Matt Rendell...

[The_Wookie]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Adrian Andersons comments as seen Eddie McGuire Tonight

[youtube]y8h_56ZQmwg[/youtube]

 

[weevil]

Re: Matt Rendall...

I would never ever say such a thing, not even at gun point. How can you possibly say such comments and not think them? Are you happy for this double-thinking to go on? Rendell was trying to save face and not apologising. If he had apologised he would still have a job. But he didn't.

It's very frustrating and I don't know what else to say. If you happy to have recruiters like Rendell then you must happy to have recruiters who make throw away lines as such, and make decisions based on a parents' race.

I’m sorry but this is hysterical nonsense.

According to this logic, if we have a convocation about nuclear war and you say it might happen one day I can then wave my arms around saying you are pro nuclear war.

If you have ever said anything bad may ever happen then you must be in favour of it happening.

 

[glenn_ox]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Welcome to 2012 ladies and gentlemen.

Engrossing television.

Who came out looking worse after it aired, the AFL or Caroline Wilson?

 

[The_Wookie]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Welcome to 2012 ladies and gentlemen.

Engrossing television.

Who came out looking worse after it aired, the AFL or Caroline Wilson?

The AFL came out as possibly overly reactive, but Caroline Wilson came out looking like a bitch. Rendall Im still in two minds about, his comments were clearly misconstrued, and he isnt a racist, but some of the stuff he said is aimed at specifically Aboriginal players which seemed to be what Lyon was getting at. If you do something it has to be for all, not specific players.

Oddly enough, Eddie McGuire has been the best of the media in this show for me.

 

[Slattery_20]

Re: Matt Rendall...

You're right - his apology should have been worded: "I'm sorry that some people, including the AFL did not understand what I actually was saying.

He shouldn't need to apologise purely because he was quoted completely out of context. What a joke.

Spot on.
I'm 100% on his side.
His only mistake was trusting Mifsud, who he'd known & worked with for years and years. Mifsud is obviously a really, really good mate to him to take him completely out of context & absolutely drop him in it like that.
Context is king.


I don't really hold anything against the Crows or Trigg for dropping him. CLEARLY this has come from HQ, they wouldn't have had much choice in the matter.

Caro's hardly covered herself in glory either. Doesn't seem even the slightest bit willing to step back from the "editorial position" she took off the bat, and look at the issue as a whole.
Far deeper than the "AFL good, Rendell bad" it's being made out to be!

Oh my god you are a racist.

Don't try to blame context or make any other excuses. You said this word for word.

Apologise for your disgusting and stupid comments now or you should resign from your job.

Perfect!!!
10/10.
Context is king.


As for the "poor choice of words" thing... could well be right.
However, can everyone here who's NEVER made a poor choice of words, to demonstrate the extremes an issue or situation could get to, in what you thought was a COMPLETELY PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH A MATE, please come forward?

Context is king.

 

[The_Wookie]

Re: Matt Rendall...

I don't really hold anything against the Crows or Trigg for dropping him. CLEARLY this has come from HQ, they wouldn't have had much choice in the matter.

This Im not so sure on. The Crows have been pretty reactive with the odd incident lately, and while even Demetriou says he spoke to Trigg, its just as likely that the Crows opted to fire him so they didnt look like idiots

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Re: Matt Rendall...

If you do something it has to be for all, not specific players.

Um, no.

The crux of the issue, is that recruiters would have a VERY hard time in picking aboriginal players these days because they're very family orientated, and more often than not struggle to cope with the very rigidly structured AFL environment. Cyril Rioli's interview with Eddie Maguire also brings up this issue and how Cyril struggled as did his cousin.

This is something that I'm 99% sure can be backed up statistically.

Look at the number of Anglo AFL players vs the number of Aboriginal players.

Then take a look at how many of the aboriginal players randomly take 'time out' or flat out leave vs the number of anglo players that do. The only one I can think of is Chris Tarrant back in his younger days.

We've had Krakouer and Jurrah just in the last month or 2! Then Richmond lost Taylor as well.

The percentage is quite high given the total number of aboriginal players in the AFL.

