Rendell to be sacked by Crows?

[tweedaletomanning]

Matt Rendell = "scapegoat" of the highest order. Made Adelaide, the AFL and probably Misfud look very ordinary tonight. Caro made herself look so ordinary it wasn't funny. Here's a guy spilling his guts on TV and she's not even listening to his answers and then asks one hell of a stupid question. The most compelling TV I've seen in a long, long time.

I'd go as far as saying Demetrio needs to stand down immediately.absolute farce

It would never happen. When does a dictator EVER stand down.

Nothing would be more beneficial to the game, than if "dimwit" somehow "disappeared"

He is a disgrace on ALL levels.

[BigMart]

It was Tim Milera he rated.....Tim was an Adelaide rookie who was dumped last year for the reasons Bundy was outlining.

Rendell was the architect behind Tim getting an opportunity.

[Dave McNamara]

Matt Rendell = "scapegoat" of the highest order. Made Adelaide, the AFL and probably Misfud look very ordinary tonight. Caro made herself look so ordinary it wasn't funny. Here's a guy spilling his guts on TV and she's not even listening to his answers and then asks one hell of a stupid question. The most compelling TV I've seen in a long, long time.

I'd go as far as saying Demetrio needs to stand down immediately.absolute farce

It would never happen. When does a dictator EVER stand down.

Nothing would be more beneficial to the game, than if "dimwit" somehow "disappeared"

He is a disgrace on ALL levels.

DIMWIT 2012 anyone?

[tweedaletomanning]

It would never happen. When does a dictator EVER stand down.

Nothing would be more beneficial to the game, than if "dimwit" somehow "disappeared"

He is a disgrace on ALL levels.[/quote]
DIMWIT 2012 anyone?[/quote]

Wouldn't mind it, but Kony is probably a higher priority..

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

I hope the AFL cops it in a big way over this. It seems Rendell is one who was doing a heap to try and improve the whole situation and just because he apparently said something that has been completely taken out of context, he is the one who has been crucified.
Liam Jurrah, on the other hand, allegedly attacks someone with an axe and they swoon all over him. Something is seriously wrong here.

[Con Gorozidis]

I hope the AFL cops it in a big way over this. It seems Rendell is one who was doing a heap to try and improve the whole situation and just because he apparently said something that has been completely taken out of context, he is the one who has been punished. Liam Jurrah, on the other hand, allegedly attacks someone with an axe and they swoon all over him. Something is seriously wrong here.

disagree. if rendell really was talking about other clubs and was trying to help he would have let them sack him and been bang up in court for unfair dismissal.
that never happened which makes me thin the afl version is correct. but yeah someone is telling porkies.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

What do you mean talking about other clubs?

[hungry for a premiership]

This whole situation is an absolute farcical disgrace.

Q: What was Rendell's INTENT when he made the comment??? A: To improve the structures under which indigenous players make the transition from bush life to AFL.

There is nothing racist about that. Nothing racist about his intentions, and to me, the intentions behind a comment are the deciding factor with regards to whether or not it is discriminatory. The exact same words can be discriminatory or not discriminatory, depending on the intent behind the words. Is it racist to say that aborigines from the bush have more lifestyle hurdles to jump to adapt to AFL than urban caucasians? No. Is it racist to say that because of this, recruiters in the future may be less likely to recruit indigenous players? No. Is it racist to say that aborigines will struggle under the 2 and 2 system because they generally have less stamina? Misinformed, yes, incorrect, yes, but racist? I don't think so, because he wasn't basing this assumption on skin color but on other factors.

I would of thought that by raising this issue and pointing out that recruiters would favor white players due to these factors, people would realize that his INTENTIONS were to aid and facilitate the cause of indigenous footballers.

Yes, the comments were poor in that they could easily be taken out of context, yes, Rendell made an error of judgement to make comments that could so easily be taken out of context, but jeez, why can't people look at his intentions, his message, rather than take the comments in isolation and attribute their own meanings to them. Yes, you expect that kind of thing from journo's and the ignorant masses, but for Demetriou to have him fired over it is a disgrace. Rendell has spent his life doing his job well, he has recruited plethoras of indigenous players in the past and has no record of racist trends, and his intention behind the comment was to cause immediate action in helping aborigines to become AFL footballers, and yet all that counts for nothing in the idiotic mind of Demetriou, who has shown a severe lack of composure and understanding on this issue.

