Prediction DRAFT POLL_PICK #5_FINAL

[therubbernub]

Rubbish. Your post directly stated that SPS was not going No. 1 in the draft because of the view (among those responsible for drafting) that indigenous players might go walkabout, etc. Such an attitude (which no doubt has existed - see matt Rendell) is demonstrably racist.

And what explanation other than racism do you think would cause SPS to be under valued "due to being a remote aboriginal."

Please try to make sense.



The vehemence of my response (instructive as it is) is NOT directed to "any hint of accusation of racism". Indeed, if you comprehended my post I acknowledged it would be naive to think racism did not exist.

The vehemence of my response is directed to the complete absence of any justification by you of the lazy racist slur you cast upon AFL recruiters in general.

Why lazy, you aks? Because you gave no evidence to justify it. I explained how you might try to do so, though for myself I was unable to.

It doesnt have to be racist . It can be a dangerfield wanting to move back home from Adelaide. Merely acknowledging that indigenous players from far north may have ties that pull them back home is hardly a race specific thing is it? You cannot deny that the indigenous lifestyle (sorry "way of living ") is much further removed from living in melbourne than say a boy from adelaide moving to melbourne. To my way of thinking, the BIGGER the difference in the way the person lives his life, the bigger the chance he will miss it. In this case his race is incidental . I dont think an acknowledgement of a players family roots and pull back home is necessarily racist

 

[Windhover]

It doesnt have to be racist . It can be a dangerfield wanting to move back home from Adelaide. Merely acknowledging that indigenous players from far north may have ties that pull them back home is hardly a race specific thing is it? You cannot deny that the indigenous lifestyle (sorry "way of living ") is much further removed from living in melbourne than say a boy from adelaide moving to melbourne. To my way of thinking, the BIGGER the difference in the way the person lives his life, the bigger the chance he will miss it. In this case his race is incidental . I dont think an acknowledgement of a players family roots and pull back home is necessarily racist

I agree entirely. Sam Smart was recruited by us from Adelaide. it wasn't that he was from Adelaide that was the problem. The problem was he wanted to be a doctor. Big risk. We lost. Smart became a doctor. An indigenous kid who just wants to live in his country represents a similar type of risk, no doubt.

The point of my discussion with DRJ (well it would be a discussion except he doesn't respond to argument except by mischaracterisation, trivialisation, abuse and running away) was to invite him to provide evidence to his claim that SPS was undervalued as a draft pick because of the racist opinion among AFL recruiters that he would go walkabout. Needless to say DRJ has not provided any evidence to support his claim..

I disagree with DRJ and showed, by reference to past drafts, indigenous players who were high draft picks. I also explained to DRJ what sort of evidence I would think he would need to justify his opinion.
(And for the record, for those who do "nuance", I am very happy to have SPS. He would have been my second choice with pick 1 so I DO think he went cheaply. But I have no basis for thinking he went cheaply to us because of ingrained racism. Just that other players suited other clubs needs more.}

 

[Windhover]

I would suggest it is risk management. But cry racism, because nothing shuts down discussion quicker than using terms like racism, sexism, homophobism, etc...

Which is regrettable. There is nothing wrong with applying such labels - when you have evidence to back it up. It is when people cry racism, sexism, etc and no basis for backing it up (as I believe is the case here with DRJ's claim of racism) that discussion is reduced to farce. The racism confronting Adam Goodes following his "war dance" after kicking a goal is a good example of evidence-based racism - though many pretend not to see it.