Vale Danny Frawley

mouncey2franklin

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 16, 2018
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When Majak 'fell' off a bridge it was obvious what had happened but a lot of people wanted to believe otherwise.

Now with Frawley's single-vehicle single-occupant motor vehicle 'accident' it is obvious what has happened but a lot of people want to believe otherwise.

As I get older I am slowly coming to accept that this is just how people are. Humans are highly emotional creatures.

There are certain elements of society and existence which many people would prefer to ignore (or prefer other people ignore).

You can criticise the media and those who work within it, but they are tapping into human thirst for 'news' i.e. drama and raw emotion.

Look at all of the people who couldn't wait to tune in for the AFL shows last night, many of whom normally wouldn't be tuning in.

Watching Frawley's colleagues (some of whom are no doubt friends) mourn on camera just hours after the event must have made for compelling viewing.

I like the idea of a genuine Golden Fist award. I never watched The Bounce (apart from one episode) but I understand the idea behind it.

If the AFL and related bodies play this properly, they will be able to make something good come out of a horrible situation.

Naturally my condolences and best wishes go out to everybody affected by Frawley's passing.
 
Jun 9, 2001
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Like police being said to feed 3AW today?

Other than Nate7's post don't have any reference. Assume this was what deano was getting at?

Unfortunately this is the world now, it'd be extremely difficult to suppress news of a tragedy like this for very long. Wish it was different but sadly not.
 
Mar 16, 2001
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Other than Nate7's post don't have any reference. Assume this was what deano was getting at?

Unfortunately this is the world now, it'd be extremely difficult to suppress news of a tragedy like this for very long. Wish it was different but sadly not.
Read somewhere that one of his daughters is overseas so in a different time zone. It's just horrible that other people's curiosity/greed/need to be noticed comes ahead of the rights of family and close friends to be told properly first.
 
I haven't yet read the article in the Age so can't really comment on whether it is appropriate or not.

What I will say though is that as a community these matters need to be talked about. We are starting to talk more about mental illness and seeing a long overdue recognition of the impact that mental illness has on people. We are a long way from where we were when I was a kid growing up and there was such a stigma to anyone exhibiting any example of mental illness.

But we are also a long way from where there is an ongoing normalisation of the fact that these types of illnesses are very common in society and that suicide is one of the avoidable and tragic consequences of any unrecognised and untreated mental illness.

Something that also bothers me here is that how does anyone know it was suicide? It probably was but country roads and trees make a dangerous combination. Spud would have known that road well being close to home for him, but sometimes familiarity can catch drivers out and the existence of skid marks, if true, suggest a braking action, something that would not fit with a deliberate act.
 
When Majak 'fell' off a bridge it was obvious what had happened but a lot of people wanted to believe otherwise.

Now with Frawley's single-vehicle single-occupant motor vehicle 'accident' it is obvious what has happened but a lot of people want to believe otherwise.

As I get older I am slowly coming to accept that this is just how people are. Humans are highly emotional creatures.

There are certain elements of society and existence which many people would prefer to ignore (or prefer other people ignore).

You can criticise the media and those who work within it, but they are tapping into human thirst for 'news' i.e. drama and raw emotion.

Look at all of the people who couldn't wait to tune in for the AFL shows last night, many of whom normally wouldn't be tuning in.

Watching Frawley's colleagues (some of whom are no doubt friends) mourn on camera just hours after the event must have made for compelling viewing.

I like the idea of a genuine Golden Fist award. I never watched The Bounce (apart from one episode) but I understand the idea behind it.

If the AFL and related bodies play this properly, they will be able to make something good come out of a horrible situation.

Naturally my condolences and best wishes go out to everybody affected by Frawley's passing.

I think people are making assumptions though. People are assuming it is suicide, and it may well be, but not everyone who goes off the road does it intentionally just because they are battling with depression. As someone who used to drive long distances on country roads, I am well aware that it is quite easy to doze off, if he hasn't been sleeping well or is taking medication (some meds make you drowsy) then it could have been accidental regardless of his other struggles. There will be an investigation, always is after a death, the authorities will come up with the most plausible outcomes.

The media is more interested in the story, ratings and making money than they are about waiting for the facts though.

