Scandal Eddie Slams Internet Rumours About Gay Players

[Nebular]

Why are some people still fascinated by what consenting adults do to each others bodies?

I've got as much interest in male player A shagging male player B as I have in males and females shagging or in what is going on with the royals- zero.

Yep. Who cares where someone else likes to put their genitals.

 

[Aussie in exile]

One of the few areas in which rugby league actually made good strides. Though it helped that the first player to come out happened to be also one of its most feared, Ian Roberts. The bloke was a wrecking ball.

And looked what happened to Garry Jack when he teased Roberts about it.
I think the message got out very quickly and no one said anything like that to him again to his face.
I don't think we have any gay players who are as tough as Roberts and i think that's why none has come out yet, but gay people are in every walk of life and that includes Australian League football.

 

[GreyCrow]

I think there is mixed messages at times. Everyone says , and mostly means it , they are ok if someone comes out. Yet there would still be sfellows and questions over squirrel grips and tackles.

There was some concern over the possible sexual overtones in the aflw over a tackle and comment. Imagine that in the blokey world of football.

Hopoate is a dirty mongrel , if he came out then it changes everyones perception of his actions. (not that it should)

*Hopoate inserted his index finger into the bum of an opponent to put them off the game

 

[MasterSamurai]

So there are gay players in the Afl?
No wonder there's so much congestion out on the field.

 

[Gough]

Or they could make a shitload of $$$'s in media appearances, tell all docos, books ext

I reckon you're overestimating public interest these days, there's always going to be a New Idea end of the market but they're the only ones who'd be interested in a footballer and his boyfriend. The ones who it'll make an actual difference to are the gay kids who might be doing it a bit tough, and can see a gay male role model in sport because they're still few and far between.

 

[Juggs Magnetic]

The only negative with gay AFL players is a reduced chance of father son draft picks.
But really, as a society we need to get over this obsession. Why does anyone care?
Hopefully, in a few years time we can look back and marvel at how stupid this whole thing is.

 

[Obzerva]

How about all gay players come out at the same time, like 20 at once to take the focus off any individual?

I agree with this, if no one wants to be the first, then a number could.
The AFLPA association could help facilitate it if they were concerned about the potential handling of it.
Wouldn't make it exclusive to one media outlet either, just call a press conference with little notice, that way it wouldn't have days of speculation, it would all happen with less fuss.

 

[GreyCrow]

I agree with this, if no one wants to be the first, then a number could.
The AFLPA association could help facilitate it if they were concerned about the potential handling of it.
Wouldn't make it exclusive to one media outlet either, just call a press conference with little notice, that way it wouldn't have days of speculation, it would all happen with less fuss.

One of the Bye weekends

 

[Leeda]

don't push it.. doesn't have to be in their footy lifetime. they can wait until it is all over or else well like you say it can
be done as a group if there is such a group who knows each other.

can't see it as being anything other than a media stunt any way it is done.

but the more it is put out there that everyone doesn't have anything against it will make it easier. just finding that avenue tu talk
about it in an unguarded way will push it along. but not too hard and too fast.. no I am not trying to be cute or make obvious
allusions to anything ... but maybe humour is a way to go about it..

 

[Obzerva]

don't push it.. doesn't have to be in their footy lifetime. they can wait until it is all over or else well like you say it can
be done as a group if there is such a group who knows each other.

can't see it as being anything other than a media stunt any way it is done.

but the more it is put out there that everyone doesn't have anything against it will make it easier. just finding that avenue tu talk
about it in an unguarded way will push it along. but not too hard and too fast.. no I am not trying to be cute or make obvious
allusions to anything ... but maybe humour is a way to go about it..

Just had another thought on the back of your reply. Agree, doesn’t have to be done whilst they’re playing.

Another way of not making it a stunt, with players not having to take questions in an organised media event would be to simply have it an ad campaign, the AFL after all does have its Pride Match, if an ad in the lead up to the event was to appear out of nowhere under that theme. Players wouldn’t even have to be in the same location and could be filmed any period in advance. They wouldn’t even have to know who else was participating, maybe just you’ll be one of X number of players participating.

 

[CheapCharlie]

How about all gay players come out at the same time, like 20 at once to take the focus off any individual?

They could come out singing and dancing, kind of like a musical

 

[captain cotch 9]

it would be interesting to see how many people on BF are gay

 

[GreyCrow]

it would be interesting to see how many people on BF are gay

Quite a few I expect. Some are open about it.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

The only negative with gay AFL players is a reduced chance of father son draft picks.
But really, as a society we need to get over this obsession. Why does anyone care?
Hopefully, in a few years time we can look back and marvel at how stupid this whole thing is.

What about adopted children?

 

[Juggs Magnetic]

What about adopted children?