Having said all that, I have to say that IMO, Rendell's comments were wrong. Not racist, just wrong. His grounds for saying "recruiters will only recruit indeginous players with one white parent" were based on two fallacious assumptions: 1.) That aboriginal players have less stamina than white players, 2.) that due to cultural differences and the "go home" factor, they present a greater risk.

Both these arguments are false. 1.) There are plenty of indigenous players with plenty of stamina. 2.) History shows that there are in fact many more cases of caucasian players mucking up than aboriginal players.

Rendell's comments were wrong, not racist.

Demetriou is an idiot.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

When did Rendell say anything about stamina? I thought that was all Roos, Hird and Dr Larkins?
As for your second point, "2.) History shows that there are in fact many more cases of caucasian players mucking up than aboriginal players." That would be true, but it's also true that the former make up about 90% of those playing in the AFL, so you would expect them to make up a higher number of those who "muck up". It may not be a higher relative percentage, though. And it's not necessarily about "mucking up", but whether they will be able to adapt to the highly structured and disciplined and so on environment that is requird to play AFL. Many are simply finding it too hard and are going home.
This is what Ross Tungatalum said of his experience at St Kilda: "Being away from family is tough. Coming from our community to a city like Melbourne, people just don't understand the difference.

"Up here there is nobody telling me what to do, where to be at different times, what to eat ... just completely different lifestyles."

[Con Gorozidis]

What do you mean talking about other clubs?

the way rendell explained it the convo went something like this

jm: there seems to be some reluctance in recruiting indig players...
mr: yeah mate. im really concerned about this trend and what ive been hearing out there from other clubs. some clubs have told me they would only recruit a player with one white parent. this is a really bad situation and we need to rectify it.

the way the afl explains is the convo went like this:

jm:jm: there seems to be some reluctance in recruiting indig players...
mr: yeah mate. to be honest with you. i wouldn't recruit a player now unless they had one white parent.

i dont know which version is correct. but if i was MR and my version was correct - id be going to court over it if i was sacked. if the afl version is correct id be very embarrassed and probably take my whack,

[Life Long Saint]

Regarding Jurrah. The man has been charged with a serious, violent crime yet the AFL allow him back? Why? It is anti-racism by suggesting that it is what goes on in remote communities. Such an act is wrong regardless of the circumstances and the geography.

It would be interesting to talk to Ben Cousins about his treatment from the AFL as a direct contrast to how Jurrah has been treated.
Cousins was de-registered for 12 months for not being charged with a serious crime but somehow brought the game into disrepute.

[saintspremiers]

Regarding Jurrah. The man has been charged with a serious, violent crime yet the AFL allow him back? Why? It is anti-racism by suggesting that it is what goes on in remote communities. Such an act is wrong regardless of the circumstances and the geography.

It would be interesting to talk to Ben Cousins about his treatment from the AFL as a direct contrast to how Jurrah has been treated.
Cousins was de-registered for 12 months for not being charged with a serious crime but somehow brought the game into disrepute.

It's called racism.

Anti-white propoganda by the AFL.

Get your head out of your arse Demetriou!

[parky]

I feel sorry for those like BobMurray that have never had the pleasure of sitting down over a long lunch with Matt Rendell. That was him at his provocative best. Saying something to get someone moving rather than just accepting the status quo. Matt is all about improvement whether it be an individual or a system and the many many people (both inside and outside the game) he has helped improve know how he is being portrayed by Demetriou is a total falsehood.

As far as I am concerned, if Demetriou can burn a great man of the AFL like that then his game can go screw itself until he's gone


oh and as my semi interested in football wife said

"Interesting that the news about Jim Stynes that should have been released by the Melbourne Football Club is released by that scum bag. Me thinks he knows how public opinion is running so he needs something to soften the image"

I'm usually the cynical one, but on this she has hit the hammer dead centre of the nails head

[BigMart]

I have woken to Matt a few times as a supporter...

Taken aback by his bluntness, honesty and straight down the line style....I loved it. A bit different to the rubbish you normally get.

