The Serve

Adam Selwood decision was spot on

The Pandora’s box remains closed for a little while longer. Had Eagle’s player Adam Selwood been found guilty of contrary conduct, i.e. unfairly using disgusting language, then the tribunal would have had to get used to Wednesday nights at Docklands eating Chinese take away, playing ‘he said, she said’ until the wee hours.

The panel had no choice.

What Selwood had been accused of saying was clearly disgusting. To allegedly call a six year girl a ‘slut’ is as puerile as it is nonsensical. Selwood says all he muttered - after remarking about Des Headland’s tattoo - was that he ‘f—ed a girl like that last night’.

Doesn’t sound all that believable, does it?

There is a theme among many that comments about family should be viewed along the same lines as race. AFL has staunch rules about racial remarks. It’s a decade long stance that has served its purpose. The difference though is the topic of race, pardon the analogy, is black and white. A racial comment is nigh on unmistakable. Family is not so succinct. What is unacceptable? Talking about someone’s parents? Children? Cousins? Aunties? Mother-in-laws? Is it a crime to talk refer to family in a sexual manner, yet fine to call them ugly? Such a grey area. Where does it end?

More importantly when does the responsibility fall on the player reacting?

This wouldn’t have been a topic had Headland not responded. He may have been offended by the vile sledge, but he has to be better than that. Zinedine Zidane may have been glorified by the football public after his World Cup final head butt on Mario Materazzi because of a reference about his mother, but Materazzi was left holding the trophy. Mission accomplished. Why Selwood would say anything after the full time siren, with nothing to gain, is a mystery. However his aim was to induce a reaction and he succeeded.

No one ever said football wasn’t a grubby game.

The strange decision of the night was the acquittal of Headland. The banishment of his six week sentence effectively justified his reaction to comments the league also considered acceptable. The reaction was justified by the provocation, yet the provocation was deemed not punishable. Quite the paradox.

The whole thing has been swept under the carpet as if nothing happened. Such a shame something did.