Yes, I've been absent (and cultivating an air of mystery) from this blog for some time and plenty has happened in the intervening months, but I'll get to that one day, probably this weekend, in fact. I thought, instead, as the 'Claire' gangbang revelations on the Four Corners Program and Matty Johns subsequent sacking from Channel Nine are hot topic right now, I would post an essay I wrote last year as part of my Master of Cultural Studies on this very subject. Admittedly, I have focused on AFL as a code, but the issue - that is the lack of respect for women by men who play football for a living, whatever the code - is the same. Please note, that this material is copyright and any passages lifted from this article must be cited and credited to the author (me, that is. For my full name please email me at blakkatlass@hotmail.com).
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Since allegations were first sniffed out by the media in 2004, Footballers & Sexual Assault has retained the sort of word-pair association power usually reserved for couplings like salt & pepper, ebony & ivory or Columbians & cocaine. As with this last example, the partnership is certainly not applicable in the majority of cases, but there is never-the-less more than a line of truth in it and, for the rest, the taint remains by affiliation. An affiliation with violence against women is something the AFL - as a corporate entity (in collaboration with other institutions) – has developed a player-training program¹, an interactive educational DVD² and a ‘Respect and Responsibility Policy’3 in a bid to rid of. The development of these player-centred strategies to curb what the media-eating public perceives as a big, sordid problem has kept university faculties4, the Victorian Government and Police, women’s groups and assorted committees well occupied, but it remains to be seen whether all or any of these measures will create actual institutionalised change in a sporting culture where misogyny is as molded into the fabric as tight shorts and revelled in like Mad Monday.
In his article, Football, Culture and Sexual Assault (2005) - a lengthy, intelligent and reasoned dissertation on the subject – Ian Warren highlights this particular problem by saying, “Greater education for young, naïve athletes, emphasising the value of women in football beyond their exploitation as tools of recreational enjoyment, juxtaposes problems of male group culture and female temptresses” (2005: 140). In fact, most public discourse on the subject over the last four years, which has spanned the spectrum of television, online and print medias, has failed to move much past the problem of ‘female temptresses’ at all. Quoting Warren again, “Masculinity, fame, athleticism, and notoriety feed discussions of female attraction to football. Innuendo highlights ‘loose women’ and groupies compiling records of sexual conquest like kicks on Melbourne Cricket Ground wing” (2005:135). Discussions on ‘female attraction to football’ themselves, however, are worth examining for the ways in which they put up reasoned arguments for deflecting responsibility for the sometimes brutal and abhorrent sexual practices of individual players and how they fail to recognise that these young men - under the influence of culturally entrenched hyper-masculinity (and alcohol) – become versed in misogyny and willingly participate in practices conceived to humiliate or degrade those whom they negotiate sexual relations with.
Never at a loss for a bad word, The Sunday Mail recently - and blatantly - headlined, ‘Sexual attacks blamed on fans’ (Oct 10, 2008). Citing a Deakin University study, co-authored by Dr Kim Toffoletti and Dr Peter Mewett, it was found and put into tabloid speak, that ‘Female football supporters blame predatory fans for seducing high profile players accused of sexual misconduct’ (Oct 10, 2008). The research, dubbed as ‘startling’ by reporter Clair Weaver, revealed ‘groupies who “throw themselves” at footballers in nightclubs are viewed as responsible for inciting alleged rapes and sexual assaults’ (Oct 10, 2008). What the study also revealed, which The Sunday Mail omitted, was that “female fans held complex, often contradictory, views about sexual misconduct by footballers” (Sept 30, 2008) so that while, as Dr Toffoletti explained, female football supporters did perceive that “a victim could be complicit in their own abuse… players were also seen to be part of the problem” (Sept 30, 2008). The reasons offered by the women interviewed ranged from elite footballers believing ‘they were entitled to women and could do whatever they liked’ with alcohol and team bonding seen as prime factors in ‘cultivating this behaviour’. Other contributors included, such behaviours being ‘part of the man’s biological make up’ as well as being a by-product of ‘team pressure’. Not so surprisingly, the study also found that, “Fans believed that club culture also plays a part, suggesting that initiatives that address player attitudes toward women are a step in the right direction” (Sept 30, 2008).