I remember talking to him and another two saints assistants about Steve Harrison from Casey in 2005. He was the then version of James mager, in that he was clearly the best player in a team which included a doze n players on our list. He listened firstly, then when the other disagreed and scoffed as Harrison was slowish with average disposal. Rendell challenged them (citing Joe Misiti) and the argument got heated as was his passion.....he then said we are too narrow in recruiting focus on kids and should widen the net to second tier leagues for late maturers and player who slide through

That was before the 'Barlow phenomena

[Life Long Saint]

Regarding Jurrah. The man has been charged with a serious, violent crime yet the AFL allow him back? Why? It is anti-racism by suggesting that it is what goes on in remote communities. Such an act is wrong regardless of the circumstances and the geography.

It would be interesting to talk to Ben Cousins about his treatment from the AFL as a direct contrast to how Jurrah has been treated.
Cousins was de-registered for 12 months for not being charged with a serious crime but somehow brought the game into disrepute.

It's called racism.

Anti-white propoganda by the AFL.

Get your head out of your arse Demetriou!

It's not racism...
Racism is defined as:
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

I don't think that any of that is going on here at all.

What is happening, though, is a difference has been identified between people within the AFL system that is racially based. It is clear that the aboriginal recruits have a harder time settling in to AFL life than the non-aboriginal recruits. Raw numbers don't tell you that but as a percentage they do...The so-called media experts will point to Buddy and Goodes as examples that it isn't the case. But for each one of the success stories there would be about four or five failures. Rendell identified a real issue.

Now rather than address the issue, the media have jumped all over Rendell labeling him racist. He is not. The media have got their story and left the issue un-addressed just waiting for the next victim.

What is clear is that there are differences in how the AFL handle different groups. The fact that they have multi-cultural ambassadors, indigenous round, multi-cultural round and the like only draw attention to this. It is a good thing to celebrate our differences as education gives us understanding and that leads to tolerance.

But when it comes to crime and punishment everyone should be treated the same. The race card cannot be played as a defence. It is irrelevant. As exciting a player as Jurrah is, he should not be playing at his club. Geez...the Crows fined Vince for celebrating in his boxer shorts, Steven King gets fined and is required to do community service by the Bulldogs for drink driving...Jurrah gets off scott free from the AFL and his club.

I don't get it!

[Dave McNamara]

the way rendell explained it the convo went something like this

jm: there seems to be some reluctance in recruiting indig players...
mr: yeah mate. im really concerned about this trend and what ive been hearing out there from other clubs. some clubs have told me they would only recruit a player with one white parent. this is a really bad situation and we need to rectify it.

the way the afl explains is the convo went like this:

jm:jm: there seems to be some reluctance in recruiting indig players...
mr: yeah mate. to be honest with you. i wouldn't recruit a player now unless they had one white parent.

i dont know which version is correct. but if i was MR and my version was correct - id be going to court over it if i was sacked. if the afl version is correct id be very embarrassed and probably take my whack,

If Version 1 is correct:

• The big 'A's (Andy D and Crows) have jumped the gun unbelievably badly in sacking Matt Rendell. Due diligence anyone? Shame on them.
  
  Jason Mifsud has either failed to clarify/have clarified what was said in his conversation with Matt R - or he is playing his own little political games.
  If the latter is true (as some people have suggested is plausable based on his Twittering), then anyone talking with him in the future would be well advised to have a witness or a recorder - preferably both...
  
  Matt R is owed an apology, and his job/or another one back.

If Version 2 is correct:

• Based on how sincerely Matt R delivered his version, then his next job should be recruiting manager for NIDA.

[SainterK]

I reckon he misused the word joke last night.

He meant it to be not in earnest.

Not that it was comedic.

[WinnersOnly]

I wonder if he has any grounds to sue Adelaide and AFL (Demetriuo) for his treatement ? Is generally an affiable nice guy who called things as they are - there should be more of them around !

[Thinline]

No shortage of respect for Rendell from me.

The bottom line is that his comments, although clumsy, underline a raw truth without a neat solution.

When the AFL - and particularly AD - have 'raw truth' and 'no neat solution' bubbling in the same billy, they/he go to mush.

Their secretive harbouring of the St Kilda schoolgirl 'truth' while St Kilda was being unapologetically pummelled is one example.

