Latest news with #juniorfootball
ABC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- 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."
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
See the disgraceful moment a grown man allegedly punches a teenager in the throat - leaving the youngster struggling to breathe
A deeply 'frustrated and appalled' father has questioned how a suburban AFL player was only banned for one game after allegedly punching a teenager in the throat mid-match. The shocking incident unfolded during a fixture featuring South Augusta and Proprietary/Risdon Lions Football Club on June 28 in South Australia. South Augusta young gun Nate Munzer - who is only 16 - is reportedly 'still managing (an) ongoing throat issue' following the off-the-ball altercation. 'Let's be clear — this wasn't a scuffle or a bump. This was a deliberate and violent act by an A-Grade adult footballer against a junior U18 player,' Nate's dad, Bronte Munzer, said in a lengthy Facebook post, which also showed vision of the incident. 'The punch struck directly in the Adam's apple, causing him to lose his breath and struggle to breathe. 'He was left gasping and unable to speak properly for some time. He was out of action for several days, and even now — more than a week later — he's still dealing with ongoing throat issues. 'By giving just a one-game suspension, you've effectively said it's okay to violently strike a minor and miss one match.' Munzer added a South Augusta player was recently issued a one-game suspension for 'showing his bike pants under his footy shorts'. He was adamant the incident involving his son warranted a much bigger suspension. 'Are we seriously equating that (incident) with a violent act that endangered a young player's safety?,' he asked. 'As a parent, I trusted that this league had strong values and would take a firm stance on player safety, especially when it comes to our juniors. 'Right now, I'm struggling to see that. 'This isn't just about my son — it's about fairness, integrity, and sending the right message across all levels of the game. 'Our kids, and the sport, deserve better.' In May, the Adelaide Footy League launched an investigation into disturbing allegations made during a senior women's match. The claims centre on a runner from a southern suburbs club, who allegedly made violent threats toward opposition players during the heated on-field contest. They allegedly included: 'I'll get her after the game,' and 'I'll pay $50 to f*** her up.' It is believed the investigation is ongoing.
ABC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Parents need to stop yelling from sidelines at kids' sport, former elite coach says
The first thing to disturb the dew on sports fields across the country this morning won't be the sun — it'll be the studs of junior footballers. They'll run on, excited to be in team colours, to pass to their mates, maybe even to score. But piercing the air before a player has even touched the ball will be a startling blast. It won't be the siren or the ref's whistle but a parent from the sideline loudly cheering their child, yelling warnings against the tiny mistakes made in past games. It's everything former professional footballer and elite coach Lee Unsworthy says needs to change in junior sport. "Sit back, watch, enjoy, keep your mouth shut, support, encourage," Unsworthy says. "Never criticise your child and as long as they're loving the game then they should keep playing and you can enjoy that journey with them." As a professional, Unsworthy played for several teams in England's professional football leagues in the 90s and early 2000s. In 2008 he became an academy coach at Manchester United and spent the next 16 years developing the talents of already skilled juniors hoping to one day run onto the club's hallowed turf at Old Trafford. "It's all geared up to help children become elite, but I'm not always sure the pursuit of elitism is healthy," Unsworthy says. He says that's something more parents need to think about when they're on the sideline. "It [junior sport] looks different. They're meant to make mistakes, it's meant to look a bit scrappy at times," he says. Clinical psychologist Cher McGillivray says while every parent wants their child to succeed and feel good about themselves, yelling from the sidelines can be problematic. "Being yelled at, whether it's on the sports field or at home, is causing the child to go into their threat brain, which means they're going to go into a fight, flight, freeze or fawn [response]," Dr McGillivray says. Dr McGillivray says cheering for the team rather than the individual, showing interest in the game and letting kids talk about what they like or don't like about it is often the better approach. "Let your child bring the game to you if they want to," she says. "It's important to model to your child that it's OK to feel angry or sad or ashamed or embarrassed and maybe get them to name that emotion so that you can guide and support them." Football Australia last year reported a record-breaking 1.9 million participants in the sport, attributing an 11 per cent increase in participation across the country to the Matilda's success. On the Gold Coast, the city's swelling population is flocking to community soccer clubs. "We grew last year by something like 20 per cent," says Palm Beach Soccer Club's Barry Saunders. With more players comes more competition, sometimes of the unhealthy variety, prompting clubs to act. Mr Saunders says Palm Beach last year began making changes to the club's culture and has an ongoing education campaign on the standards expected from players, coaches, officials and parents alike. "It's important that we constantly send the message that this is a child's game, they're learning to play, their minds aren't developed as adults yet, so we have to let them understand the game," he says. "Unfortunately, and this is part of our education, a lot of adults actually see the child's game as the adult's game because that's their only impression of it." For Unsworthy, the message to children and parents is similar — develop a love and spirit for the game, but don't take the fun out of it. "You only get one childhood and when it's gone it's never coming back," he says. "If you miss that in the pursuit of something that doesn't exist, you'll regret it."
