Matt Rendell situation thread #3

[Syd Crow]

Freddy - I know you have said that Rendell is a family friend. Is there a way we can get in contact with him (obviously just email or twitter or something, not a phone number or anything invasive like that) to offer support?

Regardless of what was said or done, the man has gone through an extremely difficult week, and as someone who has gained so much enjoyment from his time at my club, I wish there was a way I could send a short message to say thanks for all his efforts, I hate how it's ended, and if events ever allow him to come back that he'd be warmly welcomed.

Good idea Let him know there are 100s if not many thousands of crows supporters who think he was harshly dealt with and appreciate all that he has given to the club.

 

[Vader]

It was about helping aboriginal people from remote communities to get used to the life that the AFL was going to thrust apon them!

His idea is probably not a bad one. The way he chose to express it was horrendous - that's why he's in trouble.

You have taken it so far to the extreme and compared it to the atrosities that were commited during the stolen generation! You are lessening the effects and the actions of the people during that time by comparing it to this. It is an absolutely ridiculous argument!!

Not really, given that the fundamental principle is exactly the same. This is why his terminology was seen in such a dim light.

Did he actually say "assimilation" or was it wording that could have implied it?

I don't know. Does it really matter, if that was the clear implication?

Again this is the problem I have with Mifsud. If he had the right skill set to do his job properly, he should have stopped and "educated" Matt then and there - not wait 6 weeks. His position requires him to deal with all sorts of people so if he going to clam up and say nothing when someone says something outrageous, mate or not - that's a worry for someone in his position.

Agreed. This has been played out horribly by those in AFL House. Why it wasn't dealt with straight away through an education process is beyond me. Why they waited 7 weeks and went straight for the jugular is something that Vlad & co need to explain (but probably never will).

 

[FAITH]

Freddy - I know you have said that Rendell is a family friend. Is there a way we can get in contact with him (obviously just email or twitter or something, not a phone number or anything invasive like that) to offer support?

Regardless of what was said or done, the man has gone through an extremely difficult week, and as someone who has gained so much enjoyment from his time at my club, I wish there was a way I could send a short message to say thanks for all his efforts, I hate how it's ended, and if events ever allow him to come back that he'd be warmly welcomed.

+1

 

[Harris Pilton]

and compared it to the atrosities that were commited during the stolen generation!

Or possibly not comitted. That is still the subject of dispute. Were there atrocities? It is by no means established, though many accept this as lore, in the absence of firm evidence. If you repeat something often enough and loudly enough, many people will accept it as fact. (But yes, that is a totally different subject.)

The word assimilation is poisonous. Was that word used? How about adaptation to the pressures and demands of AFL football at a professional level?

And is this offer also available to Seamus Murphy, precociously talented son of an Irish opal miner in Andomooka? If not, why not? Seamus would have similar difficulties in adapting to the rigors of professional football. Is he to be excluded from this scheme on the basis of his race?

 

[CrowCro]

No.. only the ignorant & insensitive fail to see why he was wrong.

As soon as he started talking about "assimilation" he was treading on very thin ice. That's what his academies were all about - not providing educational opportunities, not improving the players' football, but assimilating the players into white society. Sure, education & footy skills would have followed, but the primary aim of his academies (as stated) was assimilation. That's racism pure & simple. His intentions were good, but the language he chose to express his idea was flat our racist, a result of ignorance and a lack of sensitivity.

Stating that his words were not racist does nothing but reveal your own ignorance and lack of sensitivity towards the history of the indigenous population of this country. Racism

Funny you should say that....

Vader I am losing all respect for you. You write so much rubbish in your posts. Racism is more than a reference to colour or culture. It is about an underlying hatred or malice. He did not have this. I have many black friends and they know they are black as we know we are white. It is their colour and they have no problems calling themselves black. It is when you segregate someone because of their colour is that its racist. When you are seeing a problem and are looking for a way to improve it- that is not segregation. Although Im not black I am not born in Australia and know the full meaning of RACISM as I have experienced it many times before.

 

[Syd Crow]

This has been played out horribly by those in AFL House. Why it wasn't dealt with straight away through an education process is beyond me. Why they waited 7 weeks and went straight for the jugular is something that Vlad & co need to explain (but probably never will).

I wish I could disagree with you here - but given past history it would take a miracle for Vlad to say the AFL (i.e. he) was wrong in the way this was handled. Maybe an Easter miracle????? I won't hold my breath

 

[Dolemite]

No.. only the ignorant & insensitive fail to see why he was wrong.

