Mega Thread Non-Freo AFL Discussion 2025

[ImperialPurple]

The who

The whole point of it is that shit clubs ladder wise get overs and good clubs get unders for losing "good" players. The only bit I hate is that neither club in the process loses draft capital but every team after the pick do like us losing capital after the Battle compensation. We paid the majority share for Battle to go from St Kilda to Hawks but we saw no value.

I get that but seriously Ben McKay is worth pick 3 and Oscar Allen pick 2, but Buddy is pick 19? I don’t know what the answer is but that’s ludicrous.

 

[E Shed]

Oscar Allen

4

Oscar Allen

Age

26

Ht

196cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.2

4star

isn't worth a bag of chips at the moment. Seriously needs a change of scenery.

 

[fleur]

Oscar Allen isn't worth a bag of chips at the moment. Seriously needs a change of scenery.

The lions will probably fix him up like they did Joe Daniher

 

[2big2strom]

I just hope that all the sanctimonious posters here calling for harsher and harsher penalties can look in the mirror and say "I have never belittled, demeaned or embarrassed someone based on their race, sexual orientation or religious beliefs".

Otherwise maybe just accept that people do dumb shit at time and thank **** nobody is listening to your every word, watching your every action and waiting to crucify you.

We have become a society of busy bodies constantly on the lookout for someone to burn at the stake because they are imperfect humans.

And for the record, yes I am a boomer and no I don't believe that calling someone a ****** is acceptable.

Rankine getting a ban that is consistent with the AFL precedent and recent messaging (ie 4-5 weeks plus an increasing in future punishments) IS accepting that people do dumb shit. People just can't do dumb shit and avoid any and all consequences for it. If the AFL came out and said Rankine is now banned for 12 months, I would agree with you that this is getting sanctimonious.

No one is saying be perfect, people ARE asking for accountability if your actions are shitty.

And frankly, as a gay person, I'm quite on board society having more "busy bodies" as you call it. What you see as "busy bodies", I see as more people willing to stick up for others, even if they are not the person being harmed. As someone who has been assaulted at local level, abused at games for calling out homophobia & racism, had beers thrown in my face, even abused at at AFLW games for **** sake, I LOVE people sticking up for each other.

I don't feel sorry for Rankine potentially missing finals. I feel sorry for gay people like me, reconsidering whether to go to the footy this weekend or not, because I don't know if it is going to be safe for me.

The crows handling of it has been pretty ****ed too. If this was Voss or Bolton or Serong or whoever in this position for Freo, I would be gutted if Alex Pearce/JLO/the club came out and said "oh yeah he's doing it pretty tough and also other people said mean things to him first and we are going to wrap our arms around him and really he shouldn't receive the normal level of punishment because Snoop dogg and also missing finals will make our player extra sad "
What I would want to hear is WE AS A CLUB do not tolerate homophobia and we are sorry to all our fans, players, staff that have been let down by this AND we hope our player will learn from this incident and we will support them in this time.

 

[BStaff17]

Oscar Allen isn't worth a bag of chips at the moment. Seriously needs a change of scenery.

If you asked me 4 x years ago the fall of grace from Oscar Allen i would have laughed.

Says a lot where WC are at right now they are losing there captain they don't even want & someone that when drafted was probably touted as a 250 game player & Eagle for life.

 

[PowerToThePurpl]

Rankine getting a ban that is consistent with the AFL precedent and recent messaging (ie 4-5 weeks plus an increasing in future punishments) IS accepting that people do dumb shit. People just can't do dumb shit and avoid any and all consequences for it. If the AFL came out and said Rankine is now banned for 12 months, I would agree with you that this is getting sanctimonious.

No one is saying be perfect, people ARE asking for accountability if your actions are shitty.

And frankly, as a gay person, I'm quite on board society having more "busy bodies" as you call it. What you see as "busy bodies", I see as more people willing to stick up for others, even if they are not the person being harmed. As someone who has been assaulted at local level, abused at games for calling out homophobia & racism, had beers thrown in my face, even abused at at AFLW games for **** sake, I LOVE people sticking up for each other.

I don't feel sorry for Rankine potentially missing finals. I feel sorry for gay people like me, reconsidering whether to go to the footy this weekend or not, because I don't know if it is going to be safe for me.

