Roast AFL PR Virtual Signalling

[adelaidecrows]

Was incredibly disappointed to read that Rankine almost walked away from the game by the industry willing to basically smash a player for virtue signalling purposes. The AFL need to hear what Rankine said from a players perspective about how being railroaded as part of a PR exercise really does damage the players mental well being and frankly this should be a wake up call to the AFL. It wont but it should be. Im not saying dont punish players but FFS dont treat them like garbage and allow the media to shit all over them. This is why it should be kept in house and not leaked to the media. If you want to lose the games biggest stars the modern way society operates, it will start to happen if they continue this way.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/wanted-to-quit-izak-rankine-breaks-silence-on-homophobic-slur-ban/news-story/0b9a0156ecb6359bc4466fd6a81e6c39?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

[Mutineer]

Was incredibly disappointed to read that Rankine almost walked away from the game by the industry willing to basically smash a player for virtue signalling purposes. The AFL need to hear what Rankine said from a players perspective about how being railroaded as part of a PR exercise really does damage the players mental well being and frankly this should be a wake up call to the AFL. It wont but it should be. Im not saying dont punish players but FFS dont treat them like garbage and allow the media to shit all over them. This is why it should be kept in house and not leaked to the media. If you want to lose the games biggest stars the modern way society operates, it will start to happen if they continue this way.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/wanted-to-quit-izak-rankine-breaks-silence-on-homophobic-slur-ban/news-story/0b9a0156ecb6359bc4466fd6a81e6c39?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Why not watch the whole Izak Rankine interview on former player Tommy Sheridan's podcast Ausamerican Aces on YouTube, goes for over an hour and I found it very enlightening regards getting to know Izak. Tommy does some great interviews with elite sports people on his podcast.

 

[radiojake]

Was incredibly disappointed to read that Rankine almost walked away from the game by the industry willing to basically smash a player for virtue signalling purposes. The AFL need to hear what Rankine said from a players perspective about how being railroaded as part of a PR exercise really does damage the players mental well being and frankly this should be a wake up call to the AFL. It wont but it should be. Im not saying dont punish players but FFS dont treat them like garbage and allow the media to shit all over them. This is why it should be kept in house and not leaked to the media. If you want to lose the games biggest stars the modern way society operates, it will start to happen if they continue this way.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/wanted-to-quit-izak-rankine-breaks-silence-on-homophobic-slur-ban/news-story/0b9a0156ecb6359bc4466fd6a81e6c39?utm_source=chatgpt.com

I don't think you can just put the AFL suspending a player for a homophobic remark as 'virtue signalling' - He had to be suspended. In every workplace in the country you'd be in hot water for saying that to a colleague

Was the media circus the AFL's fault? Maybe - The whole process of it taking a week or more to play definitely was and didn't help - Plenty of things to be critical of from every direction

But virtue signalling? I dunno, you may as well just come out with 'PC OUT OF CONTROL' rant and reads like you don't think Izak did anything wrong

 

[Stephen2]

I'm a naive commie lefty on nearly every issue, and think calling people nasty names is horrible, and some words are worse than others. I think some punishment is justified even for name calling.

But:

1. The punishment is way too much, when you can knock someone out with a deliberate punch to the head and get less
2. The absolute FRENZY of every side of media/AFL/whoever to show they're better than Izak and he's the worst person in the world and etc... wow... it was eye opening and horrible. No debasement was enough. WTF society, that's not OK either, and therefore I agree with OPs post & sentiment.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Hate the clickbaity headlines that the media outles been running with after this podcast. Like why don't they run with the headline that he stated he's learned from his mistakes and that he's not a victim? (well we do know I guess, they want maximum interactions)

Running with the 'I wanted to retire' quote (completely out of context btw) only sets up Izak for more internet slander

 

[MrBarry]

1. The absolute FRENZY of every side of media/AFL/whoever to show they're better than Izak and he's the worst person in the world and etc... wow... it was eye opening and horrible. No debasement was enough. WTF society, that's not OK either, and therefore I agree with OPs post & sentiment.

I'd consider myself left or progressive on most issues, however people clamouring over each other to prove how "anti homophobic they were" in a pissing contest for who could shout for the longest punishment - was pathetic.

It was literally just tribal bullshit and was purely about a public stoning of Rankine because he was high profile. Can guarantee that most of the people wailing about it, haven't thought about the gay community for a second since it happened.

 

[Golumless]

Maybe don't be a dickhead?

The AFL made it abundantly clear they were whacking anyone who threw out those insults, plus there are a million others. Rankine also had time to correct this behaviour, and I do quietly wonder if we had let it slide in the past.

Hopefully, he learns because he did cost us a finals series from what was effectively arrogance. He does get a bit of a redemption arc once he starts putting up big numbers; playing well does cure all ills.

