Players cop a blogging - not from this site, or do we?

[bornadog]

Herald Sun
Mark Robinson | May 21, 2008 12:00am

AFL players have been banned from scouring fan websites, for fear the vicious player appraisals could lead to depression. At one club, support staff also have been threatened with the sack if they are caught blogging or leaking valuable information to the websites.

Labelled "cyber bullying" and "big brother" blogging by the AFL Players' Association, clubs have taken the drastic step of encouraging a boycott of the popular fan sites.

"I wouldn't encourage any players to use them. I think it's for bloggers, and I think it's mostly for titillation rather any decent feedback," AFLPA general manager of psychology, people and culture, Pippa Grange said yesterday.

"It's more your big brother-type trivia.

"I would agree with coaches telling players not to look, but I would also encourage the players not to think of it in any way as criticism - it's just a random sample of people with not much better to do."

Most football clubs have independent supporter websites, including Saintsational, TalkingCarlton, Demonology, Punt Road End, Nick's Collingwood Page and and Bomberblitz.

One of the most popular is BigFooty.

On them, anonymous bloggers ritually attack players for their performances, and the criticisms sometimes carry racial and sexual overtones.

One coach, who did not want to draw attention to his players, yesterday said: "They get real nasty."

The coach said he was aware of one player receiving "particularly scathing" criticism and he had approached the player and asked if he was aware of it.

"Thankfully, he said it didn't matter because he didn't read it, but bloody oath, it could affect the player," the coach said. "It's a serious issue, a major issue.

"Even if one player gets depression, or his form falls away, it could end his career."

One club official last night confirmed the coach had directed some of his players to stop reading sites.

"Yes, we have suggested to some players they avoid online fan sites," the official said.

A football manager from another club said he had addressed the issue with the players.

He also revealed he had warned support staff that if they leaked information to websites, or people knowingly connected to the websites, they would be sacked.

"We have said, 'Whatever you know is not to be passed on to people outside the club'," he said.

He said players had to avoid any scathing critiques.

"It's like critical fan mail, it could do your head in, and it's the same thing with websites.

"You should read some of it, it's rubbish.

"You've got to understand the ego of players and fragility comes with that as well."

Grange yesterday said AFL footballers were in the "culture of celebrities".

"And there's a lot of nasty stuff out there," she said.

She likens it to cyber bullying at schools, where there are alarming cases of bullying bringing on forms of depression and even attempted suicide.

"There's no restriction of what people are able to do with the internet," Grange said.

"Blogging on websites about players is a form of bullying, it's public bullying of people in celebrity positions.

"And the footy players, unless they personally take some course of investigation, have got absolutely no comeback."

Grange said public criticism of players had been addressed, although cyber criticism hadn't specifically been on the agenda.

"We talk to the players about building resilience about feedback and what they need to let through to the keeper, and what's actually value for them and how they make a choice about each," she said.

"We don't specifically focus on websites, but that's going to happen with our digital lifestyle at the minute."

More serious, she said, were players' identities being taken by bloggers.

"The biggest thing I've encountered in my role where it's been a problem is where people take the identity of the player and claim to be making comments on behalf of the player," she said.

"They get obviously quite upset about that."

ANYONE with personal problems can call Lifelineon 131 114; Victorian Statewide Suicide Helpline on 1300 651 251; or Mensline Australia on 1300 789 978.

[bornadog]

Hopefully we keep our criticism civil and dont just bag players. (pretty sure we do).

Some of the rubbish on other websites is enough to drive anyone to depression.

I know some players have browsed our website so please keep up the good work and make all criticism constructive.

[aker39]

I don't think it happens on here, but I can tell you Jordan McMahon copped a flogging on another site.

[bornadog]

I don't think it happens on here, but I can tell you Jordan McMahon copped a flogging on another site.

I saw that and it is disgraceful.


I put this post up as a reminder to keep up the high standard we practise.

[ledge]

Hopefully Rodney likes ours and if we do criticize it is constructive and of use.
To all our bloggers including myself we should try to keep this article in the back of our heads when talking about players.
As much as the article is all negative there is information that i believe also helps players in some blogs, works both ways eg what about when we mention a player in a good way ,surely that gives him confidence.
But the papers wouldnt mention that would they?

[Sockeye Salmon]

Another reminder for the mods to make sure this type of thing is not tolerated.

I like it that we're better than the other sites.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Another reminder for the mods to make sure this type of thing is not tolerated.

I like it that we're better than the other sites.

Here, here, resorting to rubbish is not what we want to do, and its a credit to the leadership of this board

[1eyedog]

Here, here, resorting to rubbish is not what we want to do, and its a credit to the leadership of this board

and to the quality of the people who post here

[ledge]

Hey theres a compliment, i just got called quality, i will take that thank you very much!

[Sockeye Salmon]

and to the quality of the people who post here

Except Ledge.

