North Melbourne officials were excited to land him in this trade period for that reason, but it was no ordinary trade that sent him from Sydney to the Kangaroos.
asserted
that → land → Kangaroos
That’s because Blakey remains one of four AFL players still subject to a Victoria Police investigation into allegations of sexual assault at the Pullman hotel, where the Swans were staying after beating Essendon at the MCG in round 23.
asserted
Swans → ’ → round
The five players who were suspended by Sydney for breaching behavioural standards, including Blakey, have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
asserted
who → suspend → wrongdoing
None have been charged.
asserted
None → charge → ?
But it remains a challenging situation, particularly for the women who made the allegations.
asserted
who → remain → allegations
Because, less than two months later and with that police investigation unresolved, a club board decided to offer one of the players involved a spot in their team, and for a salary close to $12 million over eight years.
asserted
board → decide → years
In what world does that happen?
asserted
that → happen → ?
We have the answer: in the AFL, where a club exists to win and any concerns about behaviour can be addressed with an apology and a promise to do better.
asserted
concerns → have → apology
That is all Blakey can really do.
asserted
Blakey → do → ?
His dissatisfaction with the Swans shows he doesn’t believe his involvement in whatever may have happened at the Pullman has been fairly reflected in Sydney’s decisions.
uncertain
whatever → show → decisions
My discomfort with the trade is not directed towards him.
asserted
discomfort → direct → him
My issue is that the club’s decision and the AFL’s willingness to wave it through makes all the virtue-signalling words the industry uses ring hollow.
asserted
industry → wave → it
The league creates an impression that it is a leader on social issues, which carries an assumed yet laughable mortgage on defining what makes someone “a good person”.
asserted
someone → create → mortgage
CEO Andrew Dillon wrote in the days after the Pullman incident: “Our first question should not be what this means for a football club.
asserted
this → write → club
It should be whether our actions match the standards we stand for and the community expects of us.
asserted
community → match → us
“As a sport, and as an industry, we are clear about the standards we expect and the values we stand for and the need to uphold them.
asserted
we → expect → them
“Being clear about our standards also means being prepared to act when those standards are not met.”
asserted
standards → mean → standards
Sydney acted.
asserted
Sydney → act → ?
They took a strong stand to show they stood for more than just winning, and it cost them.
asserted
it → take → them
North Melbourne certainly acted.
asserted
Melbourne → act → ?
They now have Blakey on more money than anyone else at the club.
asserted
They → have → club
The Roos showed it was one club taking a stand, rather than the industry, by seizing on the opportunity Sydney’s approach presented them.
asserted
approach → show → them
The AFL will say it can’t dictate to the clubs what they do during trade period, particularly during an active police investigation.
asserted
they → say → investigation
But every decision reflects on the league, and the size of the deal is incongruous with those words from a month ago.
asserted
size → reflect → words
The AFL waving the trade through implies, whether true or not, that the league knows something we don’t.
asserted
we → wave → something
Surely a club wouldn’t sign a player to such a long-term deal and give away such draft capital if it wasn’t confident he would line up the next season.
asserted
he → sign → capital
Actions speak louder than words and the trade showed in stark reality that the defining feature of the game at the highest level is how well you play it and the rest can be, to use a football cliche, worked through.
asserted
rest → speak → cliche
That’s fine and not unexpected, but spare us the bullshit.
asserted
That → ’ → bullshit
The right many in the game assume – to lead on social issues – is disappearing before our eyes.
asserted
many → assume → eyes
That’s unfortunate because their power to influence is unquestionable.
asserted
power → ’ → ?
That’s why this trade is challenging for those who love footy, as the decisions the players made that night – regardless of whether anything criminal may have occurred – were out of step with the expectations that clubs and supporters have of players.
uncertain
clubs → ’ → players
Seeing one of them rewarded financially so soon after just felt wrong.
asserted
one → see → them
North Melbourne’s offer is challenging for volunteers working their guts out to maintain great community football clubs with inclusive environments for no reward except in giving people a safe place to gather on the weekend.
asserted
volunteers → work → weekend
It will be challenging to people within the North Melbourne Football Club and at other AFL clubs who sell a vision that tries to create a purpose beyond merely winning.
asserted
that → sell → purpose
North Melbourne players and staff members are now representatives of the decision to bring Blakey on board – whether they like it or not.
asserted
they → bring → it
They will be muted in what they can say because anyone who objects is in for a fight. The machine operates at full tilt to support those who entertain rather than complain.
asserted
who → say → those
The Kangaroos decided to communicate the reasons behind their decision to staff and their premiership-winning AFLW team.
asserted
Kangaroos → decide → staff
The forum wasn’t an opportunity to approve or object to those reasons, as such.
asserted
forum → approve → reasons
It was so that everyone understood the club’s reasoning, while giving a chance for questions about how to respond to stakeholders when queries about the decision inevitably arise.
asserted
queries → understand → decision
But even if it had been a forum for debate, would anyone who objected have been perceived as difficult?
asserted
who → object → debate
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
