RESPONSIBLE FOOTBALL JOURNALISM
Football players who speak in public can be their own worst enemies. Should the media have a responsibility to protect the players from themselves or simply print statements and hang them out to dry?
Is it appropriate or morally desirable for the media to edit, alter or filter some player comments, observations or actions? What is the impact when they don’t?
Reflect on the back page headline in the Advertiser three weeks ago,
“Hard Hitting Bock Returns To The Crows”.
Whose idea was that?
Following Richmond’s inexplicable loss to Melbourne speculation was rife about Terry Wallace’s future. Captain Chris Newman offered a well intentioned statement,
“I’m right behind him and he doesn’t deserve that”.
A less than verbatim account may have sufficed.
Wallace didn’t help himself by implying a certain self anointed royalty status by referring to himself in the third person,
“Myself, and I, think we will meet with them over the next 24 hours”.
The question is do we maintain media integrity and report Superules’ players utterances verbatim or edit and enhance their geriatric credibility.
Sunday’s game against East was a beauty early as both teams struggled for supremacy. With scores locked at 2 goals 2 behinds apiece, Dave “Runt” Wuttke turned thoughtfully to his opponent and said, “This is tight, one more point each and the scores will be level”.
Ron Berry was talking up the impending Saturday night game at Mt Lofty when a team mate asked what it would be like, compared to the day games.
Ron’s measured response was, “It’s basically the same, just darker”.
As the game progressed the Hills team gradually began to overwhelm the opposition.
With the Hills missing Dick Kleemann, the opposition believed the Tigers “Engine Room” would be vulnerable.
When Easts onballers began to falter Damon Wilson observed that, “It might be time for them to call the RAA.”
Desperate for his team to turn around their fortunes the East’s coach urged his team on at half time by explaining, “Apart from their goals we outscored Hills in that quarter”.
Doubting the validity of their mentor one player questioned why the coach hadn’t made any moves in response to strategic Hills’ maneuvers. “They didn’t change positions, they just moved their players around”, was the coach’s only comeback.
Again the Hills’ team welcomed a debutant, although Damien Ryde was a little apprehensive about the nature of the game.
Rob “Max” McGregor was quick to assure him that, “Sure there have been injuries and deaths in Superules, but none of them serious”. Damien played regardless.
The curious new comer was also questioning about the training regime of the team, wondering where and when practice sessions would be held. Kim Pearce explained about the last ever training session was when coach Dave Piro lost patience with his team.
Frustrated with a lack of coordination and concentration, Dave instructed half the team to go over and stand under the light and was very specific with the direction they should head. After a minute the group seemed disoriented and were wandering aimlessly which prompted a strong rebuke, “What’s wrong with you guys just stand over there near the light?”
Kim asked, “What light?”
Dave replied “That big, bright shiny thing over there on the light tower.”
Kim then informed him that there was no light tower in that part of the oval but the big, bright shiny thing was actually the moon. Dave requested that this never be spoken of again.
The revolving door of Superules welcomed back stalwart defender Andrew Frohling who kicked four goals after looking like he would need to be “Euthanased” last year due to injuries. It was also great to see Paul Zoontjens back. Following the first match of the season, walking unaided was not an option for four days, but we soon forget the pain.
The outstanding form of Simon Kemp prompted one of the East players to ask which Saturday team he played for.Dale Wiley explained, “He doesn’t but I would happily be his manager if he did.”
Mark Jaensch, fresh from his running duties with Nairne, covered his usual amount of ground and Chris Geraghty was again incredibly hard at the ball.
Great to have the “Chrome Domes” back.
As the game unfolded the larger than normal crowd witnessed some spectacular events
Aleks Bojanic took two strong pack marks and became quite excited by his successes. He was motivated to provide a running commentary but fatigue caused a slip of the tongue, “Bojanic’s long arms reached up through the pack like giant testicles”.
The might Supertigers eventually triumphed by ten goals, prompting a rather rude outburst from the defeated coach.
Explaining that as a child he had 20 wooden soldiers who he put into positions but they would just stand there, not moving and do nothing. “For years I thought I had lost them, but as of now I think I have found them again”.
For the final quote of the month we must return to the fertile ground of the Richmond football club.
Questioned over Wallace’s immediate future as coach, the president confidently declared “Unless he is struck down by some mystery virus, Terry will be coaching this week”.
Two days later the Swine flu pandemic engulfed the world.
The team is looking forward to Saturday’s 5pm feature game at Mt Lofty, following the A grade curtain raiser.
HILLS 14 – 8 EAST 4 – 5
Best: Kemp, Wuttke, Jaensch, Seymour, Zoontjens, Geraghty, Snooks
Goals: Frohling 4, Snooks 3, Pearce 2, Hill, Jaensch, Ormsby, Wilson, Bojanic 1
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