The crows handling of it has been pretty ****ed too. If this was Voss or Bolton or Serong or whoever in this position for Freo, I would be gutted if Alex Pearce/JLO/the club came out and said "oh yeah he's doing it pretty tough and also other people said mean things to him first and we are going to wrap our arms around him and really he shouldn't receive the normal level of punishment because Snoop dogg and also missing finals will make our player extra sad "
What I would want to hear is WE AS A CLUB do not tolerate homophobia and we are sorry to all our fans, players, staff that have been let down by this AND we hope our player will learn from this incident and we will support them in this time.

Spot on

 

[freo_leo29]

None of that makes any sense to me. The only people I know who use that kind of language are arseholes in the first place, or the arseh*le in them isnt far from the surface.

Naive mate, bet there are people in your life that use different language in different places.

People are just generally smart enough to respect their crowd at the time, doesn't mean they don't joke around with other people who simply don't care.

This is the same as people who are absolutely clueless on drugs, there are people who go through life not knowing that their mates/colleagues are snorting lines every weekend.

It's naive to think that everyone has the same world view. You can't put people in boxes due to this either, people aren't one dimensional.

 

[fleur]

Naive mate, bet there are people in your life that use different language in different places.

People are just generally smart enough to respect their crowd at the time, doesn't mean they don't joke around with other people who simply don't care.

This is the same as people who are absolutely clueless on drugs, there are people who go through life not knowing that their mates/colleagues are snorting lines every weekend.

It's naive to think that everyone has the same world view. You can't put people in boxes due to this either, people aren't one dimensional.

I really don't move in those circles where people say one thing to one group of people and another thing to another group of people. I do have extended family who do though but I don't see them very often as they think they're better than me.

 

[AstonSouffle]

The message is there

People just say dumb shit in the heat of the moment


AFL has underestimated just how rooted some of these phrases are in the community. I'd wager that sometimes insults are said just because they're insults and have gone past the original meaning. The difference between governing from a boardroom and living in reality.

I mean, Clarko copped a 20k fine for saying ********er, like seriously.

Perhaps, but unless Rankine has been living in an alternate reality I’m certain he’d know what the word means.

If I unleashed a tirade of every sexist, racist, and homophobic word… I honestly wouldn’t expect to be let off.

Back when I was umpiring junior games still which is nearly 6 years ago now, a player once shouted on the mark ‘I hope the kick bends like your sexuality.’ I immediately called a 50 and squashed it out, parents asked me why? I said bloke blurted a homophobic comment. Most parents understood, while others said it was witty and funny. Why am I saying all this, because end of the day we’ve got to set standards and not let it slip in the name of a laugh. I relay this situation to other umpires and they say why didn’t you card him or send him off? I said I’d rather educate then go full nuclear.

I don’t think people are stupid enough to forget the meaning of words before they say them, but if they miraculously do and claim that they have then they still have to face the music.

 

[AstonSouffle]

I really don't move in those circles where people say one thing to one group of people and another thing to another group of people. I do have extended family who do though but I don't see them very often as they think they're better than me.

I’m selective with how I talk, I can say some pretty heinous stuff with certain mates in a safe space - doesn’t give me a ticket to say whatever I want to whoever I want though

 

[Alfonz]

I love how Collingwood players threatening to concuss Rankine all day, after Houston knocked him out the last time they played is fine.

That's my issue with all of this. The AFL has continually shown that acts/threats of violence are not treated seriously enough. It's a joke. Moore should have received 2 weeks for his knee drop. Maynard gets nothing for ending somebody's career. What did Rioli get for threatening to kill/harm people? I personally think that is worse than what Rankine has done.

And where is the line ... what if Rankine called him something other than the "f" word? Clarkson got a 2 week suspended sentence for calling players "c***suckers".

I reckon 5 weeks is too harsh, but the precedent has been set. I would have it so there are less games missed, but a substantial fine imposed (e.g. 20% of salary, seeing as that's about what 5 games equates to). For example, Rankine would get a 2 game suspension and a 150k fine that goes to a LGBT cause.

 

[Cesoir]

Rankine getting a ban that is consistent with the AFL precedent and recent messaging (ie 4-5 weeks plus an increasing in future punishments) IS accepting that people do dumb shit. People just can't do dumb shit and avoid any and all consequences for it. If the AFL came out and said Rankine is now banned for 12 months, I would agree with you that this is getting sanctimonious.

No one is saying be perfect, people ARE asking for accountability if your actions are shitty.

And frankly, as a gay person, I'm quite on board society having more "busy bodies" as you call it. What you see as "busy bodies", I see as more people willing to stick up for others, even if they are not the person being harmed. As someone who has been assaulted at local level, abused at games for calling out homophobia & racism, had beers thrown in my face, even abused at at AFLW games for **** sake, I LOVE people sticking up for each other.

