Hawthorn sledge Clark? Clark doesn't think so : Joel Selwood cries wolf

[Easy Slips Catch]

Hope the club responds quickly. If it happened, not great but stuff happens. Admit it, take steps and move on. I hope we don't take the Doc Reid approach.

 

[Gysenn]

I'm a big believer that, for the most part, there's nothing you can't joke about. In the right setting - around the right company - go for your life.

Sledging Motlop about drinking ahead of the game, with full knowledge he'll get a disciplined as a result of it - obviously completely okay. Motlop is the one that stuffed up, Motlop can suck it up and cop the punishment. But sledging Mitch Clark for his battle with clinical depression - the lowest point of his life - something, for all we know, he was lucky to see the other side off... Completely out of line.

Put your club allegiance to the side for a moment. Forget you're supposed to hate every man in blue and white hoops, just for a moment. Mitch Clark is a 26-year-old footballer with a very serious mental illness. It isn't made up. It isn't 'a small issue'. It isn't something he woke up the day after he joined Geelong and was magically cured from.

You can't control what your side's players say to him on the field, but guys - think before you post. The comments here are absolutely appalling, and I genuinely came here expecting much better from you.

 

[Neville Bartos]

I agree with the Cats fans for once. Some of you need to pull your heads in. We have the best footballers in the league without a doubt but you're kidding yourself if you think they're all Angels. I'll support them on the field but doesn't mean they're not prone to doing stupid things.

Anyway, if true would like the leadership to give the offender a serious talking to. And stop hanging it on Mitch Clark with what can only be described as very thinly sourced rumours. You were all happy to tear into the media and people on bigfooty when there were rumours about Buddy.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

I do recall the dust-up at the half-forward line between a number of Hawks and Cats players with Clark prominent in the middle of it.

I'm personally disappointed at the thought that Hawks players thought it was fair game to sledge Clark over his mental health issues (if they actually did sledge him about those issues). I've suffered from mental health issues in the past (I work in a profession where a high percentage of people, including myself, suffer from stress and related medical issues) and family members have also suffered from mental health issues. It's not a pleasant situation to find oneself in and it's not something that I would ever think about faking.

If there is truth to the reports about Hawthorn players sledging Clark, then hopefully there will be some words in the shell-like ears of the players and it's dealt with in an appropriate manner.

As for Motlop, that's fair game. He broke the Cats' rules (which would be very similar to the rules in place at many, if not all of the 18 AFL clubs) and was found out.

 

[goldfinger]

Must say I'm a little surprised at the general tone of the responses here too. IF true, then IMHO clearly a line that's been crossed. More disappointed that one of our players felt the need to resort to that given the football masterclass we were inflicting upon them at the time. Just silly.

 

[play2win]

is it ok to sledge the *players this week about PEDS? don't know where the politically correct line falls these days. don't really care either. if you don't have anything nice to say just don't say it, unless it's really funny then you can say anything.

 

[onthemoney]

I agree with the Cats fans for once. Some of you need to pull your heads in. We have the best footballers in the league without a doubt but you're kidding yourself if you think they're all Angels. I'll support them on the field but doesn't mean they're not prone to doing stupid things.

Anyway, if true would like the leadership to give the offender a serious talking to. And stop hanging it on Mitch Clark with what can only be described as very thinly sourced rumours. You were all happy to tear into the media and people on bigfooty when there were rumours about Buddy.

Couldn't have said it better. I'm glad the tone has shifted in this thread.

When I saw Clark fire up on the weekend I did wonder if someone had crossed a line. If that's the case, I hope it's noted internally that it's absolutely not on.

 

[Gysenn]

There's a fine line between being a dominant, ruthless club - and being an arrogant, widely hated club.

Try to ensure this era of dominance is remembered for the former. This has put a pretty sour note on what should have been the perfect day for your boys.

 

[detox]

Its a tough one. If he has a mental illness I obviously wouldn't condone sledging him for it. However, like some on here, I think he is full of shit.

I think for whatever reason him and his manager got creative and decided to go deep into the fine print of what they could get away with. Melbourne were rabble, he got a reasonable payout for it, and suddenly a few months later he is on the list of his choice looking happy as larry. Based on people I know in the know, he is not of the highest character, and you can't deny that career wise, he has done VERY well for himself with the move from Melbourne to Geelong.

Just because you read it doesn't make it true.

 

[MadDawg]

Disappointing if true but forgive me if I take Josh Gibson's word over Selwood's who is a notorious sook and bad loser.

 

[Taskmaster]

Wow. Genuinely shocked at the responses on here. Thought I'd wander over, see what the thoughts were on something that seems a bit odd. You can question the truth of the shoddy AFL article. But attacking someone with depression? What is this? 1955?

