The Parent Trap
April 14th 2008 09:27
You may or may not have read my article 'Barry Boxing Hall of Shame'. In it I condemned the actions of Barry Hall and called for his deregistration.
So...the content of this article may suprise.
Today, I heard about Brent Staker's parents publicly admonishing Barry Hall in relation to his actions on Saturday night.
I will not stand for parents interfering in sports at any level...but especially at the elite level that the AFL supposedly is.
Is Brent Staker playing for the West Coast Eagles in the AFL or is he playing for the West Perth U9's?
It is for this exaxt reason - interfering parents - that the game of Australian Rules Football is becoming more and more like netball every year.
While what Barry Hall did has no place in our game...the comments of Brent Staker's parents again bring into the spotlight the fact that Andrew Demetriou seems hell bent on cleaning up the image of the game to the point where heavy contact seems to be resigned to black and white archive footage.
And it is not to please the men or the boys who play football - but the mothers of the young boys who have to choose between the comparatively 'safe' basketball and the 'bloodthirsty' football for their sons.
Mothers hate blood. They hate the blood of their sons being spilled more.
Yet what mothers fail to see is that Australian Rules Football has always been a man's game that is played by men.
Australians are meant to have been bred tough.
We have traditionally been proud of the contact aspect of the sport.
And yet while no one would doubt that the AFL is a strong and healthy competition I can't help but feel that we are strong not because of a healthy love for the sport...but the sport having to make compromises to secure the love of a safety conscious public.
Mothers are great at many things - but leave them out of decisions regarding the safety of their sons on the sports field. Blood is meant to be splilled; bones meant to be broken; consciousness meant to be lost. Men understand this...woman do not.
Brent Staker understands this...he has ruled out legal action in relation to the incident on Saturday night.
But...he needs to remind his parents that he is a grown man and that he is playing a man's game.
I for one...will encourage my boys to play Australian Rules Football in the spirit of the game of yesteryear...with aggression at both man and ball.
R.I.P Australian Rules Football
Died 14/04/08
Fought long and hard against the rare and deadly cancer Demetriou.
Gave up after comments made by the parents of Brent Staker.
So...the content of this article may suprise.
Today, I heard about Brent Staker's parents publicly admonishing Barry Hall in relation to his actions on Saturday night.
I will not stand for parents interfering in sports at any level...but especially at the elite level that the AFL supposedly is.
Is Brent Staker playing for the West Coast Eagles in the AFL or is he playing for the West Perth U9's?
It is for this exaxt reason - interfering parents - that the game of Australian Rules Football is becoming more and more like netball every year.
While what Barry Hall did has no place in our game...the comments of Brent Staker's parents again bring into the spotlight the fact that Andrew Demetriou seems hell bent on cleaning up the image of the game to the point where heavy contact seems to be resigned to black and white archive footage.
And it is not to please the men or the boys who play football - but the mothers of the young boys who have to choose between the comparatively 'safe' basketball and the 'bloodthirsty' football for their sons.
Mothers hate blood. They hate the blood of their sons being spilled more.
Yet what mothers fail to see is that Australian Rules Football has always been a man's game that is played by men.
Australians are meant to have been bred tough.
We have traditionally been proud of the contact aspect of the sport.
And yet while no one would doubt that the AFL is a strong and healthy competition I can't help but feel that we are strong not because of a healthy love for the sport...but the sport having to make compromises to secure the love of a safety conscious public.
Mothers are great at many things - but leave them out of decisions regarding the safety of their sons on the sports field. Blood is meant to be splilled; bones meant to be broken; consciousness meant to be lost. Men understand this...woman do not.
Brent Staker understands this...he has ruled out legal action in relation to the incident on Saturday night.
But...he needs to remind his parents that he is a grown man and that he is playing a man's game.
I for one...will encourage my boys to play Australian Rules Football in the spirit of the game of yesteryear...with aggression at both man and ball.
R.I.P Australian Rules Football
Died 14/04/08
Fought long and hard against the rare and deadly cancer Demetriou.
Gave up after comments made by the parents of Brent Staker.
| 88 |
| Vote |
Comments (1)
Add Comments
Read More
