NO TROLLS Homophobia in the AFL - 4 Corners

[phantom13]

Probably hasn't, not my point at all

Murphy being unable to say his name out loud is an absolute joke though

Are you giving Murphy shit for hating Aker?

 

[00Stinger]

Don't forget that a certain AFLW player refused to play in a game where she would have to wear a rainbow flag on her jumper because of cultural reasons

Or Isarael Folau and his remarks a few years back. Or a heap of the NRL players just last year

 

[00Stinger]

Are you giving Murphy s**t for hating Aker?

That wasn't my point either, but now you mention it, maybe?

Thinking he is a dickhead for his comments, agree with him.

Hating him for some ignorant comments, yeah that is over the top.

Being physically unable to say his name for comments made 13 years, 100% over the top from Murphy

 

[puppy_dog7]

I can understand the angst and cautiousness of a gay AFL player publicly coming out, but in all seriousness I think it is completely overblown that the AFL is homophobic. So, just because no player has come out as gay it means the league is homophobic? What if there actually isn't a gay AFL player? it is a possibility.

Yes it was a bit strange to see Dani Laidley come out as a woman, but I don't think anyone gives a **** anymore. The weird thing was more her strange behaviour leading up to that than the actual transition itself.

I have absolutely no doubt that at club land they would be 100% supported by their teammates and club. It is ultimately up to the person whether they want to come out as gay or not. If they feel it doesn't need to be a public issue than fair enough, respect their decision.
Ultimately, 98% of the population could not give 2 ****s whether someone is gay or not. Yes, there is still a stigma in society for some but honestly it is 2023.

I find it very strange that Bob Murphy states "I want someone from my club to be gay, it would be like a superpower for the team" Like wtf does that even mean? Bit of a weird statement. It just feels over the top and almost bordering on virtue signalling. By saying things like that, i feel he is making even more of a big deal of it, when in reality it shouldn't be a big deal at all, just accepted.

 

[phantom13]

That wasn't my point either, but now you mention it, maybe?

Thinking he is a dickhead for his comments, agree with him.

Hating him for some ignorant comments, yeah that is over the top.

Being physically unable to say his name for comments made 13 years, 100% over the top from Murphy

Is the bolded your point?

 

[00Stinger]

Is the bolded your point?

you realize how strong of a word 'hate' is right?

 

[phantom13]

you realize how strong of a word 'hate' is right?

Im simply asking a question about what your point is, i havent said anything else about it. You havent clarified what point your trying to make, i would like to understand it before i engage with it.

 

[Consolaçao]

I know for a fact there are gay players - I know a few who have dated friends, they do exist but won't come out as it damaged their image and may damage the teams brand etc.

In terms of 'brand' impact, surely it'd be gold for them personally and from a team perspective. Corporations are falling over themselves to profess their LGBTQI credentials to customers, and they'd only be doing that if there were money in it.

Surely the biggest disincentive is less about homophobia, and more about the fact that for the first player that comes out, their private life instantly becomes national news, and they become a political football. All this when they probably just want to play football on the weekends and have some semblance of a private existence.

Another thing, it's interesting that she targets the AFL as somehow unique. Show me a male sporting league anywhere on earth where gay men are openly 'out', attending award ceremonies, etc?

She writes as though other Australian codes have somehow laid out a template the AFL needs to follow.

Look at RL. Ian Roberts is the only one, and he was vilified incessantly by players and fans after he came out. He was targeted with physical on-field violence. He put up with a lot of sh*t and in no way was supported at the time by his code of the wider public (though to be fair, it was nearly 30 years ago).

Look at soccer. An A-League player comes out only a few years ago, and is targeted by fans of the league's biggest club with homophobic chants! Wow! In no other sport in Australia would this be allowed happen, even RL.

And somehow, the message out of that is that the AFL needs to 'catch up'.

 

[_Mike_]

Bob Murphys yips story was interesting, in reality every single one of us has done something like that,

I found that a bit odd TBH... Usually when I made mistakes, there were plenty of them, I used the term idiot or dickhead. I dont ever recall hearing someone being called/calling themselves that term for a mistake.

when i was in high school, it was completely "normal"

A cultural shift albeit slow, IMO. Australia being geographically isolated has lagged in comparison to cultural shifts in Europe and the Americas when it comes to changing/shifting ingrained cultural beliefs/opinions. Australia still has this embedded "not in my backyard" mentality and footy is a men's sport attitude. It's quite easy to understand how being an openly gay player in the AFL during their playing years would be very difficult on a number of levels. This will change, it's remnants of the baby boomer generation who indoctrinated children with hate towards anyone who was different. Gen X is diluted, Gen Y & Z even more.

 

[phantom13]

I found that a bit odd TBH... Usually when I made mistakes, there were plenty of them, I used the term idiot or dickhead. I dont ever recall hearing someone being called/calling themselves that term for a mistake.



A cultural shift albeit slow, IMO. Australia being geographically isolated has lagged in comparison to cultural shifts in Europe and the Americas when it comes to changing/shifting ingrained cultural beliefs/opinions. Australia still has this embedded "not in my backyard" mentality and footy is a men's sport attitude. It's quite easy to understand how being an openly gay player in the AFL during their playing years would be very difficult on a number of levels. This will change, it's remnants of the baby boomer generation who indoctrinated children with hate towards anyone who was different. Gen X is diluted, Gen Y & Z even more.

