VFL Lance Collard Tribunal hearing

[dudeintheswamp]

The Saints asked whether the microphone the umpire was wearing picked up the slur and Morgan said he did not know.

Fmd, I wonder if anyone has actually checked this

 

[g_TRAIN]

Fmd, I wonder if anyone has actually checked this

Seems like the FIRST thing that should have been checked.

 

[jwikked]

What if he's telling the truth? Would you still blame him for not remembering the details.

I find it hard to believe he clearly heard what Lance said, but can’t recall what he himself had said and can’t remember reporting it

 

[SainterinSydney]

Seems like the FIRST thing that should have been checked.

You'd think if it had the AFL would have provided to Saints so Collard could have plead guilty

 

[stavro#4]

I find it hard to believe he clearly heard what Lance said, but can’t recall what he himself had said and can’t remember reporting it

Whilst also disagreeing with the Umpires version of events

 

[stavro#4]

"The panel is having a five-minute break."


hopefully realising this has turned into a shitshow

 

[beside the seaside]

Hang on, so the Frankston player can't remember speaking to the umpire on the phone after the game?

 

[Dr Spaceman]

I think Hipwell’s p1ssed that the Saints reneged on their promise to draft a Sandy player (ie him) and in doing so cost that Sandy player (ie him) a brilliant AFL career.

I put it to you!

 

[stavro#4]

Hang on, so the Frankston player can't remember speaking to the umpire on the phone after the game?

The Saints suggested that an AFL Integrity Officer contacted his team’s footy manager on the phone, and then Hipwell was put on a phone call with the umpire, which Hipwell denied as the chain of events.

“That’s the umpire’s account of what happened, and you say that’s completely incorrect?” he was asked.

He replied: “That’s not what happened ... I came to the umpire, I made a decision to make a complaint or a report


and the Umpires recall is:

Umpire Morgan said he was first told about the incident at three-quarter-time when a player reported the homophobic slur - he did not remember which player it was though first mentioned Hipwell, before clarifying he wasn't sure.

He said he spoke to Hipwell on the phone post-game after they were connected via the Frankston team manager.

 

[stavro#4]

Wheeling out the big guns now.

St Kilda has called its Indigenous Player Development Manager Aunty Katrina Amon, who has known him since his draft interviews and supported his move from WA to Victoria to become an AFL player.

Amon spoke to Collard's personal growth since joining the footy club, trying to serve as a role model for First Nations and non-First Nations youth through their ambassador program.







*** side note. I have some fears how this goes down if Collard gets suspended on the balance of probability and someone like Katrina Amon who's son is an AFL player vouching in defence of Collard here. This is going to be a horrific look for the league **

 

[stavro#4]

Amon spoke to Collard's difficult background: "He hasn't had a strong male role model in his family … he went and lived with his Nan to support her, he financially supports his Nan now and they have a really strong relationship."


She said the 2024 homophobic slur incident "showed his personal growth" as he admitted what he had done wrong and gained insight through the training which followed. "He owned it, and then he moved forward to develop himself as a person."

 

[g_TRAIN]

The Saints suggested that an AFL Integrity Officer contacted his team’s footy manager on the phone, and then Hipwell was put on a phone call with the umpire, which Hipwell denied as the chain of events.

“That’s the umpire’s account of what happened, and you say that’s completely incorrect?” he was asked.

He replied: “That’s not what happened ... I came to the umpire, I made a decision to make a complaint or a report


and the Umpires recall is:

Umpire Morgan said he was first told about the incident at three-quarter-time when a player reported the homophobic slur - he did not remember which player it was though first mentioned Hipwell, before clarifying he wasn't sure.

He said he spoke to Hipwell on the phone post-game after they were connected via the Frankston team manager.

I wonder if there is more to this interaction than what was shown/reported.

I.e. the order of how things happened.

Because they are both saying the same thing except Hipwell appears to be denying the phone call afterwards which serves no point for him to do.

