AFL shown up on armband fine

Essendon yesterday copped a $20,000 fine for helping awareness for cancer research. Brett Collett says that the AFL needs to stop thinking about the dollars, and start thinking of society.

When Essendon players ran out wearing yellow armbands on Sunday afternoon, viewers could have been forgiven for thinking that it was for an awareness campaign by the Bombers in conjunction with the AFL.

Since then it has been revealed that Essendon were in fact defying AFL orders not to wear the yellow armbands, and they have now been fined $20,000 for trying to raise awareness for cancer charities and as a show of support for Adam Ramanauskas, who is fighting his third battle with the disease.

Quite frankly, this is one of the worst errors of judgment that the current AFL administration has made, and they’ve had some doozies. Not only is it a decision that smacks of insensitivity in regards to players helping a worthy cause and a beleaguered teammate, but it is incredibly bad PR.

The AFL said they knocked back Essendon’s request during the week leading up to their clash with Melbourne because many clubs approach the AFL with similar requests. This begs the question: why doesn’t the AFL let all clubs who want to support a charity or cause do so?

What does the AFL care if a club wears any coloured armband, especially if it is in support for a sick teammate? It is pure hypocrisy – and frankly, a little unnerving – that they’ll sanction clubs like Carlton and the Kangaroos change their jumper design and colours for commercial gain but not allow Essendon the right to wear a coloured armband for a cause where there is no money involved.

Rightly, Essendon is livid. CEO Peter Jackson has come out and blasted the league, challenging them to first of all revoke or at least reduce the fine, and also match dollar for dollar the fine imposed to give to a cancer charity. It is clever PR from the Bombers, who have cornered the AFL, who will look even more cold and heartless if they don’t budge on their position.

In an age where the almighty buck seems to be able to buy you almost anything in the world of AFL, there needs to be room for charity and worthy causes to pop up on the radar, and funding to help cancer research could not have found a more suitable vehicle than the Essendon Football Club. That the AFL seems determined to derail that harmless relationship has shown league headquarters up for what they are: all about the money and uncaring about society in general unless it reflects well on those in power.

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