Rendell, I'm assuming, was suggesting that the AFL is heading towards a future where aboriginal players with 1 white parent are preferrable over players with 2 aboriginal parents because they'd be better equipped to deal with the highly structured AFL environment. Does it guarantee it? Of course not, but it's less likely to be an issue.

Again, they also have these same issues with white players, and Rendell acknowledged this, but it's less likely to happen with white players, or aboriginal players with one white parent.

Recruiters make decisions based on the best long term interests of the club. If a recruiter believes they can get 10 years out of an aboriginal player with one white parent, vs 1 or 2 years out of an aboriginal player with 2 aboriginal parents (even though the aboriginal player with 2 is more talented) who do you think they will take with a view to the long term?

It's not racism, it's just being painted that way because it's a better sotry that way.

 

[JP2]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Jesus Christ, there is some pretty appalling chest-beating going on in this thread right now. Let's just get some clarity here, shall we?:

1) Matt Rendell probably didn't have any malicious intent when he said what he did. His life has been completely upended as a consequence of a "throw-away line" and he deserves some sympathy for this. Racism is a problem in this country, but a torch and pitchfork mentality won't solve anything. Whatever misdeed he committed he has already paid for 1000 times over and any further public obloquy is pretty much redundant.

2) Given that, what he said was unacceptable and cannot be rationalised away by invoking the spectre of over-reaching political correctness. He was a man employed to assess the footballing talents of teenage boys and he insinuated (and failed to retract the statement) that white parents are fitter parents than indigenous parents. You're being wilfully blind if you can't recongise the latent bigotry in that. I don't believe he has been strongly misrepresented on this point, either: his "solution" on Footy Classified that indigenous boys should be taken away from their communities and put into urban schools for the sake of their football smacks of the racial paternalism (well-meaning though it may well be) that has blighted relations between our two communities since the point of first contact. It is not for him to decide what is best for the indigenous people.

3) Andrew Demetriou wasn't involved, and the conspiracy theories that are dredged-up on this site every time his name is mentioned are becoming tiresome. Adelaide may or may not have been correct to sack Rendell: I think the solution was - to say the least - "harsh", but it was a decision completely within their own power to make. Nothing Rendell said in that interview contradicts this, or implies the involvement of a power beyond that of the president of the Adelaide FC. You can't just presume the involvement of the big, bad AFL every time something happens in this sport that you just happen to disagree with. They're businessmen, not sub-Arctic base-dwelling super-villains.

 

[Cap]

Re: Matt Rendall...

he said that he has never thought that a person needed 1 white parent nor recruited on that basis - so yes he retracted the sentiments of the comment

what he didn't retract was the broader statement that attrition rates in young aboriginal footballers needed addressing, which is the statement attached to the quote used.

 

[vast]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Matt Rendall is not racist but some of the people coming out to support him are.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

Re: Matt Rendall...

He was a man employed to assess the footballing talents of teenage boys and he insinuated (and failed to retract the statement) that white parents are fitter parents than indigenous parents.

Not at one point did he do that.

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

Re: Matt Rendall...

I don't think Rendell is an overt racist.

But like most Australians he has deeply ingrained racist thought patterns.

What he said was ridiculous.

It is untenable to have an AFL head recruiter who has said, on the record "I will only draft kids with 1 white parent". It is just a stupid thing to think, let alone say.

I feel a bit sorry for Rendall who will think he's been harshly treated, but i also felt a bit sorry for Damian Monkhouse.

But attitudes need to be changed out there.

Bravo Mifsud.

No hard feelings to Rendell, who obviously had no malicious intent.

+1

It's like the Scouts from Moneyball - but it's more about the game than the player IMO.

 

[Hahndozer]

Re: Matt Rendall...

3) Andrew Demetriou wasn't involved, and the conspiracy theories that are dredged-up on this site every time his name is mentioned are becoming tiresome. Adelaide may or may not have been correct to sack Rendell: I think the solution was - to say the least - "harsh", but it was a decision completely within their own power to make. Nothing Rendell said in that interview contradicts this, or implies the involvement of a power beyond that of the president of the Adelaide FC. You can't just presume the involvement of the big, bad AFL every time something happens in this sport that you just happen to disagree with. They're businessmen, not sub-Arctic base-dwelling super-villains.

