Why I have an issue with the Nick Blakey trade to North Melbourne
The hand-wringing that followed the Pullman incident, and the concern for the women making the complaints that were so frequently expressed in August, are no longer part of the script.
They will be muted in what they can say because anyone who objects is in for a fight. The machine operates at full tilt to support those who entertain rather than complain.
The Kangaroos decided to communicate the reasons behind their decision to staff and their premiership-winning AFLW team. The forum wasn’t an opportunity to approve or object to those reasons, as such. It was so that everyone understood the club’s reasoning, while giving a chance for questions about how to respond to stakeholders when queries about the decision inevitably arise.
But even if it had been a forum for debate, would anyone who objected have been perceived as difficult?
The Roos have built a strong culture under impressive leadership from the president Sonja Hood and CEO Jen Watt. And they are a football club with the primary aim of winning games. That’s understood and has been reinforced time and time again across all the clubs.