As band wagons go, The Sunday Mail’s alacrity to highlight the conundrum of ‘loose’, predatory women as being at the root of all sexual misconduct by men is tired one, albeit with a long, seemingly logical and credentialed history. ‘Hell hath no fury like a groupie scorned’ (June 15, 2006) opines – and scorns – sports journalist Jaqueline Magnay from The Sydney Morning Herald. Barely concealing her contempt for this subset of her own sex, that is, girls “who shamelessly describe themselves as groupies”, Magnay says, “Their unrelenting quest is to bed a football hunk, preferably one of those higher up the desirability scale, to have their own status fly sky-high... These women”, Magnay generalizes, “ - usually in their 20s, pampered and indulged – are used to getting their own way.” The scathing continues further on, “Despite all the evidence showing that the blokes rarely enter a permanent relationship with a groupie – preferring links with women met at school or through friends – their aggressive efforts to be the chosen one continue unabated. To progress from a footy chick to a footy wife is to achieve instant fabulousness, and win the golden award for perseverance along the way” (June 15, 2008). It is precisely these arguments - dished up as popular opinion with the added appeal to reason - however, that can’t move past groupies being the augmenters of their own fates and rapes and in doing so fail to hold individual players as being accountable for their own decisions. The fact is ‘these women’ never stood a chance in a culture that systematically compartmentalises and demeans women for the purpose of servicing men’s egos. “There is a notion,” feminist and social commentators Deborah Hindley and Tara ‘sorry-I-curve-there’ Brabazon write, “that if women are involved in the footballing codes – rugby league, soccer or AFL in particular – they must be groupies, consenting to sex with their celebrity sporting heroes. Women’s roles in sport are written for them before they pull out the pom poms or paint their faces: supportive Brownlow wives, soccer mums or sexually available flakes” (2004, May 4).
Even groupies come in all shapes, cup-sizes and motivations and it is unlikely that the woman who willingly offers an orifice as a victory cup to be passed around from player to player sees herself as the next Rebecca Twigley – Chris Judd’s lithe lady in red at the 2006 Brownlows. Arguments involving low self-esteem, father issues and previous sexual abuse might well be valid for explaining a girl’s willingness to bed an entire football team, but if that was her intention and she enjoyed the experience, then there is little room for condemnation, however distasteful the serial monogamist majority might find it. If she is aware of how little she matters as a person during a team-bonding group sex exercise, she may simply not care - the visceral experience, thrill of sexual association, groupie credibility and, possibly, even actual sexual pleasure are probably more than enough reasons to justify the multiple encounter. For it is a gifted lady, indeed, who has the stamina (and the stomach) to offer the whole bevy commiserative blowjobs after a grand final loss, but that, according to one ex-player - who denied participation but still begged not to be name - is exactly what happened in 1996. Around 15 players were consoled accordingly and perhaps learned something about staying power at the same time.
Less titillating, yet still illustrative, the same ex-player offered accounts of ‘away from home’ girls who could be counted on with the summons of a text message and others who willingly extended invitations to team mates merely passing by the bedroom door. The only story to which the player admitted personal involvement – perhaps because of his own perceived blamelessness, even though he was married at the time – was the night a fellow teammate came back to their shared hotel room (the player himself having already gone to bed) with two girls and proclaimed, “Hey *****, I’ve got something for you.” The extraneous girl then got into bed with the player and they did what came naturally. He knew neither her name or, through not turning the lights on, what she looked like. The generic nature of these off-field shenanigans would suggest that these seemingly sexually savvy women, or the majority there of - ‘who throw themselves at players’ and who could not consent more if they charged an admission fee - are only bringing the sexual conduct of players to the attention of the police, the media and the public when it is warranted. As a group though, they are certainly marking their fair share for the unpalatable, sometimes criminal, behaviour of some players and, in the most venerable of misogynist traditions, are being blamed for leading otherwise good men astray. The trick, of course, to blaming and shaming these women - or any homogenous group we like to vilify - is to metaphorically keep the lights off and not give these women a face, a name or any distinguishing personality features beyond being a stupid slut.
The 2006 documentary, Footy Chicks, was an attempt to put a face to a groupie and shed some personalising limelight on these women, that is, girls – with names like Erika and Christine - who seek out sexual liaisons with football players. In terms of what one would expect from such a documentary, Footy Chicks pretty much covered the whole ground: there were in-depth interviews with two groupies, one NRL - Erika, the other AFL - Christine, and an NRL cheerleader - Hayley; as well as professional sound bites from a former player, David Millwood; Gender Studies lecturers, Dr Clifton Evers and Dr Catherine Lumby and Karen Willis from the rape crisis centre. There was no demonising or moralising and the girls were shown to be equal parts sexually ambitious and vulnerable – that is, not always emotionally blasé about their pursuit of footballer booty. In contrast to the popular media, the documentary seems to align itself with an orthodox feminist view, which says if a girl likes having sex with lots of men – footballers or no – then why shouldn’t she? Just make sure you use protection and pay no mind to the ‘pig on a spit’ and ‘mattress-back’ labels. The problem is, as Dr Lumby points out in Footy Chicks, “women who enjoy sex are seen as lesser human beings”. A little simplified, given the general popularity of sex – even for its own sake - amongst women. The clause I would add is, women who enjoy having sex with many or multiple partners are seen as lesser human beings.
