ENOUGH’S enough.
Seriously, it beggars belief that in 2025, the type of behaviour I am about to write about still goes on in society – let alone within the confines of our football ovals.
It is also disappointing that on a weekend when we should be celebrating all the good things about our game, such as the Bendigo Pioneers returning to our region, that we need to be reminded to behave ourselves when we go to the footy.
But in the past three weeks, there has been two – yes two – serious incidents at a Central Murray football match.
Incredibly, both occurred during and after a junior match.
These incidents, combined with several others from last year, are simply unacceptable.
In fact, last Saturday’s altercation, which has been widely discussed among the community, is the fourth such assault at either a Central Murray or Golden Rivers venue in the past 12 months in which legal proceedings are pending.
As such, and with legal proceedings at play, I have no appetite to discuss any singular incident, whether it be who started it, what caused it or how it occurred.
That is for the authorities to decide – be it the police, court or Central Rivers board.
But seriously, four such incidents in less than 12 months … what a disgrace.
Footy is an emotional game, it is part of its appeal and is why people become so invested that they dedicate large periods of their lives to help grow the game and support the club they love.
For 99 percent of us who are involved in one way, shape or form, we know where the line is and we don’t cross it.
But after what’s happened over the past three weeks, it’s time we got serious.
Because if you’re among the 1 percent of people who can’t control their emotions – you’re no longer welcome.
The rest of us, who want to play, coach, umpire, spectate and want to do so in a safe and positive environment, don’t want you involved in our game any more.
It’s not a right to be involved in this great sport – it’s a privilege, and the sooner it is treated as such, the better off we will all be.
And furthermore, if you think the actions of the past few weeks are acceptable or that it’s just ‘boys being boys’ – well you are part of the problem too.
It’s time this type of anti-social behaviour started being called out by those of us who are quite simply sick of it.
Paying your $10 at the gate doesn’t give you – or anyone – the right to hurl abuse across the fence.
It doesn’t mean you can swear at the umpires for a bad decision or berate opposition players because they are better than your team.
And it certainly doesn’t give you the right to physically and deliberately harm another person.
And furthermore, it’s time clubs help put an end to this behaviour as well and stop making excuses for people within their own clubs that behave like this.
Remember, in society, the behaviour we walk past is the behaviour we accept.
Would you accept somebody turning up to your place of work and lambasting you simply for doing your job?
Would you be disgusted if somebody did that to your brother, or son, or father? Or worse, physically attacked them.
Then it’s time to call it out.
When my 11-year-old son came to me at the start of this season and said he wanted to take up footy, I was ecstatic.
As someone who grew up playing this game and as someone who now gets to enjoy it from the side lines every Saturday afternoon, I was rapt that one of my kids was wanting to take up the sport I fell in love with at his age.
But now I’m not. Now, I’m concerned.
And after the events of the past few weeks, I have every right to be.
I don’t want him growing up thinking this sort of behaviour is not only common place, but that it’s accepted.
It’s not an environment that I want him to be a part of – it’s not an environment I want to be a part of.
And neither do the other 99 percent of us who do the right thing.
So to the other 1 percent – I say pull your heads in.
What happened last Saturday is where we draw the line in the sand – enough’s enough.
