Analysis Four Corners Story on Homophobia

[Sharaz Jek]

Did anyone catch Louise Milligan' report on Four Corners about homophobia in the AFL?

I am posting on this forum because Akermanis and Murphy both feature at around 18:00.

Four Corners

Four Corners is the home of Australian investigative journalism. These fearless and forensic documentaries expose scandals, trigger inquiries, fire debate and confront taboos.

iview.abc.net.au

I truly think Milligan is deeply naive in her assumptions about the Bulldogs and its culture at the time.

Was Bob Murphy angry because he perceived that Akermanis' piece was homophobic ... or because Akermanis was a distraction to the club as it struggled for finals contention?

I don't know. It could be both. We might never know, but the question needed to be asked.

On the podcast "Sacked", Brendan McCartney spoke on the lack of character of some members of that group (and his own role in elevating them further) and he was never even at the club when Akermanis was a player.

Will Minson

Will Minson

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106kg

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Career

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Last 5

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11.2

3star

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6.0

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5.2

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3.5

5star

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21.3

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3.4

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2.0

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1.4

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HO

7.4

5star

had repeatedly vilified players' families, including making a disparaging remark about a player's mother, and he was not only one of the key drivers of the Bulldogs culture within its leadership group but was also named as vice-president of the AFL Players' Association.

Did Bob Murphy speak out against Minson?

No, Murphy has called Minson a "kind soul" and has repeatedly defended the ruckman - then and after retirement.

Please don't think I am trying to stir up trouble or troll, but I do think that this is worthy of debate given the unchallenged assumptions in Milligan's reporting.

 

[TiAn_]

Did anyone catch Louise Milligan' report on Four Corners about homophobia in the AFL?

I am posting on this forum because Akermanis and Murphy both feature at around 18:00.

Four Corners

Four Corners is the home of Australian investigative journalism. These fearless and forensic documentaries expose scandals, trigger inquiries, fire debate and confront taboos.

iview.abc.net.au

I truly think Milligan is deeply naive in her assumptions about the Bulldogs and its culture at the time.

Was Bob Murphy angry because he perceived that Akermanis' piece was homophobic ... or because Akermanis was a distraction to the club as it struggled for finals contention?

I don't know. It could be both. We might never know, but the question needed to be asked.

He was quite clearly angry about Akermanis’ comments, which related to the point of the show. Why would they need to show Murphy commenting on Akermanis generally?

As you note Akermanis was interviewed too, so we got to hear his views directly. Personally thought he came across as careless and ignorant.

On the podcast "Sacked", Brendan McCartney spoke on the lack of character of some members of that group (and his own role in elevating them further) and he was never even at the club when Akermanis was a player.

Assume this is a reference to Griffen, not Murphy. Perhaps Minson? In any event, McCartney only had himself to blame for his exit and he reduced the club to its lowest ebb in the modern era. Proof was in the pudding after he left.

Will Minson had repeatedly vilified players' families, including making a disparaging remark about a player's mother, and he was not only one of the key drivers of the Bulldogs culture within its leadership group but was also named as vice-president of the AFL Players' Association.

Everyone is well aware of the Cornes and Pearce incidents. The leadership group suspended Minson for the Pearce incident. Minson was otherwise seemingly held in pretty high regard by players within and without the Bulldogs.

Did Bob Murphy speak out against Minson?

No, Murphy has called Minson a "kind soul" and has repeatedly defended the ruckman - then and after retirement.

Murphy has acknowledged that Minson crossed the line in those two sledging incidents. He has said he’s otherwise a good person. Minson has done a lot of work with indigenous communities and organisations, among other things. He seems to be a genuinely good person.

Please don't think I am trying to stir up trouble or troll, but I do think that this is worthy of debate given the unchallenged assumptions in Milligan's reporting.

I don’t think there was any assumption that this might have been the only topic in which Murphy and Akermanis disagreed, so what needed to be challenged?

 

[Sharaz Jek]

I don’t think there was any assumption that this might have been the only topic in which Murphy and Akermanis disagreed, so what needed to be challenged?

There was no context provided.

Just a declaration that Murphy was part of the leadership group and that the story "led to a breakdown in trust".

"Trust"? Between Akermanis and the dogs? When was there even an establishment of "trust"?

Never.

It is more than clear that Akermanis' lack of transparency in dealing with the club (as well as its impact on team harmony) was at the final straw, along with his poor form in 2010.

That would make for a more interesting, truthful examination of the events (that certain behavior is tolerated when the individual can back it up with on-field performance).

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Did anyone catch Louise Milligan' report on Four Corners about homophobia in the AFL?

I am posting on this forum because Akermanis and Murphy both feature at around 18:00.

