2 days ago
Werrimull women's league footballers boycott Millewa centenary game over alleged sexual assault
Female footballers in a north-west Victorian league have boycotted a major event in protest of their club's handling of a sexual assault allegation.
The Millewa Centenary Day on June 7 at Lake Cullulleraine drew a crowd of hundreds from across the region..
But notably absent from the football and netball showcase were the majority of the Werrimull Football Netball Club's women's football team, who refused to play.
Werrimull FNC player Jemma Jo Johnson, who uses the pronouns they/them, said the boycott was a response to the club's decision not to suspend a male player under investigation by AFL Victoria following a sexual assault allegation.
Johnson said eight women from the Magpies squad had chosen to quit playing for the club as a result.
"Our safe place has been absolutely just stripped from us," they said.
"It is time — they [Werrimull Football Netball Club] really have a chance to not just protect us and look after us, but show the rest of the league that the people in power aren't going to allow the females to feel unsafe."
The ABC understands the allegation was reported to the club and AFL Victoria but not to police.
Werrimull Football Netball Club president Dale Ramsey confirmed AFL Victoria was investigating an incident.
In a statement, the club said it was "deeply concerned and saddened by recent allegations".
"We take these allegations extremely seriously and are committed to fostering a safe, respectful, welcoming and inclusive environment for all players, members and supporters — both on and off the field," the statement said.
The protest has highlighted what University of Canberra sport integrity and ethics associate professor Catherine Ordway said was a grey area for AFL clubs.
She said each club should decide in advance what to do in the event of a player facing serious allegations.
"It's always better, in the calm time when there hasn't been an incident, to sit down and say 'What do we stand for as a club?'" Dr Ordway said.
"If we care about keeping women and girls safe, if we care about keeping young people safe, then let's have some rules and some guidelines so that if this comes up in future then we know how to act."
She said a one-size-fits-all rule was difficult to implement.
"There are always going to be hard cases where a blanket rule would be completely inappropriate and unfair because it might depend on the age of the [people] involved," Dr Ordway said.
The ABC understands Werrimull FNC does not have specific guidelines relating to players under active AFL integrity or police investigations.
Johnson said the club had lost key members due to the way it had handled the case.
"We've actually lost a couple of really, really valuable and much-loved people in our club," they said.
"That's the part that we feel the most heartbroken about, I think, is that one person is prioritised over a whole team that has put nothing but love and energy into the club.
"There is a bigger issue here across the league, not just in our club."
In a statement sent out to clubs across north-west Victoria, Millewa Football Netball League (MFNL) chairperson Emily Harlock-Knights said the league "unequivocally condemns any form of behaviour that is abusive, disrespectful, or unbecoming — whether on or off the field".
But she said the league and clubs were not equipped to investigate serious incidents.
"It is not the role of the MFNL or our clubs to act as judge, jury, or executioner," Ms Harlock-Knights said.
AFL Victoria has been contacted for comment.
