Its not kids being kids, its a douche being a douche. 99% of 18-21yo are fully productive members of society who are working hard to earn a living. So this argument about too much pressure on young kids in the AFL is silly. Do people think Med / Vet school would be any easier? Year 12 is consistently suggested as way to much pressure for 17yo. So yeah an an 18yo highly paid AFL footballer trumps them all.....please.
Being an AFL player isn't hard work? I know it's a dream 'job' for lots of these guys but they have the risk of injury, or just not being good enough - and then it's over. Not the most stable career.
That age range is still when the brain is developing - it's a fact that young people find it harder managing emotions, handling risks etc. There's a reason why car rental companies don't usually rent out to under 25's (if they do it's pricey)
Is it a douche being a douche? Possible. It's silly to pretend that hard working, productive members of society in that age range don't mess up sometimes too.
There's no excuse for it - he has to take responsibility for his actions, sometimes there's other factors that come into it though. The fact he hasn't been in trouble before and that he's young. If he does it again he'll be a certified douche.