The AFL and Attitudes to Women

In the wake of so many scandals and stories about AFL players, the AFL has produced an educational DVD to help players understand that women are people too - even if they don't play footy.

Not everyone is happy. Michael Smith raises some questions in this opinion piece about the portrayal of women in the DVD. Whilst some of those concerns may be valid, the DVD does seem to include just the sort of situations that these young men, and others, find themselves in.

As a Criminal Defence Lawyer I see them all the time. Just because, in Michael Smith's ideal world, these situations are demeaning and stereotypical, does not mean that it is not what actually happens.

The DVD has even attracted international attention, with an article in The Times Online about consent in sexual offences.

Who knows, next the AFL might tell its players, "Just say no to drugs"

Ben Cousins is Innocent

At least for the moment.

Whilst no-one can deny that there is a problem with drugs in the AFL, it seems that Ben Cousins seems to be getting a pretty raw deal. Pulled over by the Police, and then arrested while the TV cameras film it all! Normally when someone is arrested, the TV stations pixellate their faces so as not to prejudice a fair trial. (In Cousins' case, they might have needed to pixellate the stomach too!)

Not only that, but he then faces sanctions from his club, before the case has been through the Court process.

Perhaps there have been some amendments to the law so that the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence no longer apply to AFL players.

Meanwhile, all the attention gets focussed on Ben Cousins, rather than the wider problem - just a bit too convenient for the AFL!