Some people are asking for privacy and I agree that his family and close friends should have their privacy respected in the case of a death. I do not think you can be critical of the media for reporting on the death, Spud was a public figure and as one you lose certain privileges when it comes to some levels of privacy and anonymity. However, there have been some good reports and there have been ones tying his death with his battle with depression, assuming it was suicide. Unless an article is an editorial which specifically identifies it as being an opinion piece I think the media should just present the facts alone. He died in a vehicle accident alone when he hit a tree, that is all the facts we know.

As a society we are afraid to speak candidly about suicide, if it pans out Danny was in that much pain that he saw no other viable alternative left in his life then it is something we need to talk about because the problem is getting worse, the systems and attitudes we have currently are ineffective and we are losing a lot of good people to something which can be prevented. It is worth being uncomfortable having that conversation if it ends up saving the life of someone you are fond of.
 
I think people are making assumptions though. People are assuming it is suicide, and it may well be, but not everyone who goes off the road does it intentionally just because they are battling with depression. As someone who used to drive long distances on country roads, I am well aware that it is quite easy to doze off, if he hasn't been sleeping well or is taking medication (some meds make you drowsy) then it could have been accidental regardless of his other struggles.

As a society we are afraid to speak candidly about suicide, if it pans out Danny was in that much pain that he saw no other viable alternative left in his life then it is something we need to talk about because the problem is getting worse, the systems and attitudes we have currently are ineffective and we are losing a lot of good people to something which can be prevented. It is worth being uncomfortable having that conversation if it ends up saving the life of someone you are fond of.

Dunno what his road was like but its so easy to * up and die on country roads if you're going a little bit too fast.

Well said in general Tas.
 
I think people are making assumptions though. People are assuming it is suicide, and it may well be, but not everyone who goes off the road does it intentionally just because they are battling with depression. As someone who used to drive long distances on country roads, I am well aware that it is quite easy to doze off, if he hasn't been sleeping well or is taking medication (some meds make you drowsy) then it could have been accidental regardless of his other struggles. There will be an investigation, always is after a death, the authorities will come up with the most plausible outcomes.

The media is more interested in the story, ratings and making money than they are about waiting for the facts though.

Some people are asking for privacy and I agree that his family and close friends should have their privacy respected in the case of a death. I do not think you can be critical of the media for reporting on the death, Spud was a public figure and as one you lose certain privileges when it comes to some levels of privacy and anonymity. However, there have been some good reports and there have been ones tying his death with his battle with depression, assuming it was suicide. Unless an article is an editorial which specifically identifies it as being an opinion piece I think the media should just present the facts alone. He died in a vehicle accident alone when he hit a tree, that is all the facts we know.

As a society we are afraid to speak candidly about suicide, if it pans out Danny was in that much pain that he saw no other viable alternative left in his life then it is something we need to talk about because the problem is getting worse, the systems and attitudes we have currently are ineffective and we are losing a lot of good people to something which can be prevented. It is worth being uncomfortable having that conversation if it ends up saving the life of someone you are fond of.
Police confirmed this morning the death is not being included in the road toll as it is being dealt with as a self harm issue according to Neil Mitchell. I suppose nothing is 'official' until the coroners report but I don't think there are any doubts here. Very sad.
 
The media is a business, and like it or not, if they have the information, more often than not they go with it.
I don't like it, but I don't blame them for doing their job
 
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I think people are making assumptions though. People are assuming it is suicide, and it may well be, but not everyone who goes off the road does it intentionally just because they are battling with depression.

Cops haven't added to the road toll as they believe suicide.
 
Police confirmed this morning the death is not being included in the road toll as it is being dealt with as a self harm issue according to Neil Mitchell. I suppose nothing is 'official' until the coroners report but I don't think there are any doubts here. Very sad.

I am curious how they can tell the difference between falling asleep vs intentional, I guess people who intend to self harm accelerate to a speed people don't when falling asleep. Very sad if that was the case, I was almost hoping it was accidental for the sake of his family, I think suicide hits a family harder, you question if there was something you could have done. Very sad. :(
 
Cops haven't added to the road toll as they believe suicide.

I would assume that they would wait for a coroner's report, but I am no police expert. Maybe they do not.
 
I would assume that they would wait for a coroner's report, but I am no police expert. Maybe they do not.

I doubt they'd be taking a stab at the reason so I can only assume there's corroborating evidence of some kind to back it up.
 
I doubt they'd be taking a stab at the reason so I can only assume there's corroborating evidence of some kind to back it up.

