Well done, Roosy

[swansrule100]

i wonder how many weeks this can drag on for though... who cares

[BSA5]

But Aker isn't a neutral observer in this scenario as he is talking about his own experiences / feelings - which do not seem that clear (why for example does he say, in relation to a former gay team-mate, that what he "should have done was to sit down and talk with him in an attempt to understand his life" - after he said that he was uncomfortable showering with him - what does that even mean?).

I also don't think that people are reacting to these comments negatively because it is Aker and they are trying to bring him down, they are reacting negatively because of the content of an article written by a current AFL player.

What did he mean? He means that he regrets that he was swept up into a mindset which he feels is quite common in footy clubs, and unfortunately so. How is that difficult to understand? Christ, I am one of the least homophobic people I know, my two best male friends are gay, I've grown up around gay men and gay culture, I'm a staunch supporter of gay rights, but even I would feel a bit uncomfortable showering with a gay guy at first. It's easy to get caught up in it, whether or not you actually have problems with homosexuality.

By the way, I meant neutral in that his view on homosexuality is neutral. Assume that, and the article supports that. Assume he's homophobic, and some parts of the article hint at that. I know which one I think is more likely. If you look for something, you'll find it, whether or not it's actually there.

And it's not trying to bring Aker down because he's Aker, it's trying to bring him down because the way he expressed the view ruffled a great deal of feathers with its lack of tact, and people reacted badly and pounced on anything they could to discredit him.

[Matty10]

How is that difficult to understand?

It is difficult to understand because the whole article makes little sense in relation to what point he is trying to get across (which is fundamentally unclear also - there are quite a few views on it here on these boards, and in the wider community, which pay testament to that fact).

I did not have any particular bias when I read the article initially - certainly none that I am conscious of - particularly as I have no problems with Aker in general. I thought that he was hard done by at the Lions, and have been quite happy that he has performed well for the Bulldogs. I also did not think his 'monkey' comments of a few years back was intended as a racial slur either.

All I did was read the article which is the current subject of conversation, and the opinion I formed, is the opinion I formed. If attention is paid to the particular language used to express his views, then a neutral position is not immediately drawn. If you formed an alternative view that's fine - I just don't share it.

[Robbo]

Well done to Roosy on getting rid of Darren Jolly at the right time aswell. Looks finished judging by tonights game. Made Mark Blake look like Scott Wynd.

[Jewels]

Well done to Roosy on getting rid of Darren Jolly at the right time aswell. Looks finished judging by tonights game. Made Mark Blake look like Scott Wynd.

Yep, he was pathetic. I thought he'd lift his game to another level being back in his beloved city, happy wife and kiddies by his side, but he's @@@@e. He hasn't played a top notch game so far this year.

BTW Congrats on getting this thread off the idiots column.

[dimelb]

Well done to Roosy on getting rid of Darren Jolly at the right time aswell. Looks finished judging by tonights game. Made Mark Blake look like Scott Wynd.

Apt comparison. I thought he even made Tom Hawkins look like a real ruckman.

[Reggi]

Yep, he was pathetic. I thought he'd lift his game to another level being back in his beloved city, happy wife and kiddies by his side, but he's @@@@e. He hasn't played a top notch game so far this year.

BTW Congrats on getting this thread off the idiots column.

Normally you would think not to recruit a Premiership player with nothing to prove, they did. He's probably going OK just not at the level you want when you have premiership ambitions, whereas Mumford and Seaby were playing with the passion of player determined to succeed

Jetta looks good though

[Cheer Squad]

Everyone who's hammering Akermanis has completely missed the point.

If the AFL is so gay-friendly, why aren't there any openly gay AFL players?

There are hundreds of current players, and thousands of past players. Statistically speaking, there would have to be more than a few gay players among them. So where are they?

Unfortunately, football clubs in general, and AFL clubs in particular, are not gay-friendly places. Look at what was done to that trainer with Bonnie Doon, Ken Campagnolo. He'd been there for years, without the slightest hint of doing anything untoward, and when he came out, it was all over for him.

In fact, Jeff Kennett, Hawthorn's Club President, said Campagnolo could pose the same risk as a paedophile!

Despite all the soothing words from Roos, Eade, Dememtriou etc, Akermanis was just speaking the ugly truth.

[ShockOfHair]

The AFL is not gay-friendly - that's why t his is such a live issue.

I agree with those who say that Aker was merely calling it as he saw it . But once you get a high-profile player saying that, it becomes a marker and the AFL is obliged to respond. By remaining silent it would be saying yes, gay players aren't welcome in the league, and yes, that's fine by us.

The analogy that comes to mind is racial abuse. Before Nicky Winmar lifted his jumper that was cool. Now it's not.

If Aker had written a column saying players weren't ready to stop vilifying aboriginal players he would've been sacked. Twenty years ago he could've written that and been defended on the grounds that he was just pointing out "the reality".

The AFL is not shy of pushing culture and behaviour change - alcohol, drugs, women, and now gays. I'm impressed that our club got in front of this issue so quickly.