 

[Crom1995]

Was incredibly disappointed to read that Rankine almost walked away from the game by the industry willing to basically smash a player for virtue signalling purposes. The AFL need to hear what Rankine said from a players perspective about how being railroaded as part of a PR exercise really does damage the players mental well being and frankly this should be a wake up call to the AFL. It wont but it should be. Im not saying dont punish players but FFS dont treat them like garbage and allow the media to shit all over them. This is why it should be kept in house and not leaked to the media. If you want to lose the games biggest stars the modern way society operates, it will start to happen if they continue this way.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/wanted-to-quit-izak-rankine-breaks-silence-on-homophobic-slur-ban/news-story/0b9a0156ecb6359bc4466fd6a81e6c39?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Calling accountability for homophobia “virtue signalling” completely misses the point. The precedent was already set — other players have been suspended for the same language, so this wasn’t some PR stunt aimed at Rankine personally.

As someone still playing footy, I can tell you there’s still a long way to go inside clubs when it comes to this sort of behaviour. I’ve personally seen players walk away from teams and from the game altogether because of comments about their sexuality — so calling it “virtue signalling” ignores the real impact it has on people.

I’m glad Rankine showed remorse, because growth matters, but he wasn’t the victim here — Quaynor was. The precedent was already set, and holding players accountable isn’t about tearing the game down; it’s about making sure everyone actually feels safe being part of it. If we want footy to keep evolving, we have to be honest about the culture and be willing to challenge it.

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

I'm a naive commie lefty on nearly every issue, and think calling people nasty names is horrible, and some words are worse than others. I think some punishment is justified even for name calling.

But:

1. The punishment is way too much, when you can knock someone out with a deliberate punch to the head and get less
2. The absolute FRENZY of every side of media/AFL/whoever to show they're better than Izak and he's the worst person in the world and etc... wow... it was eye opening and horrible. No debasement was enough. WTF society, that's not OK either, and therefore I agree with OPs post & sentiment.

The punishment was fine but media's discussion was a bit much.

Trying to drag the it out for weeks, having Mcguire, Wilson and Morris pushing it the hardest was nauseating after all 3 have publicly said some very un-PC things.

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

Hate the clickbaity headlines that the media outles been running with after this podcast. Like why don't they run with the headline that he stated he's learned from his mistakes and that he's not a victim? (well we do know I guess, they want maximum interactions)

Running with the 'I wanted to retire' quote (completely out of context btw) only sets up Izak for more internet slander

and did happen

 

[adelaidecrows]

Hate the clickbaity headlines that the media outles been running with after this podcast. Like why don't they run with the headline that he stated he's learned from his mistakes and that he's not a victim? (well we do know I guess, they want maximum interactions)

Running with the 'I wanted to retire' quote (completely out of context btw) only sets up Izak for more internet slander

All I'm saying is the mere fact it may have crossed his mind signals his mental well being. And yes he is a victim of the AFL running to the media and leaking it and then allowing said media to rip his character apart. It was ridiculous and frankly the AFL owe him an apology

 

[adelaidecrows]

Calling accountability for homophobia “virtue signalling” completely misses the point. The precedent was already set — other players have been suspended for the same language, so this wasn’t some PR stunt aimed at Rankine personally.

As someone still playing footy, I can tell you there’s still a long way to go inside clubs when it comes to this sort of behaviour. I’ve personally seen players walk away from teams and from the game altogether because of comments about their sexuality — so calling it “virtue signalling” ignores the real impact it has on people.

I’m glad Rankine showed remorse, because growth matters, but he wasn’t the victim here — Quaynor was. The precedent was already set, and holding players accountable isn’t about tearing the game down; it’s about making sure everyone actually feels safe being part of it. If we want footy to keep evolving, we have to be honest about the culture and be willing to challenge it.

My post said punish him did it not? My argument was the AFL leaking it was 100% virtue signalling. They were willing to basically throw Rankine out of the game with this activity. If it was called for him to be deregistered the AFL would have done it. It's that simple. They ran to the media to get the media to dictate the punishment

 

[cmndstab]

I haven't watched the interview, but my impression from reading the article wasn't that he was considering retiring because of the severity of the punishment. It was because he was ashamed of his actions and now the entire football public knew about them.

What is your suggestion? Should they have done nothing?

 

[cmndstab]

My post said punish him did it not? My argument was the AFL leaking it was 100% virtue signalling. They were willing to basically throw Rankine out of the game with this activity. If it was called for him to be deregistered the AFL would have done it. It's that simple. They ran to the media to get the media to dictate the punishment

I don't think this is true. There was an established punishment from previous incidents, and they essentially gave the same punishment again. Most of the vitriol in the media was directed at the Crows themselves for what was perceived as an attempt to wriggle out of accountability.

It was sloppy and unprofessional that the result got leaked, but it wasn't "virtue signalling". Frankly, that's a term that gets thrown around a lot, and 99% of the time what it really means is "I liked things better when the people I support weren't held to account for their actions".