Their completely inappropriate banning of Ben Cousins on grounds of 'disrepute to the game' when the bloke a) hadn't ever failed a drug test and b) was to all relevant persons (medical and familial) gravely ill is another.

There's plenty of others.

And yet a bloke alleged to have taken to another bloke with a machete is good to run onto the field of play whenever he can without fear of disrepute or consequence?

Funny how Rendell's comments come in the same month during which GC - a club run in accordance with the AFL manual - lose Rex Liddy and Nathan Krakouer (both insanely talented players) to, urm, 'homesickness' issues. Too hard basket most likely. Where is the special retention effort there? Why no AFL song and dance?

And to borrow a tweet from our very own 'Saint' Francis Leach this morning - for an organisation so incredibly conscious and protective of its own brand and image it certainly shows little regard for anyone elses.

Matt Rendell was hung, drawn and quartered without valid reason.

It absolutely STINKS.

And as much as it absolutely saddens me to think it let alone say it, the fact that Demetriou chose that forum and that moment to release news of Jim Stynes decline makes me fell physically sick.

[Thinline]

Having said all that, I have to say that IMO, Rendell's comments were wrong. Not racist, just wrong. His grounds for saying "recruiters will only recruit indeginous players with one white parent" were based on two fallacious assumptions: 1.) That aboriginal players have less stamina than white players, 2.) that due to cultural differences and the "go home" factor, they present a greater risk.

Both these arguments are false. 1.) There are plenty of indigenous players with plenty of stamina. 2.) History shows that there are in fact many more cases of caucasian players mucking up than aboriginal players.

Rendell's comments were wrong, not racist.

Demetriou is an idiot.

I don't understand what is shameful about suggesting that some indigenous players sometimes present a particular challenge. Frankly, some do! It's really no different to suggesting the likes of Bachar Houli or Ahmet Saad require certain kind of respectful treatment on account of their beliefs.

It stands to perfectly logical reason that ANY player seen to be difficult or challenging will be less favourable than a piece of piss kid from a stable and accessible background.

Surely all Rendell is suggesting is that if we don't find a more respectful way then horribly crass decisions are going to be made.

I simply struggle to understand why that is in any way controversial.

I think it horribly sad and fraught that the Crows pulled the 'brand protection' trigger so quickly and that Rendell saw fit let that fear inform his decision making.

It's a fear wholly and solely attributable to the chronic knee jerk image consciousness that the present administration has let leech out for way too long.

The AFL recommends a way of getting stuff done. Don't follow and you don't get your prop up money when you need it.

Culture of fear and dependance ain't healthy.

[samoht]

This looks like an opportunity for the holier than thou to readily blame someone,(with scant regard for their "victim" to be duly heard first) so that they can manufacture the morally high ground for themselves to strut around in and make themselves look good.

[To the top]

This is the future of the AFL.

During the Mining Boom Phase 1, the proceeds were transitioned to the broader community by way of generous tax cuts (unless you were an average or low income earner where you got "a sandwich a week" - Vanstone, who could probably do with surviving on a sandwich a week!), by other measures such as the halving of the Capital Gains Tax, the re-imbursement of Private Health Cover premiums, Allocated Pensions becoming tax free etc, etc. etc. plus handouts such as Superannuation co-contributions (favouring the doctor's wife demographic), First Home Owner's Grants, Baby bonuses etc. etc. etc.

This "bad policy" (Henry) impacted on Credit Growth which increased in double digits year on year, fuelling double digit increases in house prices and double digit increases in retail sales - plus impacted on inflation with interest rates increasing during an election campaign - the "double whammy" being that we had so much more debt to service therefore the pressure on cost of living.

Indeed, the amount we owed our lenders on mortgages over our houses increased from $334 BILLION in 2000 to $1.234 TRILLION in 2010, the same size as our GDP, a GDP which is 70% reliant on the Services Industry and which has grown at an average rate of 3.5% PA since 1905.

Credit Growth has now slowed to 3% PA - and Australians (and Government post the GFC and needing to keep the economy afloat) are repairing their Balance Sheets and actually saving - as noted by the RBA in its notes saying this now entrenched change of culture gives confidence that interest rate reductions will not feed into inflation.