What does Demetriou's comments, before Rendell was named, that "if I were him I’d start thinking about other employment” imply?

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breakin...omments-completely-stupid/20120316-1v98d.html

 

[ziad]

Re: Matt Rendall...

What is evident is that the AFL and the Crows are driven by PR and cannot be trusted at an individual level if their self interest is in question. Rendell and others need to be more careful who the trust. There is probably no loyalty in Football (ask the ex dockers coach). The on the couch team, led by Roos turned to water big time when interviewing Vlad. You have to wonder if there is independent commentary available.

 

[weevil]

Re: Matt Rendall...

2) Given that, what he said was unacceptable and cannot be rationalised away by invoking the spectre of over-reaching political correctness. He was a man employed to assess the footballing talents of teenage boys and he insinuated (and failed to retract the statement) that white parents are fitter parents than indigenous parents. You're being wilfully blind if you can't recongise the latent bigotry in that. I don't believe he has been strongly misrepresented on this point, either: his "solution" on Footy Classified that indigenous boys should be taken away from their communities and put into urban schools for the sake of their football smacks of the racial paternalism (well-meaning though it may well be) that has blighted relations between our two communities since the point of first contact. It is not for him to decide what is best for the indigenous people.

You seriously need to go back and read what he actually said. He absolutely never said anything like what you are claiming he said.

 

[Unnamed1]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Jesus Christ, there is some pretty appalling chest-beating going on in this thread right now. Let's just get some clarity here, shall we?:

1) Matt Rendell probably didn't have any malicious intent when he said what he did. His life has been completely upended as a consequence of a "throw-away line" and he deserves some sympathy for this. Racism is a problem in this country, but a torch and pitchfork mentality won't solve anything. Whatever misdeed he committed he has already paid for 1000 times over and any further public obloquy is pretty much redundant.

2) Given that, what he said was unacceptable and cannot be rationalised away by invoking the spectre of over-reaching political correctness. He was a man employed to assess the footballing talents of teenage boys and he insinuated (and failed to retract the statement) that white parents are fitter parents than indigenous parents. You're being wilfully blind if you can't recongise the latent bigotry in that. I don't believe he has been strongly misrepresented on this point, either: his "solution" on Footy Classified that indigenous boys should be taken away from their communities and put into urban schools for the sake of their football smacks of the racial paternalism (well-meaning though it may well be) that has blighted relations between our two communities since the point of first contact. It is not for him to decide what is best for the indigenous people.

3) Andrew Demetriou wasn't involved, and the conspiracy theories that are dredged-up on this site every time his name is mentioned are becoming tiresome. Adelaide may or may not have been correct to sack Rendell: I think the solution was - to say the least - "harsh", but it was a decision completely within their own power to make. Nothing Rendell said in that interview contradicts this, or implies the involvement of a power beyond that of the president of the Adelaide FC. You can't just presume the involvement of the big, bad AFL every time something happens in this sport that you just happen to disagree with. They're businessmen, not sub-Arctic base-dwelling super-villains.

Well, every now and then my faith in BigFooty is restored. Only post with any thought and intelligence on this entire thread.

I suggest people should also consider this legally - both the AFL and Adelaide would have have already have multiple law suits filed against it for unlawful discrimination by Aboriginal human rights groups and every single aboriginal kid without a "white parent" who tried and failed to get drafted over the last 7 years. And they would've all been successful.

Rendall may not be a racist. But what he said was paternalistic, old fashioned and misguided. Context and squirming on the nuances of the interpretation of what he said is irrelevant. After all, wasn't the idea of taking aboriginal kids away from black parents into "good white homes" in the big smoke what the whole Stolen Generation bemoan, for which our federal government apologised a couple of years ago?

How ignorant, un-educated, simplistic and moronic are most people on here?

 

[Unnamed1]

Re: Matt Rendall...

What does Demetriou's comments, before Rendell was named, that "if I were him I’d start thinking about other employment” imply?

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breakin...omments-completely-stupid/20120316-1v98d.html

It implies he had legal advice before the story broke.