 

[Crom1995]

My post said punish him did it not? My argument was the AFL leaking it was 100% virtue signalling. They were willing to basically throw Rankine out of the game with this activity. If it was called for him to be deregistered the AFL would have done it. It's that simple. They ran to the media to get the media to dictate the punishment

What do you mean leaking it though? Everyone wants transparency, and if Rankine had been sanctioned for an undefined reason, you would have wanted to know what he did. Unfortunately the media and the media literacy of those that access it are largely responsible for some of the discourse you're referring to.

As I said, there were multiple players prior to Rankine that had been sanctioned for the same act, the precedent in terms of punishment had already been established. He was actually incredibly lucky he only received 4 weeks compared to some others.

 

[cmndstab]

The punishment was fine but media's discussion was a bit much.

Trying to drag the it out for weeks, having Mcguire, Wilson and Morris pushing it the hardest was nauseating after all 3 have publicly said some very un-PC things.

The media discussion was painful at the time, but it wasn't hardly dragged out for "weeks". The incident happened on August 16th, and the penalty came down on August 20th (or possibly 21st - I think it was announced in the media on the 20th and formally announced on the 21st?)

Fully agreed that many of the commentators who came out the hardest were throwing stones from within very brittle glass houses.

 

[cmndstab]

What do you mean leaking it though? Everyone wants transparency, and if Rankine had been sanctioned for an undefined reason, you would have wanted to know what he did. Unfortunately the media and the media literacy of those that access it are largely responsible for some of the discourse you're referring to.

The leaking part was the fact that McGuire was able to come out and announce the penalty before it was formally released. Which meant that the AFL was communicating with the media during the process. It was unprofessional and grubby, which is par for the course for the AFL.

 

[BRL121]

Was incredibly disappointed to read that Rankine almost walked away from the game by the industry willing to basically smash a player for virtue signalling purposes. The AFL need to hear what Rankine said from a players perspective about how being railroaded as part of a PR exercise really does damage the players mental well being and frankly this should be a wake up call to the AFL. It wont but it should be. Im not saying dont punish players but FFS dont treat them like garbage and allow the media to shit all over them. This is why it should be kept in house and not leaked to the media. If you want to lose the games biggest stars the modern way society operates, it will start to happen if they continue this way.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/wanted-to-quit-izak-rankine-breaks-silence-on-homophobic-slur-ban/news-story/0b9a0156ecb6359bc4466fd6a81e6c39?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Take this thread to the backyard!

We're all sick of this stuff and completely aware of each other's views on the topic. Now the discussion has started all over again and the usual suspects have already jumped in.

 

[Crom1995]

The leaking part was the fact that McGuire was able to come out and announce the penalty before it was formally released. Which meant that the AFL was communicating with the media during the process. It was unprofessional and grubby, which is par for the course for the AFL.

Most things that McGuire gets his hands on is grubby, unfortunately not only did the slur occur, it occurred against Collingwood.

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

The media discussion was painful at the time, but it wasn't hardly dragged out for "weeks". The incident happened on August 16th, and the penalty came down on August 20th (or possibly 21st - I think it was announced in the media on the 20th and formally announced on the 21st?)

Fully agreed that many of the commentators who came out the hardest were throwing stones from within very brittle glass houses.

They kept talking about it after the decision had come down and saying he needed to do a press conference apology when no other player did.

a lot of star player tax on this one.

 

[cmndstab]

They kept talking about it after the decision had come down and saying he needed to do a press conference apology when no other player did.

a lot of star player tax on this one.

That was just a media circus, not something directed by the AFL. But I agree, his high profile increased the scrutiny.

Most things that McGuire gets his hands on is grubby, unfortunately not only did the slur occur, it occurred against Collingwood.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that Rankine should have been held to account. But it should have been handled in-house until the suspension was announced.

 

[Samcro24]

Grubby media circus plus massive social media pile on over something that should have stayed on the field and handled privately.

 

[ftmch]

Calling accountability for homophobia “virtue signalling” completely misses the point. The precedent was already set — other players have been suspended for the same language, so this wasn’t some PR stunt aimed at Rankine personally.

As someone still playing footy, I can tell you there’s still a long way to go inside clubs when it comes to this sort of behaviour. I’ve personally seen players walk away from teams and from the game altogether because of comments about their sexuality — so calling it “virtue signalling” ignores the real impact it has on people.

I’m glad Rankine showed remorse, because growth matters, but he wasn’t the victim here — Quaynor was. The precedent was already set, and holding players accountable isn’t about tearing the game down; it’s about making sure everyone actually feels safe being part of it. If we want footy to keep evolving, we have to be honest about the culture and be willing to challenge it.

Agree Ranks wasn't the victim, but not sure Quaynor was either?

 

[Danger in Texas]

Also while we’re on the topic

 

[StonesThrow]

It's okay to whinge about media beat ups so long as you're not reading all the bullshit and constantly talking about it. That hunger for drama is what drove the media to tabloid status in the first place.