Tara Murray
The Essendon District Football League has issued an open letter in regards to recent behaviour at matches this season.
The letter from chairman Bernie Shinners and chief executive Andrew Johnston has been endorsed by all 37 clubs was released on Thursday.
“The Essendon District Football League has a very proud 93-year history of promoting a safe, inclusive, and healthy environment in the community,” the letter says. “For the 2023 season, this is no exception.
“In 2023, more than 20,000 players, umpires, officials, and volunteers are putting on their boots and club jumpers, making sure they have their whistle; parents, and supporters volunteering their time to take part in organised outdoor Australian rules football.
“As our football community grows, it’s important to reflect on the many and varied roles that support our great game.
“Players, coaches, umpires, administrators, supporters, parents, and volunteers. Every role is required for the game to exist and to prosper.
“Every one of these people need our support and our respect.
“However, in the first few weeks of our game there has been a corresponding increase in incidents at games and on social media. We’ve seen disturbing altercations lately involving spectators and players – threatening behaviour, verbal abuse, and alarmingly, even isolated incidents of physical abuse.
“These acts have NO place in our game. The damage anti-social behaviour does to our game cannot be understated.
“We’ve seen too many umpires leave our game prematurely, too many young players driven away by the behaviour of their peers and/or adults, and too many community supporters who feel unsafe to attend the game they love.
“Although we’re determined to stamp this behaviour out, we need your help.
“We are asking every parent, player, official, supporter and spectator to offer their support “the correct way”.
“Everyone can make the decision to be supportive and encouraging rather than critical or abusive, you can be the parent, player, official, supporter or spectator that holds their tongue when you perceive a poor decision or want to say something to your own or the other team.
“Only you can consciously recognise that nothing you do or say will change an umpires decision.
“Only you can discourage and refrain from anti-social behaviour. With this level of support, more children, more players, more umpires, and more volunteers will find reasons to stay in the game they love rather than being given reasons to quit.”
A number of incidents have occurred so far this season, with a division 1 men’s match between St Albans and Hillside called off due to a scuffle just on three quarter time on Saturday
The league is investigating the incident which was attended by police.
Both clubs refused to comment.