Not sure what the whole point was of this line of questioning if not to just show how his memory of events might not be as good as he thinks.

 

[stavro#4]

I wonder if there is more to this interaction than what was shown/reported.

I.e. the order of how things happened.

Because they are both saying the same thing except Hipwell appears to be denying the phone call afterwards.

Not sure what the whole point was of this line of questioning if not to just show how his memory of events might not be as good as he thinks.

Well he was saying he is 10000% right about what Collard said.

but..

• He can't remember what he said to Collard
• He can't correctly list the events that led to the complaint being made

 

[stavro#4]

a minute ago

St Kilda has now called Hayley Conway, who is the CEO of Pride Cup, which works with sport at all levels to promote LGBTIQ-inclusive environments, including 100-150 football clubs.



She ran the pride education for Collard following his 2024 homophobic slur use

 

[marcus1232]

Well he was saying he is 10000% right about what Collard said.

but..

• He can't remember what he said to Collard
• He can't correctly list the events that led to the complaint being made

Let’s be real we all know the outcome was pre decided this is just a farce it won’t matter how good our argument is

 

[stavro#4]

Let’s be real we all know the outcome was pre decided this is just a farce it won’t matter how good our argument is

Which is where the Frankston players testimony looks horrific on the league.

There was no case until they forced this guy to give evidence and he is adamant about what was said but then his version of events don't align with the Umpire

 

[g_TRAIN]

Let’s be real we all know the outcome was pre decided this is just a farce it won’t matter how good our argument is

I think the AFL will take their own tribunal to court if they let him off.

 

[Mav3rick]

Two things can be true, I have little doubt that Collard said it to be honest and is using the maggot excuse to try and save his AFL career, as many people would. Also little doubt that the AFL have botched this whole thing by essentially colluding and coercing testimony and ultimately made themselves look like absolute d***heads.

 

[marcus1232]

I think the AFL will take their own tribunal to court if they let him off.

I think this goes further when we lose

 

[beside the seaside]

Let’s be real we all know the outcome was pre decided this is just a farce it won’t matter how good our argument is

I think the AFL have gotten themselves in a bit deep here. I reckon we are even suggesting there could be a racist element (based on what Aunty Katrina said) letting a couple of white boys that clearly hate Lance pin this on him and just denying what Lance has said.

They have to back out of this. No way they can find him guilty.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Jeez, bustin' out the Nan

 

[stavro#4]

She ran the pride education for Collard following his 2024 homophobic slur use.

"I found Lance to be very engaged in the session. He seemed quite nervous at the start … he was quite remorseful, shy and also really thoughtful in his comments especially as the session went on," Conway said.


** well you can see why we went with the "Stern" questioning. Contradicts how everyone else would view Lance**

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Hard to know how the AFL thought this media circus tribunal hearing was a good idea

 

[Nutsngum]

I wonder if there is more to this interaction than what was shown/reported.

I.e. the order of how things happened.

Because they are both saying the same thing except Hipwell appears to be denying the phone call afterwards which serves no point for him to do.

Not sure what the whole point was of this line of questioning if not to just show how his memory of events might not be as good as he thinks.

Basically yeah, its to show that his memory might not be as good as he claims.

Despite what court room dramas might have you believe, witness testimony is basically the most unreliable evidence you can submit to trial. People are terrible at remembering actual events and facts and are extremely easily misled, coerced and/or just plain forget and make stuff up in their head that sounds correct. They are even worse when on stand and actually asked to recall things.

 

[stavro#4]

She said Collard had reflected upon his own experiences of racism, especially with some people who were not aware of his Indigenous background due to his lighter skin tone, and she felt he had drawn a strong connection to inclusion based on that.

Conway said one of the consequences of incidents like these was the "passionate supporters of football clubs who are on the receiving end of those sanctions don't often turn their vociferous support towards the actions of their football club, but they turn it towards the LGBTIQ community … so we will suffer the consequences as well of ever-increasing sanctions."

"When a punishment is levied, we are blamed for that punishment."