Four Corners

Four Corners is the home of Australian investigative journalism. These fearless and forensic documentaries expose scandals, trigger inquiries, fire debate and confront taboos.

iview.abc.net.au

I truly think Milligan is deeply naive in her assumptions about the Bulldogs and its culture at the time.

Was Bob Murphy angry because he perceived that Akermanis' piece was homophobic ... or because Akermanis was a distraction to the club as it struggled for finals contention?

I don't know. It could be both. We might never know, but the question needed to be asked.

On the podcast "Sacked", Brendan McCartney spoke on the lack of character of some members of that group (and his own role in elevating them further) and he was never even at the club when Akermanis was a player.

Will Minson had repeatedly vilified players' families, including making a disparaging remark about a player's mother, and he was not only one of the key drivers of the Bulldogs culture within its leadership group but was also named as vice-president of the AFL Players' Association.

Did Bob Murphy speak out against Minson?

No, Murphy has called Minson a "kind soul" and has repeatedly defended the ruckman - then and after retirement.

Please don't think I am trying to stir up trouble or troll, but I do think that this is worthy of debate given the unchallenged assumptions in Milligan's reporting.

Aker was asked to write a piece that was positive on gay players, instead he wrote that homophobia piece, which as Bob said betrayed the trust of the football club, he couldn’t be trusted after that it was always about Aker.

 

[Dazb86]

No idea about the internal workings of the club. I do know Aker had problems with people pretty much from the moment he started at the Dogs though.

 

[maddog37]

No idea about the internal workings of the club. I do know Aker had problems with people pretty much.


Fixed it for you.

 

[Sentinel]

Akermanis is proof that the club does not actually have a "no dickheads policy" which often gets mentioned on here.

He's an all time dickhead and we knew that when we recruited him. That interview last night (albeit possibly selectively edited) only adds to the mountain of evidence.

 

[TiAn_]

There was no context provided.

Just a declaration that Murphy was part of the leadership group and that the story "led to a breakdown in trust".

"Trust"? Between Akermanis and the dogs? When was there even an establishment of "trust"?

Never.

It is more than clear that Akermanis' lack of transparency in dealing with the club (as well as its impact on team harmony) was at the final straw, along with his poor form in 2010.

That would make for a more interesting, truthful examination of the events (that certain behavior is tolerated when the individual can back it up with on-field performance).

The show was about the lack of gay/queer representation in the men’s AFL comp, not Alermanis, all of the factors in his exit and whether being talented buys your more credits with a football club. It very uncontroversially does at every club.

Can’t imagine anyone else would have wanted that episode to waste time on that unrelated topic.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Louise Milligan has done some great work.
But having read her online piece on the ABC site this morning, she almost sounds obsessed with having a player (preferably current but spoke to anonymous past players she identified as gay) out themselves. While at the same time pointing out why they wouldn't in the current AFL and club environment! The first player to take on that responsibility will need a capacity to take on all the feedback and noise - positive, negative and outright vitriolic - that we all know will come with that action. I feel for them in advance, but I'm not sure Milligan's current reporting tenor will facilitate that outcome. If anything, AFL and clubs seem to have doubled-down in response to her prodding. Maybe her work will drive a follow up that succeeds, but she sounds like she's angling for accusatory action to drive change. Her heart is probably in the right place, but needs a broader engagement. IMO anyway, FWIW.

 

[dogwatch]

Louise Milligan has done some great work.
But having read her online piece on the ABC site this morning, she almost sounds obsessed with having a player (preferably current but spoke to anonymous past players she identified as gay) out themselves. While at the same time pointing out why they wouldn't in the current AFL and club environment! The first player to take on that responsibility will need a capacity to take on all the feedback and noise - positive, negative and outright vitriolic - that we all know will come with that action. I feel for them in advance, but I'm not sure Milligan's current reporting tenor will facilitate that outcome. If anything, AFL and clubs seem to have doubled-down in response to her prodding. Maybe her work will drive a follow up that succeeds, but she sounds like she's angling for accusatory action to drive change. Her heart is probably in the right place, but needs a broader engagement. IMO anyway, FWIW.

Excellent and fair summary.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Excellent and fair summary.

Thank you dogwatch

 

[Zeno The Great]

Anyone who has had anything to do with aker knows he's a AAA grade flog of the highest order who only is interested in looking after 1 person. Himself.

 

[BulldogMuscle]

Akermanis is proof that the club does not actually have a "no dickheads policy" which often gets mentioned on here.

He's an all time dickhead and we knew that when we recruited him. That interview last night (albeit possibly selectively edited) only adds to the mountain of evidence.

''No Dickheads'' policy is a recent Bevo thing, before that, we loved them, hell we recruited the Rat Pack for a reason.

 

[geoffjennings79]

''No Dickheads'' policy is a recent Bevo thing, before that, we loved them, hell we recruited the Rat Pack for a reason.