Not all feminists, however, are willing to toe the ‘if it’s good for the goose, why shouldn’t the gander?’ line. Largely because when it comes to footballers and sex, women and men are playing on a very lopsided field to begin with and when sex is as available as oxygen, the sexual veneration most women enjoy amongst ordinary species of men becomes virtually null and void in the skewed sphere of elite football. Germaine Greer has no compunctions using the term ‘rape fodder’ to describe women who “climb through ventilators to get into toilets” and who “will perform any sexual service no matter how debasing” (March 23, 2004). Greer in ‘Grubby sex has just become a bit nosier’5 (March 23, 2004) - which was published in the Fairfax media only days after St Kilda’s Steven Milne and Leigh Montagna6 were named in sexual assault allegations – argues that footballers behaving badly is inevitable and immutable. “One of the most important mechanisms for binding any company of men involves shared transgression and mutual guilt… there is nothing new about “roasting”, the sharing out of eager women between sportsmen, nothing new about the women feeling humiliated and used, nothing new about the contempt and hostility that sportsmen who are abusing complaisant women express (March 23, 2004)”. What seemed to be lost on many who read the article and blogged their outrage accordingly, is that Greer was not expressing her contempt for ‘these desperate creatures’, she is rather highlighting, in the most demeaning terms, the way these girls are viewed by the men who use and abuse them: a point that was glossed over, or deliberately side-stepped, in Footy Chicks.
Although the contribution of alcohol was rightly considered in Footy Chicks as was the murkiness of what can constitute consent, what was missed when it comes to actual sexual assault – and is absent from most media debates on the subject – was the issue of naivety on the part of some young woman who find themselves in the company of, and simultaneously celebrity struck, by young, virile football players (who can be as equally naïve). Not every groupie is a wizened good time gal and not every woman who fancies good height and tight buns in a team jersey is prepared to join parts in a sexual factory line or is wanting to tick off another team number on her ‘to do’ list. More often than is credited by the groupie-sneering media, naïve girls give their alcohol-induced consent, which is predicated on the hope of something more than a one-night stand with a good-looking footballer. She may have already decided what colour gown she fantatises about wearing to the Brownlows, or she may not, but if she doesn’t know the deal with footballers then she may find herself in deeper – by two or three players, sometimes – than she knows how to deal with. And it is by this stage, or perhaps in the aftermath of it all, that the humiliation sets in for the girl who now realises she was no more than a sperm extractor and Johnny Football is no more interested in her as a person than he is in learning how to crochet.
Consider the case of a woman who agreed to accompany a player to his hotel room and have sex with him. The sex having been had, the player told the woman he was going to out to get something and would be back shortly. The player never returned. What ensued was a charge of sexual assault – not because the woman was raped or subjected to a particular act she didn’t consent to – but because she felt used and humiliated. An emotionally fuelled over-reaction, yes, – the charges were quickly dismissed - but it is demonstrative of the way women, even when physical violence does not become part of the agenda, are regarded and treated by a large subset of elite footballers. The presence of actual sexual assault or violence is just a far more obvious and insidious demonstration of the objectification of women in this context and the lack of empathy and respect women garner from their sporting idols.
In 2004 – the season of footballers and sexual assault allegations – following on the heels of the Milne and Montagna scandal, another woman came forward, alleging she was gang raped by two AFL players in an Adelaide park in 2002. The Bulletin (March 30, 2004) – quoting Melbourne’s Herald Sun – reported that a $200,000 payout was made to the woman, who said “she was drugged, then raped and sexually assaulted, by two AFL players.” Some insider hearsay, by an elite former player (who is in no way was connected to the case) but who claims to be privy ‘to what really happened’ spins the story another way. The woman in question consented to sex (with at least one player) and both she and the player convened to a nearby park. Alcohol was involved, naturally, as was the great outdoors, two other players - who were, for the time being at least, relegated to spectatorship - and the cover of darkness. What she didn’t consent to, so the story was retold, was intercourse via another portal, which the player chose to use anyway. The truth, of course, is as allusive as anal sex to garden-variety heterosexual men, but the case itself is a can of worms whichever sorry tale you choose to accept. Worm 1, being the wriggly line of what was consented to and what wasn’t; Worm 2, was this sexual assault or humiliation after the fact or both? (with the comfort of possible monetary compensation?); and Worm 3, shouldn’t these players know better and are they stupid or what?