The coppers are pretty clued on when it comes to this kind of thing.
 
I am curious how they can tell the difference between falling asleep vs intentional, I guess people who intend to self harm accelerate to a speed people don't when falling asleep. Very sad if that was the case, I was almost hoping it was accidental for the sake of his family, I think suicide hits a family harder, you question if there was something you could have done. Very sad. :(

I cannot agree more. I too have driven hundreds of thousand of kilometres on country roads, often driving when I should have been resting, had a couple of shall we say "interesting experiences" and if the truth be known, maybe I've been a bit lucky.

As I said earlier, the skid marks suggest something a little different to accelerating into a tree.
 
I am curious how they can tell the difference between falling asleep vs intentional, I guess people who intend to self harm accelerate to a speed people don't when falling asleep. Very sad if that was the case, I was almost hoping it was accidental for the sake of his family, I think suicide hits a family harder, you question if there was something you could have done. Very sad. :(
Could be any number of ways. He could have even left a note, which hasn't been made public yet.
And it isn't very common to fall asleep at 1:30pm, not to mention that police experts could tell a deliberate swerve vs a slow deviation.
 
I am curious how they can tell the difference between falling asleep vs intentional, I guess people who intend to self harm accelerate to a speed people don't when falling asleep. Very sad if that was the case, I was almost hoping it was accidental for the sake of his family, I think suicide hits a family harder, you question if there was something you could have done. Very sad. :(
Not sure but that is what they are saying. Maybe there was a note or some other obvious sign. I’m sure they know what they are doing and wouldn’t go off half cocked with such an announcement.
 
Mar 16, 2001
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Not sure but that is what they are saying. Maybe there was a note or some other obvious sign. I’m sure they know what they are doing and wouldn’t go off half cocked with such an announcement.
Has it been “announced”? Haven’t seen anything anywhere that’s more than vague except here.
 
Has it been “announced”? Haven’t seen anything anywhere that’s more than vague except here.
3AW has quoted Police in each news bulletin since 11am saying that Police have confirmed they are treating this as self harm and it has not been recorded in road toll figures. Report is definitive (I am assuming correct). Age and Herald Sun using similar language.
 

koshari

Brownlow Medallist
Mar 24, 2011
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It really puts things in perspective when a shock fatality of this nature surfaces. people get divorced, family issue, work pressures, lose money and and have rough periods all the time. sure its stressful and often overwhelms your attention at the time. sometimes i think life has become a pretty complex activity when your constantly addressing stuff like tax returns, energy contracts, a myriad of licenses and insurances and endless permits just to manage your day to day life.
I cant begin to imagine what a run like this would be like to someone who has had a bout of depression as well but i can sense enough that it wouldn't be a nice place to be. Two of my close friends have the black dog and whilst both are coping OK at the moment there is always the risk one can spiral back into that bark place.

One of the tiny positives to come out of such a tragedy is it can make you just take a step back and acknowledge that your own dramas often arnt that bad.
 

mouncey2franklin

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 16, 2018
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I think people are making assumptions though. People are assuming it is suicide, and it may well be, but not everyone who goes off the road does it intentionally just because they are battling with depression.
And this goes back to what I wrote in my post, the one you replied to.

Some people do not want to believe that this was a suicide, so they will ignore all of the evidence which points in that direction.

And I'm not here to judge them. Death is a concept our society struggles with, suicide even more so.

People can mourn Frawley's passing without needing to know 'why' he is gone, and some of them will get angry at those who wish to discuss that aspect of the event.

As I said on the main board, perhaps there ought to be two threads: One purely for condolences / grieving, and one for discussing the broader story.

Nobody would be forced to participate in the latter. And many people would prefer not to, which is understandable.
 
As I said on the main board, perhaps there ought to be two threads: One purely for condolences / grieving, and one for discussing the broader story.

Nobody would be forced to participate in the latter. And many people would prefer not to, which is understandable.

That's a very good idea.
 

The Butcher

All Australian
Mar 8, 2011
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It's the internet ffs, you enter at your own risk. If you're triggered every other day build your own safe place, and fill it with all the boring people you can find. Danny wouldn't have been one of them, imho.

How many people whinge on here after the news story "19yr old man died in car crash.. alcohol thought to be involved". how about the families right to privacy there?
 
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