Patrick Dangerfield has confronted the music over his position as AFL Gamers Affiliation president, answering one burning question within the wake of the Adelaide Crows camp revelations.
The AFLPA was thrust into the headlines final week when Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins and Bryce Gibbs opened up on their true experiences within the Crows’ 2018 pre-season.
Watch Dangerfield’s reply within the video above
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The emotional tales shone a brand new gentle on how the gamers’ considerations had been dealt with by Adelaide, the AFL and the union.
The Crows issued a recent apology to gamers by way of chairman John Olsen and chief govt Tim Silvers, with AFL boss Gillon McLachlan equally saying sorry.
Betts’ revelations by way of excerpts from his new autobiography, which had been adopted by Jenkins and Gibbs opening up on radio, prompted AFLPA chief Paul Marsh to concede it was unaware of serious particulars in regards to the camp.
Talking on 7AFL’s The Discipline podcast with Hazard & JJ, Jenkins mentioned he’s now “absolutely” at peace together with his experiences on the camp and vowed to maneuver on.
“I don’t have the energy nor the desire to be on the phone endlessly about this and talking to people, accepting apologies and those sorts of things,” the 147-game Adelaide participant mentioned.
However with all events concerned determined to make sure gamers are by no means once more put in the same place, Jenkins questioned Dangerfield on the Geelong celebrity’s position and duties as AFLPA president.
“Are there times, like this, where you feel like a player as the president of the union can be considered a negative?” Jenkins started.
“You and I had some discussions about what went on. I asked you for your point of view from the PA (perspective), versus my point of view.
“I thought all along, ‘well, is it right that a player (is president)?’ because, like it or loathe it, you and Paul Marsh are thrust as the face and the guiding force of the PA, which is probably unfair on you in a situation like this.
“So is there enough – there probably isn’t – is there any merit in the fact that having a player as the president, or having a president in place, can do more harm than good in a situation like this?”
‘That’s all we will do’
Dangerfield didn’t agree with Jenkins’ last declare, although the question did spark an admission that he and the AFLPA haven’t efficiently positioned themselves as confidants in each occasion.
He puzzled aloud whether or not the response to Melbourne gamers efficiently shutting down their membership’s plans for an army-style camp in the identical 2018 pre-season had impacted the AFLPA’s skill to get by to Adelaide footballers.
“My role as president, it’s not the inner dealings of the day-to-day business runnings,” mentioned Dangerfield, who was appointed in March 2018.
“And the same around when this (camp) was first flagged, it’s not going into full depth around the conversations with players and those sorts of things.
“The big challenge was getting through to people and players like yourself and others, and getting the full story and your name put to that. That was the biggest challenge, for players to feel comfortable.
“That’s something that on reflection we can certainly look to improve so we can get to, not the bottom of it, but as much information as possible from the players, from their point of view.”
Dangerfield mentioned the AFLPA, as a union with out its personal investigative arm, should proceed to work with golf equipment and the AFL to empower gamers.
“If you look now, how can we make sure this doesn’t happen again? Adelaide have been forthright with their statements around this and how they can improve,” he mentioned.
“And that’s all we can do, I think, as a code and governing bodies around that, to make sure that we provide a framework and an environment that is safe as it possibly can be for players.”
The AFLPA president holds a singular perspective on the Crows camp, understanding lots of the gamers and different people concerned as a former Adelaide participant himself.
He performed alongside Jenkins and Betts on the Crows earlier than leaving for Geelong, the place the latter two now work on the teaching employees.
Take heed to the total episode of The Discipline with JJ and Hazard beneath as the blokes dive into:
– Hazard’s harm within the warm-up in opposition to St Kilda
– The Adelaide camp and Hazard’s position as AFLPA president
– Eddie Betts’ e-book The Boy From Boomerang Crescent
– Josh Kennedy’s last sport for West Coast
– One of the best bits of the Commonwealth Video games
– Mirror on the Media, Three Votes and Joe the Goose
Pay attention and subscribe to The Discipline with JJ & Hazard by way of iTunes and Spotify
