Club Respect

Anon from the Sydney suburb of Randwick plays football and asks "The club is finding it difficult to engage with players during COVID, many who have come back to playing recently. Even our really gifted players (Juniors U18s) don't seem as interested in skills development and training. How can we help them through this period of uncertainty?"

Carolyn asks “I think the Richmond Tigers have proven that their workplace is unsafe [referring to a recent locker room groping incident]. What are their responsibilities in regards to the filmed multiple sexual assaults?"

Erin plays Aussie Rules footy in the Victorian Central Murray region and asks “What level should our club play in education in members around topics like respectful behaviour, drug and alcohol, mental health, etc? What is an appropriate amount to be expected of members on an annual basis”

Maggie from Wodonga in Victoria and asks "We know that we have boys and girls that can't afford the gear. Is there something we can do at a club without the kids feeling embarrassed or ashamed?"

Anonymous plays tennis in Victoria and asks "As a club we’ve had a member verbally abuse another member of the club, the victim would like the club to take this further, but the club currently has no process on how to deal with. This attack is out of character for the member and thus the club would like to punish them without having to expel the member. Do you have any advice on the best way forward for the club?"

Steve from Keilor East plays Aussie Rules football and asks "We've had a problem with homophobia in our club. The club has never had a player that has come out so they don't see it as important enough to address. How can we address this in ways that doesn't piss people off?"

Ross from Ballarat asks "We've been trying to get our community to get different roles for women other than at the canteen. What can we do to change the attitudes of men and women in the club to achieve this?"

It is an unsettling time for sport clubs as we start to reimagine how our players will train and if they will play any competitive matches in 2020. It's also the perfect time to think about how our clubs might look when we start back up again.

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19 March 2019: For the NRL it's been a disastrous off season, with allegations of violence against women reaching crisis levels. North Queensland's Ben Barba received a lifetime ban after a video emerged of him allegedly assaulting his partner at a Townsville casino during the Australia Day weekend.