No, they don’t know better - unless they’re explicitly told otherwise - is the professional opinion of Michael Hall, a former policeman of 23 years and now a behavioural consultant whom The Bulletin (2004, March 30) credits with informing “just about every NRL and AFL player” on sexual assault and who has, reiterates The Daily Telegraph, “lectured thousands of professional football players from all codes on acceptable forms of behaviour” (Sept 17, 2008). Writing for TDT, with their feel for the inflammatory, Hall says, “When it comes to sexual assault, footballers can be misunderstood – and anyone who thinks differently must be living a very sheltered life. Now hear me out…” While making sure not to excuse violence against women, Hall is of the ‘rotten apple’ school of thought and is quick to reassure us all that, “… there is nothing overly offensive or shocking about football players. They are no worse than anyone else of that age group when it comes to alcohol, drugs and sexual assault…” (Sept 17, 2008). Building a career out of lecturing elite footballers on the ins & outs of sexual assault, however, would appear to flatly contradict this claim. Micheal Moller, researcher (NRL and attitudes toward women) and gender studies lecturer at The University of Sydney, claims “A great deal of critical and popular material on male athletes, sexual violence and their attitudes towards women holds that professional team-sport athletes are more likely to act violently towards women than the general population of young men” (2008: 16). As to why this is, Messner (2005), an American sociologist, writes “There is no single factor that explains how male athletes come to assault women… Rather, a combination of several group-based factors create a context that makes violence likely: misogynist and homophobic dominance bonding, a learned suppression of empathy for others, a “culture of silence” within the group, and an institutional environment that valorizes and rewards the successful utilization of violence against others” (2005: 318).
Without those conditions then and without the ample opportunities available to them - particularly those ‘in which females are willing to accommodate numerous men at the same time’ (Sept 17, 2008) as Hall puts it - footballers probably ‘are no worse than anyone else of that age group’. Focusing purely on the opportunistic then, Hall sees his role as instructing these guys on ‘Where do you draw the line?’. “In terms of sexual behaviour, I teach them exactly what rape is, what sexual penetration is and what indecent assault is. I give them instances and examples of each of those and give them practical advice, tell them how to avoid finding themselves in those circumstances, and if they are, how to make a quick exit.” What advice would Hall give his pupils in regards to video footage that was circulating depicting a 17 year old girl who had been urged into role-playing various pornographic scenarios with multiple players/partners? Upon receiving a copy of his team mates’ amateur filmmaking efforts, the ex-player who related this questionable venture, advised the player who passed it on to him to get rid of it on the pronto. The girl, now in her mid 20s, recently contacted (via Facebook) the former footballer who disclosed this story, to express her gratitude to him for never treating her or using her like the other players did. There is so much more to this problem than just consent.
As Hall is working in a forward position his work is commendable, however, he is primarily focusing on behaviour management, that is, the outward manifestations of football players treating women as sexual accessories. Hall is about player self-preservation, he’s not calling into the question the first-place premise of women being considered objects or property by elite sportsmen, the ways in which women are characterised within these settings and the attitudes that stem from these fundamental assumptions.
Sport sociologist, Dr Drummond (2008) makes a similar point in regards to the AFL’s recent ‘interactive DVD’ release which has been ‘designed to improve player attitudes to women’ (Feb 2008). While he supports the idea, and commends the AFL for being serious about the matter, he says that, “it needs to be part of a more comprehensive and ongoing approach” and “a change in the overall culture of AFL clubs is paramount and leadership must come from senior players within the clubs… a simple DVD in isolation is too easy to walk away from; there are 17 -18 year old boys who are likely to giggle and laugh about it and then just walk away… What we want to do is create young men who are understanding and respectful in all different forms” (Feb 2008). The producer of Footy Chicks, Michaela Perske, in an interview for The 7.30 Report (2006, June 13) doesn’t see change being that instantaneous either, saying “I think it will take about another one to two generations to actually see that change because you’ve also got to get rid of a whole lot of deadwood… it takes sort of two or three generations to change a culture.”