Wow, attacking is a harsh word. So please answer me this question.... IF and its a big IF, Clark has depression, why is he at the Geel FC?? Shouldn't he be concentrating on beating the illness and not playing AFL footy?? I mean he did tell us all that he could not handle the vigors of AFL football. And now he is all ok now that he got to the club he wanted to be at?? What is this, 1955?

Its only my opinion, but I think that he screwed Melb over to get to Geel. So maybe you should be questioning the integrity of Mitch and your club and not what people think on this board.

I don't agree with crossing the line, but sledging happens and if you cant handle it, then get out. Stop being so bloody precious!

 

[Gysenn]

Wow, attacking is a harsh word. So please answer me this question.... IF and its a big IF, Clark has depression, why is he at the Geel FC?? Shouldn't he be concentrating on beating the illness and not playing AFL footy?? I mean he did tell us all that he could not handle the vigors of AFL football. And now he is all ok now that he got to the club he wanted to be at?? What is this, 1955?

Its only my opinion, but I think that he screwed Melb over to get to Geel. So maybe you should be questioning the integrity of Mitch and your club and not what people think on this board.

I don't agree with crossing the line, but sledging happens and if you cant handle it, then get out. Stop being so bloody precious!

Just about any comment that ends with 'stop being so precious' makes everything said before it irrelevant and outs the poster as somebody who clearly has very little understanding of the issue.

Mitch Clark is not okay now that he's at the club he wanted to be at.

Three weeks ago:
"I still have dark days, they take me back to a time in my life I will never forget. With the help of my doctor, medication, family, friends, teammates and my beautiful wife these dark days don't come around as often but when they do I remember that better days will be here soon. Please, if you're struggling, ask for help."

 

[No.19]

Sledging about getting pissed before a game = fine with me.

Sledging about having depression = too far.

I'm guessing the sledges (if it even took place) weren't flat out "hurr hurr you have depression" but maybe telling Clark how he managed to overcome his depression to play for another club who isn't melbourne. Some people (not me) might see that as convenient and use it as sledging material.

End of the day - keep personal stuff out of sledging. By all means roast them if they do a shit kick or are playing badly, but taboo topics like illness/death or family are a no-go zone IMO

 

[Taskmaster]

Just about any comment that ends with 'stop being so precious' makes everything said before it irrelevant and outs the poster as somebody who clearly has very little understanding of the issue.

Mitch Clark is not okay now that he's at the club he wanted to be at.

Three weeks ago:
"I still have dark days, they take me back to a time in my life I will never forget. With the help of my doctor, medication, family, friends, teammates and my beautiful wife these dark days don't come around as often but when they do I remember that better days will be here soon. Please, if you're struggling, ask for help."

Ye right. So answer the bloody question, why is he playing footy at Geelong?? Don't care what he said 3 weeks ago. He could have said that at Melbourne, before screwing them over.

 

[Gysenn]

Ye right. So answer the bloody question, why is he playing footy at Geelong?? Don't care what he said 3 weeks ago. He could have said that at Melbourne, before screwing them over.

We could speculate all day on the exact reason why he retired, before returning to football with a different club.

Quite simply, anyone who has suffered from depression knows how valuable a change in their life can be to helping them recover. Whether it's a change of mindset, a change of lifestyle, a change of workplace or a change of career - it's about drawing a line in the sand and moving on.

Mitch Clark has a fresh start at Geelong. He wasn't here during his darkest days. He isn't making that same drive to work that was filled with those dreaded thoughts, he isn't based out of the same change rooms, he isn't running laps on the same oval he used to run laps on while he was at his lowest. You can paint all that as 'f**ing over Melbourne to get to a more successful club', or you can take his word for it - and take it from the millions of others who have suffered with depression - that this change of lifestyle, workplace and scenery could have been just what Mitch needed to draw that line in the sand and give him the best possible chance at a fresh start now that he feels like he's on the road to recovery.

 

[BigRough]

I reckon Frawley would have shared with the rest of the Hawks the truth about Clark and his "depression". Most likely sledging him about the fact that Melbourne didn't want him back after his drug problem. Dude had 2 strikes and couldn't stop, AFL and ASADA can't test a "retired" player so he got Melbourne to take him off the list.

Surely if it was legit he would have stayed retired, Melbourne was willing to give him all the time he needed to overcome his depression yet he insisted on retirement mid year.

You know it's possible to have problems with alcohol and/or drugs *because* you are suffering from depression, yeah?