 

[Unnamed1]

Re: Matt Rendall...

You seriously need to go back and read what he actually said. He absolutely never said anything like what you are claiming he said.

Go back and see what Rendall says he said - albeit after all this has come out? Of course he's going to find an interpretation that suits him. If he and Mifsud are still "mates" as he suggests, then Mifsud wouldn't deliberately be setting him up.

 

[Baldur]

Re: Matt Rendall...

What does Demetriou's comments, before Rendell was named, that "if I were him I’d start thinking about other employment” imply?

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breakin...omments-completely-stupid/20120316-1v98d.html

What it outright states is that Vald wanted him sacked.

On The Couch backed off when they should have went in for the kill. Demanded that he explain what he meant when he said that he contacted Adelaide & demanded action. What action did he demand? Furthermore he was all over the shop in regard to what natural justice was provided to Randell. Changed his story as to exactly what was done.

Adelaide has my sympathy. This is typical for the AFL. They run into a problem. Instead of facing their problem, they find a whipping boy, in this case Adelaide & Rendell to distract attention.

So a conversation in January is misrepresented, Vald gets on the blower & demands ACTION. Code for sack him now or else. Adelaide acts as demanded.

It is all very good to say that the Adelaide CEO should have stood up to Vald. But in the real world only Collingwood gets away with that.

I hope Randell sues for defamation & unfair dismissal.

 

[Hahndozer]

Re: Matt Rendall...

It implies he had legal advice before the story broke.

Perhaps so, but that has nothing to do with why I quoted what I did.

 

[JP2]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Not at one point did he do that.

He said:

"I said as a throwaway line, as a ridiculous line, you might find we only recruit players with one white parent if it's not addressed now," Rendell told the Nine Network's Footy Classified.

He suggested that the race of the parents would be a factor in drafting decisions. More to the point, that having a white parent should be considered a benefit. I'm sure he would have worded his point more carefully if he could he have his time over again, but the insinuation is clear and you're doing yourself a disservice by arguing otherwise.

What does Demetriou's comments, before Rendell was named, that "if I were him I’d start thinking about other employment” imply?

http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breakin...omments-completely-stupid/20120316-1v98d.html

And the Adelaide football department is so weak that it bases its employment strategy - including sacking a man who has offered them years of service - on passing comments made by Demetriou in a radio interview? If that were truly the case (and I don't believe it is), then the Crows are far more cowardly and reprehensible than the AFL are.

You seriously need to go back and read what he actually said. He absolutely never said anything like what you are claiming he said.

Rendell said he had put to Mifsud that many indigenous players grew up in communities with fewer rules and regulations than the non-indigenous population and therefore found it tougher to adjust to AFL requirements.

He then put forward a proposal that the 30 most talented indigenous footballers at under-16 level each year be offered scholarships at schools in cities such as Melbourne or Adelaide and be placed in football programs to prepare them for the AFL.

Again, I don't believe he meant it maliciously, but the suggestion is clear enough: if we take aboriginal footballers out of their communities and put them into (predominantly) white schools, far away from their families, they stand a far better chance of being successful. I think we all know where we've heard this train of logic before, so I won't labour the point.

 

[weevil]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Well, every now and then my faith in BigFooty is restored. Only post with any thought and intelligence on this entire thread.

I suggest people should also consider this legally - both the AFL and Adelaide would have have already have multiple law suits filed against it for unlawful discrimination by Aboriginal human rights groups and every single aboriginal kid without a "white parent" who tried and failed to get drafted over the last 7 years. And they would've all been successful.

Rendall may not be a racist. But what he said was paternalistic, old fashioned and misguided. Context and squirming on the nuances of the interpretation of what he said is irrelevant. After all, wasn't the idea of taking aboriginal kids away from black parents into "good white homes" in the big smoke what the whole Stolen Generation bemoan, for which our federal government apologised a couple of years ago?

How ignorant, un-educated, simplistic and moronic are most people on here?

Not a good look to go flapping around labelling others ignorant when you clearly do not have a clue what was actually said.