It also takes an all hands on deck approach to change a culture. “Extensive collaboration,” Warren (2005) concludes in his own work on the subject, “between the leagues, players’ associations and various federal, state and local organizations are leading to detailed codes of conduct over this problematic issue.” (2005: 142). Since 2005, the AFL has certainly made a genuine show of wanting to implement long term change in the actual attitudes of players towards women. Chief Executive Officer of the AFL, Andrew Demetriou, is most confident in the measures the AFL is taking – particularly as regards its ‘Responsibility and Respect Policy’3, of which he says, “The Policy’s strength lies in its recognition that real change will depend on tackling the culture at a number of levels. In particular it will be about changing attitudes… and will include educating all of our players, executives, coaches, support staff and board members about respect – respect for themselves, for their relationships and respect for the women (and men) around them” (2006-08:1).
When asked, the same former player - who generously and candidly offered his most lurid and confidential anecdotes for this paper - did believe that the player education that has been implemented so far ‘has been effective’ and that with the penalties being so severe, that is, the threat of suspensions, fines and dismissals, it ‘is more trouble than what it’s worth’. “Heavy fines, victim compensation orders, mandatory deregistration, and compulsory player educational programs” (2005: 142), are all being employed to tackle the problem head-on, but – to quote Warren again because he puts it so succinctly - “The impact of these measures in preventing future cases of sexual assault and related anti-social behavior remains to be seen and is best evaluated with ongoing informed critical research” (2005: 142). However, there is certainly enough interest, initiative, public awareness and actual groundwork (much of it from academics in Gender Studies departments) being done to be optimistic about long-term change within this particular sporting culture and salt & pepper don’t have to go together, either.
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Notes
¹ A media release on March 23, 2005 from the Minister for Women’s Affairs in Victoria announced that the State Government, Victoria Police and the AFL had developed a training program for AFL players, which was aimed to improve ‘understanding of sexual violence and encouraging respectful behaviours’. The initiative was endorsed by the minister for women’s affair, Mary Delahunty.
² In February 2008 the AFL also released an ‘interactive DVD’ aimed at improving player attitudes to women.
3 The Respect and Responsibility Policy which the AFL established with VicHealth can be accessed via the official AFL website under ‘Women & Girls’ which in turn is accessed via the ‘Development’ tab. According to the site, ‘The Respect & Responsibility Policy’ represents the Australian Football League’s commitment to addressing violence against women and to work towards creating safe, supportive and inclusive environments for women across the football industry as well as in the broader community.’ The 6 key components of the program are:-
1. The introduction of model anti-sexual harassment and anti-sexual discrimination procedures across the AFL and its 16 Clubs
2. The development of organisational policies and procedures to ensure a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for women
3. Changes to AFL rules relating to ‘Conduct Unbecoming’ which cover the specific context of allegations of sexual assault
4. Education of AFL players and other club officials with avenues for dissemination of the program to the community level being explored
5. The dissemination of model policies and procedures at the community club level; and,
6. The development of a public education campaign.
The site also explains the aims and means of the player education program with links to several PDF documents available for download, including the ‘Practical Education Respect and Responsibility booklet’ which is has been designed specifically for clubs and players.
The Respect and Responsibility Program also includes as 48 page document entitled ‘Building cultures of respect & non-violence’ prepared by Drs Sue Dyson & Micheal Flood from La Trobe University, which reviews the literature available, outside of football cultures, that deals with anti-violence initiatives and violence prevention programs already in place throughout the wider community.
4 A Working Group on Sexual Assault and Football convened by Professor Jenny Morgan from The University Melbourne Law Faculty, for example, drafted a 12 page ‘Discussion document re development of AFL response to the issue of violence against women’. Much of the measures outlined in the document mirror those in set out by the AFL in their Respect and Responsibility Program, but it is unclear whether the UM discussion document or the UM Law Faculty were officially involved in the development of the R&R Policy.
5 Greer’s central point in ‘Grubby sex has just become noisier’ is that the only thing that has changed in terms of footballers and ‘grubby sex’ is that women are more willing to speak out now and are less ashamed of admitting they consented to sex with one player, but not necessarily another. She credits this trend to the ‘indecent amounts of money’ that are ‘sloshing around’ and that is available for redress in cases of sexual assault, where often the law fails.
5 Stephen Milne and Leigh Montagna from the St Kilda football club were accused of sexual assault by two women who had gone to one of the player’s home. The allegations came only weeks after the NRL Canterbury Bulldogs were embroiled in a gang rape scandal, but were eventually dropped. The St Kilda football club took the unusual step of naming the players involved (in contrast to the NRL and its code of silence surrounding players named in sexual assault allegations).
