ABC Radio Hobart hosts Change My Mind: The Stadium Debate
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ABC News
8 minutes ago
- ABC News
Junior football club allowed convicted sex offender to time-keep at match
A regional Victorian football club allowed a convicted sex offender to volunteer at a junior game in what it now admits was a "gap" in child safety processes. Bendigo father Sonny Middleton served six months in prison after pleading guilty in 2024 to the indecent assault of an 18-year-old woman. Earlier this month, multiple parents saw Middleton time-keeping at a White Hills Junior Football Club match in Bendigo and told the ABC they were concerned the club was allowing a sex offender to participate in children's sport. Middleton, who is a former White Hills footballer himself, confirmed to the ABC he attended his son's game on July 20 and volunteered as a time keeper but said he did nothing wrong. "I'm a good person," he said. "I'm a family man, I'm a businessman." Middleton was unable to confirm whether he held a valid Working with Children Check which volunteers at sporting clubs must hold under Victoria's Child Safe Standards. The White Hills Junior Football Club declined to respond to questions from the ABC about whether it checked Middleton's Working with Children Check status. In a statement drafted with the assistance of the AFL, a club spokesperson said it was "currently investigating a matter relating to a parent who assisted the team by running the time clock at a recent match". "The parent filled in when the normal time clock person was unavailable and the parent had no interaction with the playing group on the day," it said. "Our club, run by volunteers, takes its commitment to the safety and wellbeing of everyone extremely seriously, and especially the safety of children and young people." Sporting clubs in Victoria are required to meet the Victorian Children's Commissioner's Child Safe Standards which include a current Working with Children Check for volunteers. The Commission for Children and Young People's guide to the Child Safe Standards states that "failing to properly check references can compromise child safety". The White Hills Junior Football Club is now reviewing its policies and procedures and promised to "implement any necessary corrective actions immediately." "Our focus remains on ensuring strong safeguards and ongoing compliance to maintain a safe and supportive environment for all players, families, and spectators," a spokesperson said. AFL Victoria and AFL Central Victoria did not respond to questions. The White Hills Junior Football Club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL) Central Victoria region, which is managed by Cameron Tomlins. In a phone call with the ABC, Mr Tomlins repeatedly said it was his job to "protect" the junior football club because it was run by volunteers. Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) safeguarding director Lisa Purves disagreed. She said every level of sport, including volunteer-run clubs, had a legislative requirement to check volunteers' backgrounds including a valid Working with Children Check. "Where they do know of a risk, and they do know of a person having a conviction, then they do need to take steps to ensure that … all members are provided with a safe environment," Ms Purves said. "They [clubs] have a responsibility to do this. If they don't do it then what happens is the next royal commission, we have opportunities for children and young people … to be harmed in sport, and that's not what we want. "It's not just about turning up to play your sport." Ms Purves also observed that governing bodies could be reluctant to police volunteers because people were giving up their time to run the sport. "I want to recognise the difficulty that people running these clubs might have. Yes, more needs to be done, and the sport itself needs to help the grassroots clubs manage this better."
News.com.au
8 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘Calm him down': Madge opens up on big Walsh issue as ‘cute' error cruels Broncos
Broncos coach Michael Maguire has defended Reece Walsh after his error ridden performance in the Broncos shock 22-20 upset loss to the Eels in Round 21. Walsh had a rocks and diamonds display and nearly stole the game at the death, but his try was denied due to him being off-side. Maguire conceded Walsh needs to play the long game more often, but that was true of all his players after a disappointing display. 'I think that is for all of us, he is going through exactly the same as what we just spoke about, playing the longer game,' Maguire said. 'It's about making choices, so we will review and go through that. Reece has been spectacular for us at times and he had a bit of a tough night in some of the periods in his game, so we just need to be thorough in that and how we go about our roles and the captain will steer that well. 'Over the last period we have captured the things that we want to be, but we need to do it for longer periods of time.' Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds denied the Broncos' all-star spine of Walsh, Ben Hunt, Ezra Mam and himself are still trying to work out their formation amid suggestions they are getting in each others way at times. 'No I think the spine generally moves like that anyway, so there is different parts of the game where he will get more involved and it just depends on how the game is going I suppose,' Reynolds said. 'We all love what Walshy brings. He is an excitement machine and he is a big part of our team and he is a big reason why we are where we are. 'You don't want to take that away from him, but it is my responsibility to calm him down at times when he gets a bit sideways.' Maguire was disappointed his team were not willing to build their performance and were guilty of forcing the issue at times. 'It was disappointing, they played the long game and we didn't,' Maguire said. 'We just tried to caress our way and do it cute in some periods through that second half and we didn't build pressure and they did.' The Broncos held their breath when Payne Haas went up the tunnel before kick-off and he later limped off after an ankle injury, but Maguire denied he is in any danger of missing games. 'Payne is okay, he just has a temperamental body at the moment, which he is sorting through,' Maguire said. 'That's his challenge at the moment to get himself right.' 'That's just Payne putting his body on the line, but he is alright I just spoke to him, so he is okay,' Maguire said.