I wonder what the rules are with adopted kids and the father-son rule. Have there been any instances yet that we know of?

 

[Aussie in exile]

Quite a few I expect. Some are open about it.

Are they?

 

[GreyCrow]

Are they?

Yes

 

[Marcus DuQuesne]

One of the few areas in which rugby league actually made good strides. Though it helped that the first player to come out happened to be also one of its most feared, Ian Roberts. The bloke was a wrecking ball.

Lived in Sydney when Roberts played. He was a big man and obviously a forward who took the ball up to take tackles. Was never a wrecking ball. Was a clean talented Rugby League player in an era where a coat hanger tackle By a "Blocker" Roach was still fashionable and very effective. I never saw Roberts as being in your words feared. Apparently his team mates carried sharp sticks into the showers.

 

[PhatBoy]

Lived in Sydney when Roberts played. He was a big man and obviously a forward who took the ball up to take tackles. Was never a wrecking ball. Was a clean talented Rugby League player in an era where a coat hanger tackle By a "Blocker" Roach was still fashionable and very effective. I never saw Roberts as being in your words feared. Apparently his team mates carried sharp sticks into the showers.

Lol.

Mate look up Ian Roberts/Gary Jack.

He was a good player. And a good bloke. He was also an incredibly hard hitter, and one look at the bloke in full shoulder pad mode with the glare paint under his eyes tells you all you need to know about his presence on a footy field.

 

[PhatBoy]

Lived in Sydney when Roberts played. He was a big man and obviously a forward who took the ball up to take tackles. Was never a wrecking ball. Was a clean talented Rugby League player in an era where a coat hanger tackle By a "Blocker" Roach was still fashionable and very effective. I never saw Roberts as being in your words feared. Apparently his team mates carried sharp sticks into the showers.

The bloke could hit like a sledgehammer

 

[Dacksaredown]

So there are gay players in the Afl?
No wonder there's so much congestion out on the field.

There are probably Moore than you'd think.

 

[Marcus DuQuesne]

The bloke could hit like a sledgehammer

Don't really want to argue with you...shoulder charge pretty stock standard and the other was a tackle on a FB who had run half the field and was running out of petrol tickets...as said was a bigman so hits certainly were hard. Went to games where the sound of hits would ring in your ears...no doubt the cross country bum sniffers played for keeps. But there is no reason a " gay" man would not hit just as hard as any hetro bloke. In Rugby you get to see the bloke coming at you so can brace...in AFL they come from any direction...or used to..now it is better to let the opposition take possession and then tackle. I think the shoulder charge was banned from RL...bit like the shirt front and hard hitting bump is gone from the AFL.

 

[Marcus DuQuesne]

Lol.

Mate look up Ian Roberts/Gary Jack.

He was a good player. And a good bloke. He was also an incredibly hard hitter, and one look at the bloke in full shoulder pad mode with the glare paint under his eyes tells you all you need to know about his presence on a footy field.

I actually met Gary Jack...a FB from Balmain a junk yard dog if ever there was one. I did not know he was gay however....Talk about tough I remember a bloke called Price who played for Parramatta. He got knocked out 3 times in a game. They put the smelling salts under his nose and up he jumped..3 times now that is tough! Roberts was 6 5 and about 18 Stone that is big in any code. I lived in Sydney in 80s and early 90's I know who these blokes are.

 

[PhatBoy]

Don't really want to argue with you...shoulder charge pretty stock standard and the other was a tackle on a FB who had run half the field and was running out of petrol tickets...as said was a bigman so hits certainly were hard. Went to games where the sound of hits would ring in your ears...no doubt the cross country bum sniffers played for keeps. But there is no reason a " gay" man would not hit just as hard as any hetro bloke. In Rugby you get to see the bloke coming at you so can brace...in AFL they come from any direction...or used to..now it is better to let the opposition take possession and then tackle. I think the shoulder charge was banned from RL...bit like the shirt front and hard hitting bump is gone from the AFL.

I never said there’s any reason he wouldn’t hit hard because he was gay.

The guy was lauded as the best prop (toughest spot on the field) in the world when he was 21. Played in an era, as you acknowledged, where dirty play was the norm, and still managed to be considered a harder and tougher opponent than blokes like Les Davidson, Paul Sironen etc. Gary Jack wasn’t gay - he made the mistake (allegedly) of calling Ian roberts something derogatory, and ended up having his face smeared all over his skull as a consequence. 8 years later Roberts had to pay him $50k to keep the issue out of court. It was one of the most brutal bashings I’ve seen on a footy field.

 

[1970crow]

Can you imagine the panic inside AFL house if this happened. I would love to be a fly on the wall if something like this happened and the BS they would come out with

Why would the AFL need to come out with BS?