News Cyril and Shannyn Rioli speak to Caro - link to club statement in page 8

[Hawthorn23]

Some further developments to the story in the video below:

Mod edit: it’s a must watch for anyone reading this thread.

 

[Mercy Seat]

That was a really tough read, but I’m glad we have some clarification and this stuff is out in the open. It’s going to take transparency and accountability from our supporter base and the bigger football world for meaningful change to happen.

It sounds like plenty of the issues that Cyril and other indigenous players came up against were too quickly swept under the carpet. It’s easy to look back and blame individuals, particularly our previous coaches and leadership group, but it appears there were plenty of well intentioned people out of their depth and without the right roles and structures being set up at the club. This needs significant overhaul now, and i hope this is something that can be implemented right away.

I suspect the underlying broader issue is culture, and this is not something that is exclusively Hawthorn, but football and sport in general. I think we’ll hear more of these stories from other clubs. However, it’s just so disappointing that such a golden era for our club, filled with such generational indigenous talent has this stain.

 

[The hands of stone]

Spot on.

At a club I was playing for in England we had a decent portion of sub continent players .
I called them 'paki's' because well I thought it was ok .

One of them was nice enough to take me out to dinner and spent a few hours chatting to me explaining how things like that are deeply hurtful .
I was embarrassed but grateful he took the time out for me and did it in such a nice way .

We need people like that he can educate, if he didnt do that for me i could still be non the wiser .

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

it could be perceived that way.

consider a waspy old guy with a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth talking to a young woman about her fashion choices?

stupid? yes inappropriate? perhaps. racist? that’s reaching for me.

how it was perceived is another issue - and it’s pretty clear they knew it was a problem and tried to explain it was misinterpreted and that he was sorry.

you’ll get to a point where people won’t speak to people that look different from them for fear of being perceived as racist.

No, now you’re just being silly in regards to that last sentence.

I am actually finding it very hard to understand how people in here cannot see how a comment regarding someone wearing torn clothes and offering them money couldn’t be considered racist to an indigenous person, when it is a clear implication of the person being “below them” socio-economically.

Offering a black woman money to buy clothes? Yikes.

You might not understand it, but again it shows an ignorance towards indigenous people and the things that they carry, so again I would implore you to watch “The Australian Dream”.

 

[Siri]

It's refreshing to see that so may posters/supporters empathise with Cyril, and rightly so. Tells me we've come a long way as a society, but we've still got a ways to go.

 

[killerspud]

I know the soft cap has been smashed but

We need a position at the club which focuses on indigenous players.

That goes out of its way to help settle indigenous players. Who can also help in bringing out their talents. I thought Geelong's recruitment of Eddie Betts was a really sharp move. Chance Bateman

Chance Bateman

Age

43

Ht

175cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.1

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

6.3

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.1

4star

CL

1.1

3star

No current season stats available

D

18.6

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.6

5star

T

2.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

does a similar role at West Coast. Surely there is someone we can bring in to do this role (if we already have someone please enlighten me on who it is)

I remember meeting a group of past indigenous players outside AFL house a few years ago who were trying to get the AFL to help establish post career Pathways for indigenous players since then there are a few more in the media and in coaching but they are still under represented

Kennett does have to go but this goes deeper and the club can choose to take it on and become a leader.

 

[HedgeFund]

Thanks bud that is news to me. Tell me a bit more. No don’t actually just in case you miss the sarcasm.

Clearly you failed to understand how words can be interpreted any which way

And for your info, I know what happened.

Nothing in your post suggested you were trying to be sarcastic.
I interpreted it literally, as I presumed what you wrote is what you meant.