ABC News
38 minutes ago
- ABC News
Why Wallabies could have the 'blueprint' to defeating British and Irish Lions in second Test
When the Wallabies watched back their defeat to the British and Irish Lions in the first Test, they could have hit the pause button after just 10 seconds to identify a key area of the match in which they were soundly beaten. Making a hit-up on the second phase following the kick-off in Brisbane last Saturday night, Wallabies loose-head prop James Slipper was abruptly halted by a stinging two-man tackle executed by Lions hooker Dan Sheehan and back-rower Tom Curry. The moment set the tone for the match, as the Lions had immediately signalled they were intent on dominating the physical contest, a key battleground in any Test. After Sheehan and Curry stopped Slipper in his tracks, the Lions imposed themselves again by winning a defensive breakdown penalty in the next phase, from which they established a 3-0 advantage on the scoreboard in the second minute of play. The Lions enjoyed a 24-5 lead soon after half-time, and despite a spirited Wallabies' fightback, the tourists completed a comfortable 27-19 victory, with the final scoreline not reflecting how dominant they were in the series opener. Lions coach Andy Farrell admitted his team had room for improvement, an ominous warning ahead of Saturday night's second Test at the MCG. Having been out-muscled on both sides of the ball by the Lions, "physicality" virtually become a buzzword for the Wallabies after arriving in Melbourne. Reacting to the Wallabies' loss, coach Joe Schmidt added some world-class firepower to his forward pack in the form of back-rower Rob Valetini and lock Will Skelton. Both players were sorely missed in the first Test, having been sidelined due to calf injuries. Valetini and Skelton have the potential to provide much-needed aggression to the Wallabies' attack and defence, and have shown they can win the collisions at the Test level. "When you get two people with their presence and experience coming into your side, it always does give you confidence," Wallabies captain Harry Wilson told reporters on Friday. "They're two real leaders in the group and to have them back in such a big match is really exciting for us." There are question marks over Valetini and Skelton's match fitness, however, given they were also unavailable for the Test against Fiji in Newcastle earlier this month. It's one of the reasons Schmidt opted to select six forwards — including damaging ball-runner Langi Gleeson — on his eight-player reserves bench, wanting to maintain an aggressive template he hopes Valetini and Skelton can create for the Wallabies before they are replaced. "We want to impose ourselves physically," Wilson said. "We want to back our skills and go out there and start fast … and throw your body around, knowing there's some quality bench players to come and finish." Personnel changes can go a long way to teams upping the ante when it comes to physicality, but an attitudinal adjustment can be just as effective. The Wallabies would be wise to take a leaf out of the First Nations and Pasifika XV's playbook in the wake of their performance against the Lions in Melbourne last Tuesday night. It wasn't a mistake-free display from the First Nations and Pasifika XV, who trailed 14-0 early, conceded 12 line breaks and gave away 13 penalties to the Lions' eight during the 80 minutes. But they stuck to their pre-match plan of being aggressive in attack and defence to rattle the Lions, who were forced to cling on during the final 10 minutes before prevailing 24-19 at the Docklands stadium. Such was the physical presence of the First Nations and Pasifika XV, their captain Kurtley Beale believed they showed the Lions can be vulnerable. "You need to take it (physicality) to them," said Beale, who has appeared in 95 Tests for the Wallabies. "There were patches there where we had the momentum and the Lions were kind of taking a backfoot step, and I think that created opportunities for us. "These boys (First Nations and Pasifika XV), they love the physicality. You need the physicality to lay the platform for your backs to play off." The First Nations and Pasifika XV's effort didn't go unnoticed by the Wallabies. "Just seeing the way they went after them (Lions) with the line speed, the big hits in defence," Wilson said. "It was a great blueprint there about how really to try to physically dominate them." Defence is said to be built on attitude and mindset, so the Wallabies have had plenty to think about in the past week. They also don't need a reminder about what's at stake when both teams run out on the MCG in front of a crowd that may exceed 90,000 spectators. "There is no denying — we've got to go out here, we have to win," Wilson said. "We've got to win the next two (Tests) to win the series."