 

[Stripple]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Jesus Christ, there is some pretty appalling chest-beating going on in this thread right now. Let's just get some clarity here, shall we?:

1) Matt Rendell probably didn't have any malicious intent when he said what he did. His life has been completely upended as a consequence of a "throw-away line" and he deserves some sympathy for this. Racism is a problem in this country, but a torch and pitchfork mentality won't solve anything. Whatever misdeed he committed he has already paid for 1000 times over and any further public obloquy is pretty much redundant.

2) Given that, what he said was unacceptable and cannot be rationalised away by invoking the spectre of over-reaching political correctness. He was a man employed to assess the footballing talents of teenage boys and he insinuated (and failed to retract the statement) that white parents are fitter parents than indigenous parents. You're being wilfully blind if you can't recongise the latent bigotry in that. I don't believe he has been strongly misrepresented on this point, either: his "solution" on Footy Classified that indigenous boys should be taken away from their communities and put into urban schools for the sake of their football smacks of the racial paternalism (well-meaning though it may well be) that has blighted relations between our two communities since the point of first contact. It is not for him to decide what is best for the indigenous people.

3) Andrew Demetriou wasn't involved, and the conspiracy theories that are dredged-up on this site every time his name is mentioned are becoming tiresome. Adelaide may or may not have been correct to sack Rendell: I think the solution was - to say the least - "harsh", but it was a decision completely within their own power to make. Nothing Rendell said in that interview contradicts this, or implies the involvement of a power beyond that of the president of the Adelaide FC. You can't just presume the involvement of the big, bad AFL every time something happens in this sport that you just happen to disagree with. They're businessmen, not sub-Arctic base-dwelling super-villains.

He is not saying that one white parent is better than none. He is expressing his fear that if the statistics continue to mount in regard to the attrition rate of aboriginal AFL player that recruiters would be able to justify a racist recruiting policy and point to statistics if they are ever called on it. He expressed the worst case scenario, the scenario he think would be the worst outcome for indigineous participation in the sport, does that sound racist?

I agree the way he described taking the young boys to suburban colleges did sound paternally racist as you said but I don't think he means to forcefully take them I believe it is about giving an option to aspiring rural indigenous players to take a pathway that might help them acclimatize to the AFL environment. It's the same as bulldog players training in a heat chamber prior to playing in the Alice rather than getting a huge shock in the change of the weather they can acclimatize. Giving (and I think it would need to be extended to all races) rural talent a pathway to help them acclimatize to the different lifestyle of the city is a good idea.

 

[BrunoV]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Mundine said it best when he said that Bob Carr acted with "white mans' guilt".

The hysterical reaction to this is much more dangerous than the comment could ever be. It clouds judgment and allows the AFL to be much more satisfied with its position than it should be (because Rendall is the demon). Instead of listening to disturbing truths from some of the people best placed to understand (i.e. the recruiters) the AFL is more concerned with public perceptions and managing its image as a do-gooder.

Even the comments by Hird and Roos are not evil. They are concerns based on their experiences. Whether or not they are accurate is a completely different question but it is far more important to have the discussion to ensure that certain types of footballers (unfortunately defined by race in this instance) are not forgotten.

Sure it is racist because it is a concept developed along lines of race but it isn't discriminatory because the suggestion isn't that "we wouldn't or shouldn't pick player X because of his race", it is "we shouldn't pick player X because he doesn't have the endurance base required...would you look at that, we've only selected 2 indigenous players in the last 10 years". Again, I'm not saying that their view is accurate but it is based on the experiences so it shouldn't be hounded out of the game.

I'd say that the only true evil in this situation (post Rendall's explanation) would be for the attrition rate of young indigenous footballers to continue to increase.

Edit: can you imagine the field day that South Park would have with this scenario?

 

[Slattery_20]

Re: Matt Rendall...

Jesus Christ, there is some pretty appalling chest-beating going on in this thread right now. Let's just get some clarity here, shall we?:

He was a man employed to assess the footballing talents of teenage boys and he insinuated (and failed to retract the statement) that white parents are fitter parents than indigenous parents.

But he did retract it - or rather insert it back into the original context!
He said that was far from the truth of what he's ever done or would ever do.

Agree on the appalling chest beating & pitchforks btw, just don't think you recognise the irony of your post.