[bornadog]

Currently being discussed on SEN with Shaun Higgins. He says the players don't take any notice of the negative sites or listen to talk back etc.

[ledge]

Except Ledge.

Cos i am special.
Hey sockeye makes 2 of us.
No quality but quantity, cant have both.

[ledge]

Currently being discussed on SEN with Shaun Higgins. He says the players don't take any notice of the negative sites or listen to talk back etc.

So that means in code he was saying they all read WOOF!

[Sedat]

I found the article to be terribly biased and self-serving to the media. Most football fans know that the journos trawl through these sites religiously to chase their next Walkley Award winning scoops. To bite off the hand that constantly feeds them is poor form in the extreme and only validates the media's fear of become completely irrelevent when it comes to reporting information of any worth to the football fan.

Yes there are some acidic elements of vitriol sometimes posted on these sites, but even the poorly controlled sites have a high percentege of quality posters who have an interest and a passion in the players and the game itself. I'd rather hear about the players, the up-coming match-ups and on-field tactical innovations than hear about the off-field 'personalities' that make up this game. Witness this piece of utter fluff as an example of exactly what I don't want to read about when it comes to football:

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/anderson-the-fixer/2008/05/20/1211182803009.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[LostDoggy]

To say nothing of the piece about Acker's bum

[hujsh]

I don't think it happens on here, but I can tell you Jordan McMahon copped a flogging on another site.

The quotes in the paper were about him on BF.

[ledge]

doesnt jjordan suffer from being a little emotional anyway, so wouldnt help

[westdog54]

I save some of my more extreme views (most of which I'm taking the piss with anyway) for Bay 13 on BF, where its not just tolerated but encouraged, with the knowledge that its the lighter side of the main board.

I'd like to think I keep myself to a pretty high standard otherwise.

[strebla]

I always thought of these type of sites as fan sites which is why i do not go to B F .I will leave that to the people who do not buy memberships but sook and cry when their team plays badly!

[GVGjr]

Another reminder for the mods to make sure this type of thing is not tolerated.

I like it that we're better than the other sites.

We hear it loud and clear :)

[LostDoggy]

"I wouldn't encourage any players to use them. I think it's for bloggers, and I think it's mostly for titillation rather any decent feedback," AFLPA general manager of psychology, people and culture, Pippa Grange said yesterday.



That's a job title?! I can understand how you might manage people, but how would you 'demonstrate an ability to manage culture', as it no doubt asked on the job description form?

[LostDoggy]

Theres a horrible thread started on a Bulldogs group on myspace, called
"How s*** is Farren Ray?"

It has 183 posts on that thread, the majority standing up for Farren, but thats horrible to have your own supporters start a thread about you like that.

[LostDoggy]

I know McMahon left the club with a few parting shots to the club, but to see what those Richmond supporters were saying against him was disgusting. I felt really sorry for him being and said as much on our BF site, mentioning that it wouldn't help his depression if he saw that trash. Next thing you know players are told not to look in case they get depressed:eek:

[Mofra]

doesnt jjordan suffer from being a little emotional anyway, so wouldnt help

All in all, quite a strange decision to move to club with probably the most vicious supporters in the league. Tigers do eat their own.

[Stevo]

I take no enjoyment from reading some of the comments written about some of the players but since I have found this site I enjoying visiting it.

Mark's article today was about letting people know that their callous comments can have an impact on players especially the younger ones. This might get people thinking first before they rip into a player but it probably won't. I don't know of one player that doesn't try his best so a lot of the comments directed at players is simply not accurate.

Like most people I get frustrated when things don't go our way but focusing on one or two players and calling them all sorts of names is at best juvenile.

[hujsh]

I found it interesting that the WOOF wasn't mentioned in the paper's short group of team specific sites.

Is this site like the Stonecutters or something:p

[W W Biscuit]

Is this site like the Stonecutters or something:p

Shhhh...keep your voice down. :D

[LostDoggy]

I was in and out of the car today and heard Sen talking about the issue non stop. Quite a few bloggers from BF rang up including some of the mods. If I wasn't working I would have rung up and given WOOF a plug, and also point out that on BF the bulldogs site is easily the most rational and sensible (85% anyway) - with Richmond's being the worst:eek:

[FrediKanoute]

Whilst Robbo's article is spot on about internet forum's being a truly annonymous means for people to take pot shots at players and officials, what he fails to acknowledge is a fundemental reason why people flock to these sites, including journalists themselves. Its not simply because people want to be able to extend talking footy to beyond the workplace, schoolyard or pub, but largely because the discussions generated on sites like Woof are generally not subject to the same rules as journalists are subject too.....and I'm not referring to the rules relating to defamation, but to the rules governing the relationships which journalists have with clubs, officials and players.