 

[Rob R]

• Jed Anderson left the club at 21
• Lance Franklin left the club at 26
• Shaun Burgoyne retired and immediately joined Port Adelaide
• Junior retired early at 28 as the article states after a string of ordinary incidents

Jeff Kennett (a rich white privileged man) offered “jokingly” to give some money to a young Indigneous woman to buy thread to sew up her jeans. That’s the culture of the HFC in a nutshell. Players follow it, and aren’t called on it because the likes of Rioli don’t want to rock the boat (which is their right if they choose to do so, and as his partner sought to do at the appropriate times)

Frankly the boat needs to be rocked because our club is really no better than the Pies on this issue. Richmond and West Coast are brilliant, and we have a large gap to bridge.

We have so much to learn, and so do some posters on here. Until you’ve walked a mile in the shoes of an Indigenous woman, your understanding of the impact of that incident - as the “Straw that broke the camels back” on top of the others outlined in the very fair and objective article - will always be superficial.

I’m glad this has come out. It should have come out several years earlier. Hopefully it will be the catalyst for a fundamental change and improvement by the HFC in the area of indigenous culture, welfare and education.

Anderson left for more midfield, Buddy left for a ton of money and his missus, Shaun went home and after retiring and is still close to the club.

The issues raised by Cyril are serious but you cant assume that every other player who left did it because of culture.

On SM-G570F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

They never shot old white guys, enslaved them and took their land back in the day. Same in the USA. Learn some history before posting again please

And for your own education, there are parts in this world where all of these horrific things did/do happen, much like my ancestry and the stories I have been educated on.

 

[sven_inc]

Certainly agree it was patronising but unless she was not
the only one in torn jeans and therefore was singled out, it sounds like a stupid dad joke not racism.

The other issues raised in the article are the serious problems

On SM-G570F using BigFooty.com mobile app

For me the ripped jeans thing just comes across as a lack of genuine respect for her from Kennett. I probably don't even have a problem with the comment itself in isolation, especially if Kennett talks that way to his kids, but as soon as she voices any concern over the comment from her end it becomes Kennett's responsibility to pull back and respectfully address how he made her feel - just like he probably would if one if his kids voiced the same concern. Doubling down is not the answer.

Making an unintentional mistake is fine. We're all human. But failing to show empathy and then blaming the other person for something you initiated gets us absolutely nowhere, and often further down the wrong direction.

If there is a world where Shannyn perhaps was overreacting a little, then it's hard for her to actually come to that conclusion until she's felt heard, valued, and validated first.

And if there's a healthy respect there, that's surely not a reach for everyone involved is it?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Isn’t the expression ‘old white guy’ racist? Much like old black guy would be. I just don’t see how one is supposedly better or worse than the other

Bloody hell. This post is beyond dumb.

 

[HedgeFund]

And for your own education, there are parts in this world where all of these horrific things did/do happen, much like my ancestry and the stories I have been educated on.

Maybe you should delete your post then as it reads differently to what you’re now saying in order to clarify.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I know the soft cap has been smashed but

We need a position at the club which focuses on indigenous players.

That goes out of its way to help settle indigenous players. Who can also help in bringing out their talents. I thought Geelong's recruitment of Eddie Betts was a really sharp move. Chance Bateman does a similar role at West Coast. Surely there is someone we can bring in to do this role (if we already have someone please enlighten me on who it is)

I remember meeting a group of past indigenous players outside AFL house a few years ago who were trying to get the AFL to help establish post career Pathways for indigenous players since then there are a few more in the media and in coaching but they are still under represented

Kennett does have to go but this goes deeper and the club can choose to take it on and become a leader.

We have. Brady Grey is full time at the club.

 

[killerspud]

To those who say Kennett isn't racist I'll just leave this here

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Bloody hell. This post is beyond dumb.

It really isn’t, as it doesn’t help, and in time you will see this

 

[A Diakos]

Chad Wingard

20

Chad Wingard

Age

31

Ht

183cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

7.3

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.9

4star

G

1.5

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.2

3star

is playing for us now and loves hawthorn

He was offered for trade last November and declared he wants to stay

Shaun burger loves the hawks . As does Bateman and buddy will turn up to all reunions

Cyri was my favourite player ….I think Caro needs to name the hawk player who made the “boong” comment and this needs to be addressed as it’s not what we stand for ….we embrace all at hawthorn and we are all one

 

[Ned Ryerson]

At a club I was playing for in England we had a decent portion of sub continent players .
I called them 'paki's' because well I thought it was ok .