As soon as he started talking about "assimilation" he was treading on very thin ice. That's what his academies were all about - not providing educational opportunities, not improving the players' football, but assimilating the players into white society. Sure, education & footy skills would have followed, but the primary aim of his academies (as stated) was assimilation. That's racism pure & simple. His intentions were good, but the language he chose to express his idea was flat our racist, a result of ignorance and a lack of sensitivity.

Stating that his words were not racist does nothing but reveal your own ignorance and lack of sensitivity towards the history of the indigenous population of this country.

Funny you should say that....

Not white society, football society. Where is the AFL played? It's not in the remote country. If it was the reverse and I was going to the lands wouldn't I be better prepared if I went there with support, learnt some culture, language and see if I could adjust to the lifestyle before I made a decision that its what I wanted?. I would be grateful for the opportunity.

 

[Syd Crow]

Vader I am losing all respect for you. You write so much rubbish in your posts. Racism is more than a reference to colour or culture. It is about an underlying hatred or malice. He did not have this. I have many black friends and they know they are black as we know we are white. It is their colour and they have no problems calling themselves black. It is when you segregate someone because of their colour is that its racist. When you are seeing a problem and are looking for a way to improve it- that is not segregation. Although Im not black I am not born in Australia and know the full meaning of RACISM as I have experienced it many times before.

I think your only partly right here. Unfortunately its also how the comments are perceived by those on the receiving end - and this is where the trouble usually is more often then not. The person making the comments may not be a racist - but the remarks they make can be perceived that way.

I have never laughed at Irish jokes because I am of Irish background - and am aware of the prejudice my parents faced in this country pre 1960's. Some of it subtle - some of it not so. The people telling the jokes to me were not racist and some were friends - but the jokes promote a racial stereotype that was offensive. This is why I can understand how easy it can be to offend someone when the intention was not there - because usually there is a lot of other negative baggage in the background - that the person making the remarks is not aware of.

However - this does not excuse Mifsud from confronting Matt straight away about it, nor how Matt has been treated by the AFL and the AFC.

 

[Vader]

I think your only partly right here. Unfortunately its also how the comments are perceived by those on the receiving end - and this is where the trouble usually is more often then not. The person making the comments may not be a racist - but the remarks they make can be perceived that way.

However - this does not excuse Mifsud from confronting Matt straight away about it, nor how Matt has been treated by the AFL and the AFC.

100% correct, on both accounts.

 

[*PAF]

Randell has credited going to school in Melbourne as the reason for Junior Rioli succeeding.
That is an absolute load of crap, and the ones that do not get that never will.

 

[Syd Crow]

Randell has credited going to school in Melbourne as the reason for Junior Rioli succeeding.
That is an absolute load of crap, and the ones that do not get that never will.

The real key to his success was his Mum telling him to stick it out. I doubt that without the support of his Mum he would have persevered at school and into the AFL system.

This is really the opposite of assimilation as such. If your going to have a scholarship etc you need to enable the parents to be involved in supporting the kids as much as possible - the scholarships alone wont do it.

We all need our parents helping us and guiding us in life and being there for us.

 

[subaru]

Absolutely they do. However, once a white man starts talking about assimilating aboriginals into white society he's a dead man walking. How hard a concept is that for you to grasp?

So what do you suggest ?
How do you enable the massive transition without some sort of assimilation? And I regard assmilitation as a "merging" of cultures not an automatic disregard of an individuals culture.

Noble ideals do not equal reality.

 

[Vader]

Talk about helping them, rather than changing them (assimilation)... maybe?

How do all the other academies do it? As I said before, the issue here is what his primary objective was. His objective wasn't education or football coaching, it was assimilation.

 

[subaru]

Talk about helping them, rather than changing them (assimilation)... maybe?

How do all the other academies do it? As I said before, the issue here is what his primary objective was. His objective wasn't education or football coaching, it was assimilation.

Having read back and seen the word assimilation regarded as "poisonous", I edited my post to reflect what I view asssimilation - in this instance - is.

There is no way a traditional aboriginal can lead a traditional aboriginal existence and play AFL. They are mutually exclusive. And there is no changing that reality.

I posted previously, had Rendell said "aboriginal players with two aboriginal parents need more help than those with only one," would that have made a difference ? Because THAT is what he meant.