In 1997 in the post match interview to the WB's R1 loss to Freo at Optus Oval, Rohan Connolly asked Terry Wallace whether the loss would have signifciant ramifications for the future of the football club (or something to that effect). Wallace's reactions was annoyance and dismissive and effectively said to Connolly if you keep asking cr*p like that he would be effectively blackballed by the club. In 1997 as a sports writer Connolly's livelihood depended upon him maintaining a relationship with all of the 10 Victorian based clubs. Failure to do so would have significantly affected his ability to write articles for The Age. His suggestion that the loss could have a significant impact on the financial future of the WB was a real issue, but one which was quelled by Wallace. Hence, his critical and indpendent journalism was compromised.

Forum's represent direct competition for journalists like Connolly. Forum's however do not have these limitations. People who watch games or go to training or see players out in the public arena come on here to provide information to interested viewers/readers, but in most cases without the limitation of having to maintain a close relationship with the club. Forum's also provide a very current medium for the diseminiation of information to a wide range of people. If you take this board for example you have people from all walks of like, from all States of Australia and a number of us who reside abroad who come here for tit bits and gossip about the Bulldogs and their players. We come here because we know that the information we receive is often going to be more incisive, often no less accurate, but importantly much more timely than other forms of media. Where did you hear first that Ayce Cordy had done his shoulder......as reported in today's Herald-Sun?

Yes there is the negative aspect, the annonymous blogger who rants and raves and piles cr*p on every player in the team.....much like that annoying pessimistic bloke/lady at the footy always does. On this site we are relatively lucky, the discussion's generated are typically of a high standard and where there is criticism of players it is usually not personal criticism, but constructive. I think that's a real positive which our mod's enforce, but moreover something which allof us who post here recognise as a key part of making the Woof Board a place where discussion reigns supreme and rarely (if ever ) degenerates into mudslinging, name-calling etc.

[1eyedog]

That's a job title?! I can understand how you might manage people, but how would you 'demonstrate an ability to manage culture', as it no doubt asked on the job description form?

By managing people or a group of people you are managing a culture. It's kinda like managing an ideal or a belief and the way you are viewed from the outside. Every club has a culture, some are known as being better than others. One example might be the Bulldogs have a good culture, they rescue people from drowning, stand up for women's rights, their players are never found drink driving, fighting in nightclubs where an opposition club might go through all of these things in one season (Richmond and Hawthorn's drink driving record, Alan Didak, Eagles drug scandals etc). So I guess managing a culture at a club is about managing the values of that club and it is represented by the actions of its players and officials.:)

[1eyedog]

All in all, quite a strange decision to move to club with probably the most vicious supporters in the league. Tigers do eat their own.

Yep, there is a pretty nasty thread on punt road end about Sanchez as well.

[bornadog]

Whilst Robbo's article is spot on about internet forum's being a truly annonymous means for people to take pot shots at players and officials, what he fails to acknowledge is a fundemental reason why people flock to these sites, including journalists themselves. Its not simply because people want to be able to extend talking footy to beyond the workplace, schoolyard or pub, but largely because the discussions generated on sites like Woof are generally not subject to the same rules as journalists are subject too.....and I'm not referring to the rules relating to defamation, but to the rules governing the relationships which journalists have with clubs, officials and players.

In 1997 in the post match interview to the WB's R1 loss to Freo at Optus Oval, Rohan Connolly asked Terry Wallace whether the loss would have signifciant ramifications for the future of the football club (or something to that effect). Wallace's reactions was annoyance and dismissive and effectively said to Connolly if you keep asking cr*p like that he would be effectively blackballed by the club. In 1997 as a sports writer Connolly's livelihood depended upon him maintaining a relationship with all of the 10 Victorian based clubs. Failure to do so would have significantly affected his ability to write articles for The Age. His suggestion that the loss could have a significant impact on the financial future of the WB was a real issue, but one which was quelled by Wallace. Hence, his critical and indpendent journalism was compromised.

Forum's represent direct competition for journalists like Connolly. Forum's however do not have these limitations. People who watch games or go to training or see players out in the public arena come on here to provide information to interested viewers/readers, but in most cases without the limitation of having to maintain a close relationship with the club. Forum's also provide a very current medium for the diseminiation of information to a wide range of people. If you take this board for example you have people from all walks of like, from all States of Australia and a number of us who reside abroad who come here for tit bits and gossip about the Bulldogs and their players. We come here because we know that the information we receive is often going to be more incisive, often no less accurate, but importantly much more timely than other forms of media. Where did you hear first that Ayce Cordy had done his shoulder......as reported in today's Herald-Sun?

Yes there is the negative aspect, the annonymous blogger who rants and raves and piles cr*p on every player in the team.....much like that annoying pessimistic bloke/lady at the footy always does. On this site we are relatively lucky, the discussion's generated are typically of a high standard and where there is criticism of players it is usually not personal criticism, but constructive. I think that's a real positive which our mod's enforce, but moreover something which allof us who post here recognise as a key part of making the Woof Board a place where discussion reigns supreme and rarely (if ever ) degenerates into mudslinging, name-calling etc.

Great response there FK and spot on.