The Rendell Fiasco

[Wood_Duck]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

This is a shit day for our club. Rendell has been one of the very good things about our club.

He is a very engaging bloke and I have spoken to him at length in the past and have massively enjoyed his insight.

Sadly he is incredibly honest and sometimes lets you know exactly what he is thinking. In light of recent events there has been lots of discussion re the drafting of indigenous kids, I'm sure he said what others had been suggesting. I can almost guarantee that this is not the view of the club nor Matt Rendell. It would have been a throw away line in front of people that he thought he trusted not to take it any further.

Nonetheless he has done the right thing under the circumstances. I feel desperately sorry for him. The rest of us get to apologize and get on with our lives when we @#$%up.

 

[Butts_JZZ30]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Ive only just noticed...so let me get this correct, Rendell said he would only look at drafting Aboriginal players with at least one white parent?

I'll probably get a precious you racist ban but...

It is a smart policy, we have seen the troubles/go home problems etc associated with many aboriginal players (particularly rural, isolated players still closely linked to their tribes). For mine it just makes sense, he shouldn't of said it, but the policy isn't that bad.

If the club thinks it is best to avoid drafting full blooded Aboriginals then allow them that right! It isn't a racist policy, it is a football policy aimed at getting the most stabled competitive squad.

I'll get massacred for this and labelled a racist

But we have lost a fantastic recruiter over this crap...stupid comment...job loss worthy ridic!

 

[Slippery Pete]

Does anyone actually have the direct quote? Did he say this in public, to the media, or was it something he said to other AFL or club employees behind closed doors?

Anybody?

 

[DaftPunk]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

It's an opinion he should have kept to himself or a journalist he trusted. His position as a recruiting manager dealing with aboriginal kids of a regular basis would have been untenable. He did the right thing.

 

[Butts_JZZ30]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

We dont seriously believe he is a racist...why cant we take his comments for what they are worth...an admittance to the heavy risk associated with drafting such players. He was probably asked his opinion..gave it...then got crucified.

It is just stupid. Political correctness gone wrong.

 

[Freddy Bassett]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Rendell would of been trying to help. He would of spoke of his concerns of recruiting an Aboriginal kid. And dont try and tell me there are no concerns in recruiting Indigenous kids. He would of spoken too passionately and he will lose his job and his career... The bloke was being honest

So dont bag the bloke, he is probably unemployable now and all he knows is football. He made a stupid mistake because of his big mouth, but he is NOT a racist...

 

[roguetendencies]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Does anyone actually have the direct quote? Did he say this in public, to the media, or was it something he said to other AFL or club employees behind closed doors?

Triggy said it was offered as a constructive comment behind closed doors to people who were trying to find out why the number of Aboriginals in AFL clubs were dropping.

I wonder how the AFL is going to improve the situation (i.e. get more Aboriginals into the AFL) if they jump down the throat of someone who tries to offer advice. Sure, it seems like the comment was thoughtless but the lack of context means we have no idea what was really meant. For all we know, it could have been in the context of suggesting that the AFL provide the clubs with more support for Aboriginal players from remote regions.

I feel pretty sorry for him and I think the AFL needs to grow up and learn to deal with things they don't like in-house without essentially calling for the sacking of someone.

 

[afc1991]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Does anyone actually have the direct quote? Did he say this in public, to the media, or was it something he said to other AFL or club employees behind closed doors?

Anybody?

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-clubs-unwritten-rule-on-aborigines-20120315-1v8cz.html

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Just disgusted with this really. I dont what he was thinking. Regardless of what his intentions were, you just cant make comments like these when you have such a high profile position. I'm more offended by his stupidity than anything else.

 

[Wood_Duck]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

We dont seriously believe he is a racist...why cant we take his comments for what they are worth...an admittance to the heavy risk associated with drafting such players. He was probably asked his opinion..gave it...then got crucified.

It is just stupid. Political correctness gone wrong.

I challenge anyone to say that the issue of drafting indigenous kids has not crossed their mind in light of the raft of recent events.

 

[Hairy Lager]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Came here to check out your squad and copped this...bad ju..ju..timing and comments are shite would sack in an instant

 

[Butts_JZZ30]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

i challenge anyone to say that the issue of drafting indigenous kids has not crossed their mind in light of the raft of recent events.

exactly

 

[Crows4Flag]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Dont really have a problem if the policy is true. Well maybe not labelling "One white parent" but if there are questionmark's over an aboriginal players background and commitment I wouldnt want to go anywhere near them.