 

[Allefgib]

Did rendell say assimilation?

His intent was not assimilation either. It was supporting these kids to cope with football.

Sure, he may have ignorantly thought assimilation was a mechanism to support this. But that was not his intention per se. It also offends me highly to hear that suggested.

Again, what a wasted opportunity to educate us all gone to waste. All we've learned is negative so far.

 

[Syd Crow]

There is no way a traditional aboriginal can lead a traditional aboriginal existence and play AFL. They are mutually exclusive. And there is no changing that reality.

I should add with increasing professionalism and commitment required even in off season this becomes even more so

 

[TooFar]

On SBS news tonight there was a small segment on the "AFL Racism Scandal". There was a new clip of Mifsud sitting on a couch talking to someone off camera, and amongst other things he said that he had spoken to Rendell for 1 hour today. There was no reference to what program Mifsud was on. Did anyone else see this?

 

[Elite Crow]

It wouldn't have made much difference, he still wouldnt have told him he's offended

 

[97-98]

On SBS news tonight there was a small segment on the "AFL Racism Scandal". There was a new clip of Mifsud sitting on a couch talking to someone off camera, and amongst other things he said that he had spoken to Rendell for 1 hour today. There was no reference to what program Mifsud was on. Did anyone else see this?

Looks like it's on Foxtel, NITV channel, program called Barefoot Sports.

 

[ruscy002]

I posted previously, had Rendell said "aboriginal players with two aboriginal parents need more help than those with only one," would that have made a difference ? Because THAT is what he meant.

No, it wouldn't make a shit of a difference to the overreactive PC crowd.

There is no way a traditional aboriginal can lead a traditional aboriginal existence and play AFL. They are mutually exclusive. And there is no changing that reality.

The truth is that Aboriginals living a traditional existence face huge obstacles if they want to be an AFL footballer.

Does this require "assimilation"? No. Participation in modern society (the PC phrase Rendell neglected to use) would make it easier, it would increase the volume of Aboriginals to make it to the AFL from these tribal regions. It would make the transition for them easier.

However, there is nothing to say that if a young Aboriginal man wants to put in the hard work to become an AFL footballer and he knows what to expect, that he can't spend every minute of his adolescent life with his tribe.

So...that leaves us with academies in the modern world, or mentoring in the tribe. Pros and cons to each, but there's no one size fits all solution.

 

[The_Wookie]

it might be even easier just to set up a TAC Cup team playing out of Darwin and/or Alice Springs.

I think the draft age in general is still too young, and its not just indigenous players who are affected by it, and certainly not just them who are homesick. The program pretty much works in Victoria, and other states have their own state under 18s comps, the NT needs their own version to go along with the Thunder.

 

[Huntercrow]

What is wrong with "assimilation"?

It works for the Borg.

And so I ask... Are the Borg racist in their thinking?
They strive to assimilate other species into their collective to learn from them and add their distinctiveness to their own.

Given time and the destruction of "those pesky humans", the ultimate goal of the pop culture antiheroes would be total assimilation into one friggin awesome species.

And ultimately leading to a cancelled TV series due to a lack of diversity and story lines.

Yeah the Borg didn't think that one through.


--------"7 of 9" is now available for kids parties and Bar Mitzvahs.-------

 

[Syd Crow]

What is wrong with "assimilation"?

It works for the Borg.

And so I ask... Are the Borg racist in their thinking?
They strive to assimilate other species into their collective to learn from them and add their distinctiveness to their own.

Given time and the destruction of "those pesky humans", the ultimate goal of the pop culture antiheroes would be total assimilation into one friggin awesome species.

And ultimately leading to a cancelled TV series due to a lack of diversity and story lines.

Yeah the Borg didn't think that one through.


--------"7 of 9" is now available for kids parties and Bar Mitzvahs.-------

was going to say something about that earlier but did not want to appear too nerdy! lol

she is also on twitter!

 

[jenny61_99]

Did rendell say assimilation?

His intent was not assimilation either. It was supporting these kids to cope with football.

Sure, he may have ignorantly thought assimilation was a mechanism to support this. But that was not his intention per se. It also offends me highly to hear that suggested.

Again, what a wasted opportunity to educate us all gone to waste. All we've learned is negative so far.

Would "integration" be seen in the same light?

 

[Syd Crow]

Would "integration" be seen in the same light?

Given the circumstances of the "meeting" (as much as we know it) probably yes it would.