Yeh im not saying i admonished myself with a gay slur but i certainly used them for other stuff (eg what Milney did).

If youve NEVER done that then fair play, i reckon nearly everyone has.

 

[_Mike_]

If youve NEVER done that then fair play, i reckon nearly everyone has.

Growing up in the 80's/90's I, shamefully, probably did like many other teens with Boomer parents. Its not a term I would use today.

 

[phantom13]

Growing up in the 80's/90's I, shamefully, probably did like many other teens with Boomer parents. Its not a term I would ever use today.

I grew up in the 90s early aughts.

I did it, every single one of my mates did too. Probably less so but it was still common place.

 

[Gough]

Growing up in the 80's/90's I, shamefully, probably did like many other teens with Boomer parents. Its not a term I would ever use today.

It feels like the AFL is stuck sometime in the 90s too, you'll be tolerated if you're gay but don't make a song and dance about it.

 

[phantom13]

It feels like the AFL is stuck sometime in the 90s too, you'll be tolerated if you're gay but don't make a song and dance about it.

I sadly think Akers comments are pretty common place.

"I dont care what you do, just dont shove it in my face".

If you then extend that to noting that holding hands with your same sex partner is equated to "shoving it in someones face" its not great.

 

[00Stinger]

Im simply asking a question about what your point is, i havent said anything else about it. You havent clarified what point your trying to make, i would like to understand it before i engage with it.

I made that pretty clear a few times

The fact that Murphy cannot even bring himself to say Akermanis' name over some ignorant comments is ridiculous and over the top

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Thought it was very well done on 4Corners last night.

The guy with AIDS, I remember that episode of the footy show. I remember his constant mentioning of a girlfriend and he got infected via a blood transfusion and not from travelling Europe partying. I didn't get that 'superpower' comment from Bob. If there was to be a player to come out it would surely be as they or shortly after they retire. Trying to do it whilst playing might seen as selfish by some teammates, fans, the club in general with the hyperbole that would surround it. Like someone said before the AFL would want a teary video and AFL360 would devote a week to it.

It's also been, what, almost 30 years since Ian Roberts came out when playing league for Manly?

 

[tandino]

I find it very strange that Bob Murphy states "I want someone from my club to be gay, it would be like a superpower for the team" Like wtf does that even mean? Bit of a weird statement. It just feels over the top and almost bordering on virtue signalling. By saying things like that, i feel he is making even more of a big deal of it, when in reality it shouldn't be a big deal at all, just accepted.

His heart is in the right place, but it is a bit weird. It's also a perspective that might already be dated. Has anybody considered that gay players might just want to be players, and not Bob Murphy's Superhero?

 

[phantom13]

I made that pretty clear a few times

The fact that Murphy cannot even bring himself to say Akermanis' name over some ignorant comments is ridiculous and over the top

Are you absolutely sure that that is the only reason he hates him?

I mean connecting the dots it doesnt seem a stretch to me that they had a conversation and Aker doubled down on his shit.

Id suggest Murphy probably knows him alot better than you or I.

 

[Consolaçao]

I find it very strange that Bob Murphy states "I want someone from my club to be gay, it would be like a superpower for the team" Like wtf does that even mean? Bit of a weird statement. It just feels over the top and almost bordering on virtue signalling. By saying things like that, i feel he is making even more of a big deal of it, when in reality it shouldn't be a big deal at all, just accepted.

What an absurd thing for an adult to say.

Highlights the fact that any player who comes out has to deal with tens of thousands of people like Bob blathering on inanely about it.

 

[justlookingaround]

I feel like the AFL is trying to walk the tight rope between preaching religious tolerance and gay acceptance. I think it's a big part of why they've paid lip service to supporting the LGBT community but also seemingly tried to avoid the topic at every turn. Because unfortunately there are parts of universal tolerance that do not tolerate each other.

Homophobia I feel has been largely amplified over the last 5 or so years, it's important to remember that the reason Pride exists as a practise is because it's a necessary counter to shame.

 

[justlookingaround]

Are you absolutely sure that that is the only reason he hates him?

I mean connecting the dots it doesnt seem a stretch to me that they had a conversation and Aker doubled down on his s**t.

Id suggest Murphy probably knows him alot better than you or I.

Also it was pretty obvious to me that, despite claiming the contrary, Akermanis is totally a homophobe.

 

[Toump Ass]

Off-topic, but I found out recently that Australian officials threatened to boycott games involving Magic Johnson at the 1992 Olympics because Andrew Gaze didn't want AIDS.

30 years ago, I know, but it did make me think about what a bunch of backward ****in' yokels we really are sometimes.

 

[phantom13]

Also it was pretty obvious to me that, despite claiming the contrary, Akermanis is totally a homophobe.

No cause homophobes hate gays and he doesnt hate them.

Simple misunderstanding

 

[00Stinger]

Are you absolutely sure that that is the only reason he hates him?

I mean connecting the dots it doesnt seem a stretch to me that they had a conversation and Aker doubled down on his s**t.

Id suggest Murphy probably knows him alot better than you or I.

Probably does, I'm not exonerating Aker here at all.

But not being able to speak his name? Come on, someone would have to do something really, really disgustingly heinous to even get close to that type of realm

 

[justlookingaround]

To me it more felt like Murphy felt betrayed by Aker.
You don't have that type of emotional response to someone just because you dislike them or disagree with them - it's because at one point in time you had a bond with them that was desecrated.