**** sake though Rendell your one of the most important people at are club why did you have to be such a twat

 

[Goldhawk]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

We dont seriously believe he is a racist...why cant we take his comments for what they are worth...an admittance to the heavy risk associated with drafting such players. He was probably asked his opinion..gave it...then got crucified.

It is just stupid. Political correctness gone wrong.

You're a disgrace by trying to defend him.....

Rendell is gone now so just get over it now,the club is always bigger than the individual........life goes on.

 

[Jetwa5h]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

exactly

x2!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Wood_Duck]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

You're a disgrace by trying to defend him.....

Rendell is gone now so just get over it now,the club is always bigger than the individual........life goes on.

Piss off with your self righteous bullshit.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

I challenge anyone to say that the issue of drafting indigenous kids has not crossed their mind in light of the raft of recent events.

Thats not the point though. Someone such as Rendell with a high-profile position cant get away with saying things like this, regardless of what his intentions are.

 

[MICKYCONLAN]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Really don't know what to make of this. Matt has recruited quite a few indigenous guys, and I really doubt there's any malice or racism behind the comments. You get the feeling he's been hung out to dry to a certain extent, and this is more about keeping up appearances than what he actually said/intended. Pretty disappointing all round.

Spot on.

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

You twit Rendell you should have kept your mouth shut.
Big loss as Recruitment Manager.

 

[Wood_Duck]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

Thats not the point though. Someone such as Rendell with a high-profile position cant get away with saying things like this, regardless of what his intentions are.

I totally agree. He did the wrong thing, he has taken his medicine.

 

[Butts_JZZ30]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

You're a disgrace by trying to defend him.....

Rendell is gone now so just get over it now,the club is always bigger than the individual........life goes on.

People like you who foolishly labelled people a disgrace for absolutely nothing comments are the reason people fantastic at their job get sacked for stupid reasons.

It is ridiculous. He said what probably every clubs recruiting department was thinking. What he said is a legitimate concern given events in the past. Aboriginal players from strictly aboriginal families and communities need to be looked at very closely and they rarely work out.

What he said wasn't a big deal, foolish to say it yes...big deal no...it shouldnt even make the news.

As soon as you mention the world AFL the media/AFL will murder you without even considering the other side...

 

[MarksGirl-kbcrowgirl]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

What a peanut. Thank god the club made an example out of him. Unacceptable behaviour from a grown man *shakes head*

 

[radiojake]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

We dont seriously believe he is a racist...why cant we take his comments for what they are worth...an admittance to the heavy risk associated with drafting such players. He was probably asked his opinion..gave it...then got crucified.

It is just stupid. Political correctness gone wrong.

While I don't believe Rendell is racist, what he said was stupid and he had no choice but to stand down. It is not a case of 'political correctness gone wrong' - To state that all indigenous kids with indigenous parents are a draft risk, as a blanket rule, is the kind of backwards thinking that our society has being trying to rectify over the past couple of decades.

For every indigenous player that gets drafted that doesn't end up succeding very well in the AFL system, there is a talented white kid who also doesn't end up suceeding in the system. Why? Because elite professional sport is not for everyone, and all the talent in the world will not make up for hard work, dedication and a bit of luck. Failure to live up to AFL system expectations despite talent and the associated risks with drafting a youngster who doesn't come through is not limited to race.

Did our recruiting team come out after the Lawrence Angwin affair and say 'Our club would thinking twice about recruiting a white kid who played junior footy for Bonbeach and the Dandynong Stingrays'? Ofcourse not, because that would be ridiculous.

This same idiocy is what is prevelant in Rendall's comments -

Having concerns over recruiting players from remote communities (be it an indigenous community or not) is one thing, because that is a legitimate thing to consider (moving to the big smoke and the associated adjustments needed to be made) - Blanket calls about concern over parent's race (regardless of whether they have grown up in the city, country, rural) is baseline racism - I am not calling Rendall a racist because I don't know him from a bar of soap, but him having to step down to save the club face is far from PC going too far.

 

[Cap]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

It appears the club has caved in again, 2 times in one week.

Grow some balls afc

 

[Freddy Bassett]

Re: Rendell Says the club will only recruit Aboriginals that have one white parent

It Would of been Matty 'honestly' saying it was too hard to bring Jurrah-like players from Central Australia. Is that unfair? It must be a massive strain on resources and money and he said it in confidence to the AFL who were investigating the reasons why theses kids werent getting picked up...

The demands of playing AFL are huge. I could not of done it as a rowdy teenager. I was too much of a ratbag.

I hope Rendell gets some support. He bloody well deserves it and he just spoke the truth! The thing that killed him was the comment about 'one white parent'. But to say it is hard work to pick up lads from Central Australia is the truth. And he has lost his career for it...