Sydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich, coach Dean Cox and captain Callum Mills spoke to reporters in the 24 hours after police began investigating an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel on Monday. None of the three said much – likely on legal advice – but none felt compelled to even share a thought about the woman or women whose experiences prompted them to go to police. For a sport with an unsatisfactory record on rape and sexual violence, this week delivered another regrettable chapter.
Nobody has been arrested or charged and formal interviews have not taken place. So far there is little detail widely known about what has occurred. But according to family violence specialist and former chief executive of Respect Victoria, Emily Maguire, alleged victims should not be forgotten.
Footy fans and hangers on brought their own baggage to circumstances that were already heavy. Some public figures – including on prominent football programmes – handled the matter delicately, even as Channel Seven personality Kane Cornes approached the alleged sexual assault largely from a sporting lens. How would [veterans] Dane Rampe, Jake Lloyd or Tom Papley, who has lost three grand finals be feeling?” The AFL has so far declined to comment, as they wait for the police to make enquiries and determine the facts in this instance.
The club and the players have not yet had the chance to provide a full account of the evening, to police or to the wider football community. The broader truth, however, is already well known. Australia has a problem, with one in five women experiencing sexual violence.
Repeated, high-profile instances of abuse of women by footballers, as well as academic research, highlight how problematic attitudes towards women fester in football clubs around the country. The influential 2021 National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey recommended ending violence against women by challenging “attitudes condoning gender inequality through points of influence, such as peer and social groups”, specifically identifying the importance of sports clubs and groups. It is a complex issue, challenging the presumption of innocence and one of Australia’s foundational principles of justice.
It is also a point of contention at the AFL Players’ Association, which bristles at potential overreach. The mechanic was pioneered in Australia by the NRL in 2019. That code applies a strict stand down policy in cases where a player is charged with a crime punishable by 11 years or more in jail, as well as a discretionary power in cases of violence against women.
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