The areas of the economy which are feeling this adjustment are house prices (flat to easing), retail spending (flat to easing) and the media (look at Channel 9 where the Private Equity investors are looking to terminate their interest - and Channel 10 which is savagely cost cutting).

This will be a long term adjustment - perhaps out 20 years in regards personal balance sheets.

Into this economic appraisal the AFL continues to rely on the "rivers of gold" from media - which bid for the broadcast rights.

If I were Demitriou, I would be looking seriously at the expansion programme, the viability of certain clubs exit AFL assistance and the loss the AFL last reported.

And I would be seriously discounting revenue from media once the current contracts mature.

I think he will fall on his sword for what he is - and it will be sooner rather than later.

[Viking3]

What people are now allowed to say and not say in the guise of racism is complete farce. Every race still slings off at the "white man" but that is never construed as racist. I am 100% for equality but the pendulum has now swung too far in the other direction.
I read an article by Michael Long on the weekend and sent this to the Herald Sun:
"Michael Long, you are a hypocrite! You were quick to take the view that Matt Rendell (non-indigenous) was racist. You were shocked and said "I thought we'd gone beyond this sort of thing". Yet in the same article you defend the machete wielding Liam Jurrah (indigenous) with "You can't judge someone if you haven't walked in their shoes" and "he also has other obligations which are thousands of years old". YOU have quickly "judged" Rendell, who hasn't had the benefit of giving his side of the story, yet we can't "judge" Jurrah even though he has attacked a relative with a machete and hospitalised him. Your defence of Jurrah and his "obligations" is offensive. NO ONE has the right to assualt any one. Get back on your racism high horse and ride off into the sunset until you can harness your own racism!"
I'm sure though that it won't be printed.

[Teflon]

Where is Jason Mifsud in all of this

He's huge on the issue of race in sport.. IMO, plays the racism card and takes the victim position too often.. Very regular comments on twitter always reverting to race..
Hell, he tried to turn the Jeremy Lin craze into a race debate insinuating that he was popular solely because he was Asian, and insinuated that if you were a new supporter of his and thought Lin was great, it was motivated by racist undertones.. Just rubbish.

Totally agree.

Mifsud ought to go as well.

I often see him turn a genuine debate into the "race" debate. What shytes me in all this is while Dimwit and co are falling over themselves to see who can be the most "politically correct" the only real sufferers are young up and coming Aboriginal people, cause while the public political circus is in full swing no one actually gives a shyte about finding a solution...

FWIW I think Rendell is abit of a big mouth and its caught up with him.....but surely the answer here isnt to throw him on the scrapheap - but to make him accountable for helping with the solution and maybe educating him along the way?? (if in nothing else...at the least in how to get his point across without hijacking the issue).

[Thinline]

What people are now allowed to say and not say in the guise of racism is complete farce. Every race still slings off at the "white man" but that is never construed as racist. I am 100% for equality but the pendulum has now swung too far in the other direction.
I read an article by Michael Long on the weekend and sent this to the Herald Sun:
"Michael Long, you are a hypocrite! You were quick to take the view that Matt Rendell (non-indigenous) was racist. You were shocked and said "I thought we'd gone beyond this sort of thing". Yet in the same article you defend the machete wielding Liam Jurrah (indigenous) with "You can't judge someone if you haven't walked in their shoes" and "he also has other obligations which are thousands of years old". YOU have quickly "judged" Rendell, who hasn't had the benefit of giving his side of the story, yet we can't "judge" Jurrah even though he has attacked a relative with a machete and hospitalised him. Your defence of Jurrah and his "obligations" is offensive. NO ONE has the right to assualt any one. Get back on your racism high horse and ride off into the sunset until you can harness your own racism!"
I'm sure though that it won't be printed.

I understand your general gist and frustration, but to corner Long in that manner is not afford him a right to place the quote attributed in context. Put it this way: what if he had said "if it's true what they say about Rendell" beforethe relevant sentence then the context is very different. And my point is that this is the very same courtesy that wasn't properly afforded to Rendell.

Long is a noble servant of his people and of Australia. I'll judge him on that basis rather than on the strength of a tin pot opinion piece.

AND FWIW your note won't get published because you haven't used the word 'allegedly' re Jurrah - he's pleaded not guilty.