches acting as tiles on the roof out at Moonah Stadium allow the rain directly on to the courts, which in turn has social and competitive games of basketball and other indoor sports cancelled, yet cricket is getting more cash?

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Coach of the Chargers, Anthony Stewart, was once quoted as saying: “What about basketball? The growth of the game is stagnant while we are using facilities that were built before I was born, and since that time, have seen less upgrades than an economy passenger on an American Airlines flight out of LAX.”

He’s a funny guy. Great coach. And scarily on point.

In January, the Liberals announced an election pledge of $10 million to Levelling the Playing Field (project cutely named) for the upgrade of grounds and facil­ities for the priority of women’s cricket and AFL.

Cash.

Angela Williamson on Channel 10’s The Project.

Adding to the cash splurge from government into cricket, came a sexy red bow by way of $350,000, during the Braddon by-election, to be spent on the upgrade/building of a scoreboard and renovated women’s facilities in preparation for the WBBL double-header set to be hosted at West Park in early December.

Now, Stewart is well within his rights to bemoan the fact that cricket, and other sports, are being extremely well looked after by government in comparison to basketball’s need for a privatised offering in the shape of its David Walsh-esque saviour Justin Hickey.

But to put it simply, basketball didn’t have Angela Williamson using her government relations, extreme smarts, her savvy, passion and political connections to leverage a better deal on its behalf.

And now, through the long-time ineptitude of its board, nor does Cricket Tasmania.

Angela Williamson was sacked. You’ve read what for, and if you are honest, it makes you feel sick to your stomach that a woman who has exper­ienced one of the most harrowing journeys of her life, who was brave enough to very publicly be advocating for change to ensure no other Tasmanian women had to walk her nightmarish path, got the sack for doing so.

Sure, her role on cricket’s behalf meant maintaining a positive and harmonious relationship with state/federal government and local councils. But surely, good grief SURELY, the proof of her ability to do this came in June when her DNA was smothered all over the $240,000 injection of funds from — guess who — the very government who she was supposed to be harassing with her tweets.

But sadly, and it’s a tale we’ve seen too often from the current Cricket Tasmania board, they just couldn’t allow for their perfect patch of crayfish to be ruined by any awkwardness for the next batch of perk-seeking politicians who enter their playpen.

Williamson deserved to be wrapped in a soft fur-lined blanket for cuddles and love from those responsible for her work environment at Cricket Tasmania, not sacked. Not ever sacked. So far from sacked.

It’s incomprehensible and forever unforgivable that a group of people — people in positions of leadership — could be so barbaric in their thinking towards a woman, an employee, whose story of heartbreak was known to them.

John Birmingham, columnist for The Age, signed off his column yesterday on the same topic with “Cricket Australia, you can get in the bin, you complete and utter arsehats”. And I liked it.

But it shouldn’t be forgotten that it was the Cricket Tasmania board who made the decision to pull their trust in Angela, forcing Cricket Australia’s hand somewhat in terminating her employment.

So for now, and perhaps some time before this, it is Cricket Tasmania which is the arsehat.