One of them was nice enough to take me out to dinner and spent a few hours chatting to me explaining how things like that are deeply hurtful .
I was embarrassed but grateful he took the time out for me and did it in such a nice way .

We need people like that he can educate, if he didnt do that for me i could still be non the wiser .

We also need more people like you who take a good learning opportunity for what it is - so many just seem to want to double down and get defensive in situations like that.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

It really isn’t, as it doesn’t help, and in time you will see this

No it really is, as was your other “whataboutism” post regarding “wogs”.

Log off.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Chad Wingard is playing for us now and loves hawthorn

He was offered for trade last November and declared he wants to stay

Shaun burger loves the hawks . As does Bateman and buddy will turn up to all reunions

Cyri was my favourite player ….I think Caro needs to name the hawk player who made the “boong” comment and this needs to be addressed as it’s not what we stand for ….we embrace all at hawthorn and we are all one

Barrack Obama served two terms as president of the USA so there can’t possibly be racism towards black people in the USA.

This is effectively what you’re arguing.

 

[Back Pocket Rocket]

his wife took offence at Kennett ripped jeans stupid joke

I stand by comment get a Grip, it's a dumb joke from Kennett ....and I stand by comment Caro is a gutter journalist who hates Hawthorn

I don't see Burger Buddy Bateman have an issue .....Shaun was embraced by all players after the match re Port in the rooms last Saturday with him having a little grin whilst broadcasting

Don't loosely imply that I m a racist re "cultural insensitivity"

I have nothing but love for Cyril and Burger

If an individual senior player made "boong " comment name him and shame him....he does not represent Hawthorn value or its family which is embracing ....

This is where I stand also. That 2013 comment is awful and needs to be shamed. The ripped jeans joke is a terrible Dad joke that happens everywhere daily. The follow up of offering money was the slightly insensitive part. Not even gonna start on the Goodes situation. That horse has been flogged.

 

[HedgeFund]

We have. Brady Grey is full time at the club.

Who is probably about to demand a pay rise commensurate with the imminent expansion of his role / responsibilities. Welcome Brady!

 

[HedgeFund]

This is where I stand also. That 2013 comment is awful and needs to be shamed. The ripped jeans joke is a terrible Dad joke that happens everywhere daily. The follow up of offering money was the slightly insensitive part. Not even gonna start on the Goodes situation. That horse has been flogged.

“Slightly insensitive” -

 

[detox]

It’s racist for a privileged elite white man (who barely knows an indigenous woman) to pull out coins from his pocket and suggest she use them to buy thread to fix what he perceives is a problem.

Could it possibly just not be a bad joke or an awkward attempt at dialogue?

 

[checkraiseulite]

No, now you’re just being silly in regards to that last sentence.

I am actually finding it very hard to understand how people in here cannot see how a comment regarding someone wearing torn clothes and offering them money couldn’t be considered racist to an indigenous person, when it is a clear implication of the person being “below them” socio-economically.

Offering a black woman money to buy clothes? Yikes.

You might not understand it, but again it shows an ignorance towards indigenous people and the things that they carry, so again I would implore you to watch “The Australian Dream”.

help me understand.

he shouldn’t have made the joke because she was indigenous?

or he shouldn’t have made the joke because it was stupid for an old guy to comment on women’s clothing without it potentially blowing up in a way that he hadn’t intended?

 

[Back Pocket Rocket]

“Slightly insensitive” -

Sorry wrong wording. "Highly". The rest I stand by.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Could it possibly just not be a bad joke or an awkward attempt at dialogue?

Sure, from Jeff’s point of view.

But you need to ignore the fact she’s an indigenous woman, carrying all that comes with that, and have no awareness of cultural sensitivities.