4 days ago
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."