 

[BobHawk]

Nothing to see here folks. As usual, the media is making a mountain out of a molehill. The line may be a bit blurred but if the players were having a go at him it would not be about his depression per se but about the fact that he appears to have screwed over Brisbane, Freo and Melbourne on his way to Geelong. This is very different to having a go at him purely for his illness. I am certain the club will deal with it appropriately. Can't see this problem going away for him to be honest so maybe his and Geelong's decision wasn't well thought out.

 

[number23]

I wonder if Jeff Kennett has had a chat to the Hawks hierarchy yet?

 

[Blaze Storm]

In my opinion, sledging about depression is pretty low.

On the other hand, if rumours about triggers of said depression are sledge topics, it's fair game. Same as it would be for someone like Barry Hall and his "triggers".

E.g. if you knew that he had a difficult relationship with a former teammate and decided to ask him "How's X going, mate? Spoken to him recently? I hear he's going really well."

 

[Gold Member]

 

[Roddy27]

I'm a big believer that, for the most part, there's nothing you can't joke about. In the right setting - around the right company - go for your life.

Sledging Motlop about drinking ahead of the game, with full knowledge he'll get a disciplined as a result of it - obviously completely okay. Motlop is the one that stuffed up, Motlop can suck it up and cop the punishment. But sledging Mitch Clark for his battle with clinical depression - the lowest point of his life - something, for all we know, he was lucky to see the other side off... Completely out of line.

Put your club allegiance to the side for a moment. Forget you're supposed to hate every man in blue and white hoops, just for a moment. Mitch Clark is a 26-year-old footballer with a very serious mental illness. It isn't made up. It isn't 'a small issue'. It isn't something he woke up the day after he joined Geelong and was magically cured from.

You can't control what your side's players say to him on the field, but guys - think before you post. The comments here are absolutely appalling, and I genuinely came here expecting much better from you.

If someone said something I would fully expect the club to deal with that individual in an appropriate manner. Education, fines, even suspension- nothing is untouchable.

But no one has named the player. No one has done anything other than off veiled innuendo about something that has taken place. As someone who has battled manic depression his entire life - i find this fuking insulting.

Painting our entire club with the same brush is wrong. It trivialises the issue. Your captain should be man enough not to comment in a non specific way. If something happened- say it. Player x said this to mitch and its not on. That way player x has to atone for their mistake.

You want me to think my whole club doesn't give a heck about mental health? That is just patently absurd. Have a look at what the club and individual players do out of competition before coming on here and feigning your disappointment at everyone.

I empathise with Mitch. I know what it is like. I have been to the precipice and nearly leaped over. I can't stand people who think they can use the issue to lord their superiority, to make up for inadequacies, or who think they have a right to accuse others of not caring. If someone did something- call them to account and let us deal with it in a meaningful way.

All i am hearing is white noise and people wanting to use the issue to make others out to be lesser human beings or bad people- stop using the issue for your own personal gain.

So kindly take your position on the moral high ground and come down a notch thanks. hawks supporters aren't perfect, neither are you. Cool. Move the heck on and try and deal with this in a manner befitting the reputation of both clubs. I think we would all feel better with some more facts about who said what before jumping to large conclusions.

 

[ralphwiggum]

Crowley would've had them on toast. Ballantyne will rise to the vocal occasion

We should consider the baton passed for this week.

 

[arupist]

........ But sledging Mitch Clark for his battle with clinical depression - the lowest point of his life - something, for all we know, he was lucky to see the other side off... Completely out of line.

Are you 100% certain that this actually occurred? I did not get that from the article. There are many reasons why someone might want to sledge Mitch - his god-awful tattoos for one - but it seems people are jumping to conclusions here.

If it turns out that the alleged sledge did occur, and that it was directed at Mitch's depression, then we will all have something to be upset about, as that would, indeed, be completely out of line. But it sounds to me like you have made up your mind and you believe that posters in here are making light of it.

 

[Saint]

Pretty strange that Frawley or other Hawthorn players or BigFooty posters are making a diagnosis of a guy that only Frawley has ever met to justify some below the belt sledging. Last I checked, Frawley was a footballer, not a psychologist.

Surely depression is one of those things where the person with the illness (and his doctors) is given the benefit of the doubt.

If he did have drug problems he couldn't stop, couldn't that have been a sign of the depression??

Some people will stretch their imaginations a long way to justify the actions of their beloved footballers. It seems anyone who's ever suffered or known somebody who suffers mental illness isn't making such diagnoses.

If these are the reactions of club members whose leader is also the leader of BeyondBlue, Jeff's got a hell of a lot of work left to do.

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

But did it really happen though? I'm not going to condemn either way on hearsay.

Must have really fired Joel and the Cats up with that inspired second half performance.