Oppo Camp Regular Non Eagles Discussion

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WCE_phil

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Joel Wilkinson spoke up about racist treatment at Gold Coast and BigFooty nuffies chimed in with 'well you only played 20 games, you were shithouse and were delisted because of that, you may only speak out if you played 100 and even then you shouldn't blame the club because you didn't say anything'.

Until prevailing attitudes like that change is it any wonder Harry decided to keep it quiet?

Have no issue with wilkinson speaking up about racism as it is never acceptable. For him however to think it is what stopped him from becoming a successful AFL player is ******* delusional and he was delisted because he was all athlete and no understanding. He tried American Football before going back to the VFL where he could barely get a kick. Football IQ is what he didn't have, it had nothing to do with his race. It's how you can end up with guys like Matt Priddis, Sam Mitchell and Robert Harvey winning brownlows or being legends of the game because they understand what is going to happen next before or as it is happening so are able to be at the right place at the right time making the right decisions. No amount of athletic ability overcomes that.
 
Have no issue with wilkinson speaking up about racism as it is never acceptable. For him however to think it is what stopped him from becoming a successful AFL player is ******* delusional and he was delisted because he was all athlete and no understanding. He tried American Football before going back to the VFL where he could barely get a kick. Football IQ is what he didn't have, it had nothing to do with his race. It's how you can end up with guys like Matt Priddis, Sam Mitchell and Robert Harvey winning brownlows or being legends of the game because they understand what is going to happen next before or as it is happening so are able to be at the right place at the right time making the right decisions. No amount of athletic ability overcomes that.

Of course he had his own issues with on-field performance - he was never going to be a legend of the game, far from it - but it doesn't mean we can dismiss his legitimate grievances with how he was treated at Gold Coast on the mere fact that he was an unfulfilled talent (which are a dime a dozen in the AFL, race notwithstanding). If what he said about the agreement with Justin Sherman was true, it's a stain on how the AFL handled racial abuse at that time.
 

WCE_phil

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Of course he had his own issues with on-field performance - he was never going to be a legend of the game, far from it - but it doesn't mean we can dismiss his legitimate grievances with how he was treated at Gold Coast on the mere fact that he was an unfulfilled talent (which are a dime a dozen in the AFL, race notwithstanding). If what he said about the agreement with Justin Sherman was true, it's a stain on how the AFL handled racial abuse at that time.

I completely agree in regards to the handling of the Sherman issue. At the very least we have moved on from the days of Chris Lewis being called a black campaigner, hitting someone and nothing more from there. It may also just been sensationalist reporting but if he's putting down his failure to become a regular at AFL level down to racial vilification (how the news report i read made it seem) then he's delusional.

Rome wasn't built in a day and im sure things have improved since the Sherman situation and while they aren't where people would like them to be yet at least there is affirmative action and things are changing over time. I also believe these situations should be handled internally and not played out in the media as there are normally two sides to every story and if anything is to be taken of today's media you just have to be accused of potentially doing something wrong these days to lose your career, sponsors and future. If they can't come to agreements on an apology, reparations, learning and suspensions internally then take it further with the police.
 

Ishmael_

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Lumumba is hard to like in a lot of ways and seems to be a bit damaged and a bit unstable at times - liberal with the facts even. In many ways he's not the perfect messenger, but that doesn't mean he wasn't right here in the main. Not every person who raises the issue is Adam Goodes - a very fair minded, lucid, generous, thinking person - who was still vilified to a truly depressing extent when you look back.

Recently I read about Lumumba's family situation as a kid and how his (adoptive dad) was a bit of a monster.

For me anyway, it helped shade in some of the missing pieces - explain some of the erratic behaviour. I think trauma gets thrown around a lot these days, to the point where it's lost all meaning - but real trauma and family dysfunction can completely erode your sense of self, leaves you on an unstable footing for the rest of your life.

I'd recommend reading this article with his sister.

 

Rowan18

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Lumumba is hard to like in a lot of ways and seems to be a bit damaged and a bit unstable at times - liberal with the facts even. In many ways he's not the perfect messenger, but that doesn't mean he wasn't right here in the main. Not every person who raises the issue is Adam Goodes - a very fair minded, lucid, generous, thinking person - who was still vilified to a truly depressing extent when you look back.

Recently I read about Lumumba's family situation as a kid and how his (adoptive dad) was a bit of a monster.

For me anyway, it helped shade in some of the missing pieces - explain some of the erratic behaviour. I think trauma gets thrown around a lot these days, to the point where it's lost all meaning - but real trauma and family dysfunction can completely erode your sense of self, leaves you on an unstable footing for the rest of your life.

I'd recommend reading this article with his sister.

That is an interesting article but it really seems to dodge around her abuse of her partner. Was she charged? I can't see the ABC writing something like this about some bloke who beat his missus.
 

WCE_phil

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That is an interesting article but it really seems to dodge around her abuse of her partner. Was she charged? I can't see the ABC writing something like this about some bloke who beat his missus.

Yeah just imagine some bloke beating his mrs in fits of rage during sex over a four year period and then blaming it their childhood. It goes from a pro-active news story about a family struggling to overcome abuse to a guy in jail for years.
 

Seadog

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I completely agree in regards to the handling of the Sherman issue. At the very least we have moved on from the days of Chris Lewis being called a black campaigner, hitting someone and nothing more from there. It may also just been sensationalist reporting but if he's putting down his failure to become a regular at AFL level down to racial vilification (how the news report i read made it seem) then he's delusional.

Rome wasn't built in a day and im sure things have improved since the Sherman situation and while they aren't where people would like them to be yet at least there is affirmative action and things are changing over time. I also believe these situations should be handled internally and not played out in the media as there are normally two sides to every story and if anything is to be taken of today's media you just have to be accused of potentially doing something wrong these days to lose your career, sponsors and future. If they can't come to agreements on an apology, reparations, learning and suspensions internally then take it further with the police.
He didn't really say he didn't make it as a player because of racism, he was saying he was given a wide berth because of his complaints about racism, which isn't that hard to believe.
 

THE A5

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Milera would cop a suspension and I think the leadership and coaching group need to ask him what went through his head. Came on as a huge talent as well and not really gone on either
 

THE A5

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I just searched up Nic Reid and looks like he's playing country footy this season. So that it means in the space of 4 seasons he's gone to play ammo's, WAFL,AFL and now bush footy
 
I just searched up Nic Reid and looks like he's playing country footy this season. So that it means in the space of 4 seasons he's gone to play ammo's, WAFL,AFL and now bush footy
Bush footy is probably going to be his most profitable gig out of them all too!
 

THE A5

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Bush footy is probably going to be his most profitable gig out of them all too!
Yeah agree and being 25/26 is it really worth going back to WAFL footy. Let not forget that he didn't really kill it for the BEAGLES and was very much a surprise pick
 
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Hopefully he can buy the DVD of that game he kicked a goal in the AFL and boast about it for the rest of his life like some sort of square-headed Al Bundy.
Um who wouldnt. I know Id live off it forever.
 
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