I don't feel sorry for Rankine potentially missing finals. I feel sorry for gay people like me, reconsidering whether to go to the footy this weekend or not, because I don't know if it is going to be safe for me.

The crows handling of it has been pretty ****ed too. If this was Voss or Bolton or Serong or whoever in this position for Freo, I would be gutted if Alex Pearce/JLO/the club came out and said "oh yeah he's doing it pretty tough and also other people said mean things to him first and we are going to wrap our arms around him and really he shouldn't receive the normal level of punishment because Snoop dogg and also missing finals will make our player extra sad "
What I would want to hear is WE AS A CLUB do not tolerate homophobia and we are sorry to all our fans, players, staff that have been let down by this AND we hope our player will learn from this incident and we will support them in this time.

I agree with everything you have said there mate, and I am sorry that you have experienced hate and abuse. It is never OK and I call it out whenever I see it, which is thankfully not often.

Rankine made a stupid mistake and is paying for it, that is fine.

But I will not sit behind my keyboard and vilify him for a mistake he made and has been punished for. I know nothing of the struggles he has gone through in his life that may have led him to this WRONG action. I am not in a position to judge him - the AFL are, and have and for me that is end of story.

What pisses me off is the clamour of posters racing to show how virtuous they are by condemning him (and the Adelaide Crows) rather than accepting that the action has been deemed unacceptable and he has been punished accordingly.

As I said, I am old. Now where are some clouds!

 

[freo_leo29]

I really don't move in those circles where people say one thing to one group of people and another thing to another group of people. I do have extended family who do though but I don't see them very often as they think they're better than me.

You can't know that, thats all im saying

 

[serial_thrilla]

Very soft from the AFL.

 

[Spirit Level]

4 weeks more than he should've got

 

[serial_thrilla]

4 weeks more than he should've got

You're cool with homophobia then?

 

[anchor man]

Reading a lot on social media news site etc, there are a lot of people telling people to toughen up princess stuff.
And also many going back to the dim dark days when the saying," sticks and stone may break my bones, but name will never hurt me".All I can say is those that say that must have been real tossers in more ways than one.If you get my drift.
What ever happened to the syaing, never condemn unless you have walked in his/her shoes.Names DO hurt.
The AFL have screwed this up with out doubt.But is that anything strange coming from them!!

 

[Spirit Level]

You're cool with homophobia then?

A weak, unintelligent attempt at a strawman if I've ever seen one.

 

[fleur]

You can't know that, thats all im saying

I do. Not everyone is the same. It's naive to think that everyone has the same world view. You can't put people in boxes due to this either, people aren't one dimensional.

 

[serial_thrilla]

A weak, unintelligent attempt at a strawman if I've ever seen one.

If I said what Rankine said at my place of work I'd be in all sorts of shit. I have no idea why you think AFL players should get away with that sort of behaviour.

You breaking out the personal insults towards me certainly doesn't improve your standing here.

 

[The Lobbster]

A weak, unintelligent attempt at a strawman if I've ever seen one.

Well what did you mean when you said Rankine got 4 more weeks than he should’ve got?

Either you think what Rankine did wasn’t bad or you think it was bad and a suspension is an inappropriate punishment.

Which is it?

 

[Spirit Level]

If I said what Rankine said at my place of work I'd be in all sorts of shit. I have no idea why you think AFL players should get away with that sort of behaviour.

You breaking out the personal insults towards me certainly doesn't improve your standing here.

Massive fines, education, public apology, contributions/attendance to community outreach programs/donations ect.

Suspensions should be for football acts, this wasn't a football act.

 

[DeanS]

Massive fines, education, public apology, contributions/attendance to community outreach programs/donations ect.

Suspensions should be for football acts, this wasn't a football act.

Is taking performance enhancing drugs a football act?

 

[serial_thrilla]

Massive fines, education, public apology, contributions/attendance to community outreach programs/donations ect.

Suspensions should be for football acts, this wasn't a football act.

Fair point.

I suppose the counter to that is that the penalty needs to be something that the player values, and needs to be a disincentive. The impact of fines can vary depending on the player's salary; a $10k fine would be horrific for a rookie, but someone like Rankine would barely notice.

I'd hope that education about this is something every AFL player receives annually, and that Rankine has to do the other things you listed on top of the four week suspension.

 

[serial_thrilla]

Is taking performance enhancing drugs a football act?

Yes. Recreational drugs are probably another matter though.