Lots of other failings - LOTS - but "no dickheads" was a McCartney mantra. So was contested footy, another tick, but also "goals will look after themselves" - which Bevo sides have adopted in recent years. They're looking after themselves somewhere else sadly.

 

[VitalDread]

''No Dickheads'' policy is a recent Bevo thing, before that, we loved them, hell we recruited the Rat Pack for a reason.

I miss the Brodie Moles era

 

[BulldogMuscle]

I miss the Brodie Moles era

That's a name I have not heard in a long time.

 

[BrisDog]

Louise Milligan has done some great work.
But having read her online piece on the ABC site this morning, she almost sounds obsessed with having a player (preferably current but spoke to anonymous past players she identified as gay) out themselves. While at the same time pointing out why they wouldn't in the current AFL and club environment! The first player to take on that responsibility will need a capacity to take on all the feedback and noise - positive, negative and outright vitriolic - that we all know will come with that action. I feel for them in advance, but I'm not sure Milligan's current reporting tenor will facilitate that outcome. If anything, AFL and clubs seem to have doubled-down in response to her prodding. Maybe her work will drive a follow up that succeeds, but she sounds like she's angling for accusatory action to drive change. Her heart is probably in the right place, but needs a broader engagement. IMO anyway, FWIW.

I have found Milligan to go a bit hard at times without firm/solid evidence in some of her stories, I’m not referring to Monday’s episode here - it would be a tough job to be her manager/editor.

Alot of her Parliament House story was legitimate but a lot of it was grey and based on he said/she said. Is that standard of proof good enough for the ABC? I don’t think so. Nevertheless lives and careers were lost.

Aker continues to be a dickhead. That comes across in the Four Corners piece. He always has been. However his opinion is probably about where the average male in his electorate in Brisbane holds.

 

[Here we go dogs]

Lots of other failings - LOTS - but "no dickheads" was a McCartney mantra. So was contested footy, another tick, but also "goals will look after themselves" - which Bevo sides have adopted in recent years. They're looking after themselves somewhere else sadly.

We did have some questionable characters come through during the McCartney era.

I remember seeing Dahlhouse out at a club the night before a game in 2013.

I know we had some drug issues around that time aswell.

 

[Here we go dogs]

I miss the Brodie Moles era

If he had his s**t together he would’ve been a decent player.

Our recruiting in the late 2000’s was genuinely deplorable. They obviously didn’t care for character especially with some of the trade ins.

 

[Dazb86]

If he had his s**t together he would’ve been a decent player.

Our recruiting in the late 2000’s was genuinely deplorable. They obviously didn’t care for character especially with some of the trade ins.

Guy O'Keefe

 

[Here we go dogs]

Guy O'Keefe

Despite what he did, I think Moles was a bigger cancer than O’Keefe.

I think Moles had more influence over a young impressionable group at the time (2011-2012). I think he (and Christian Howard) were with libba at tramp when he got found by the cops in a gutter.

The team was luckily very mature when O’Keefe was around so his influence would have been minimal.

 

[Here we go dogs]

Despite what he did, I think Moles was a bigger cancer than O’Keefe.

I think Moles had more influence over a young impressionable group at the time (2011-2012). I think he (and Christian Howard) were with libba at tramp when he got found by the cops in a gutter.

The team was luckily very mature when O’Keefe was around so his influence would have been minimal.

B-Mac could rightfully see through Moles’ issues and blacklisted him from the side in 2012. Even though he was good enough talent wise to play.

 

[Dazb86]

Despite what he did, I think Moles was a bigger cancer than O’Keefe.

I think Moles had more influence over a young impressionable group at the time (2011-2012). I think he (and Christian Howard) were with libba at tramp when he got found by the cops in a gutter.

The team was luckily very mature when O’Keefe was around so his influence would have been minimal.

We had a fair few cooked units at the club for a while. Couple of the early retirements were more than likely culture related.

 

[Mofra]

No idea about the internal workings of the club. I do know Aker had problems with people pretty much from the moment he started at the Dogs though.

He's very busy post-AFL in getting banned from various golf courses around Australia.

 

[Mofra]

Despite what he did, I think Moles was a bigger cancer than O’Keefe.

I think Moles had more influence over a young impressionable group at the time (2011-2012). I think he (and Christian Howard) were with libba at tramp when he got found by the cops in a gutter.

The team was luckily very mature when O’Keefe was around so his influence would have been minimal.

O'Keefe copped Johnno's elbow to the throat and told in 'forceful' terms that he would not play seniors while Johno was on the list.

Sadly for Guy, he hasn't turned it around and got worse post-AFL career.

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Then there were rumours he was belted with a hammer a couple of years back over drug money debts.