1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,359 Speaker 1: Already and this is the Daily This is the Dahlias. 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Oh now it makes sense. 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 2: Good morning and welcome to the Daily Ours. It's Tuesday, 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 2: the twenty fifth of November. 5 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: I'm Emma Gillespie, I'm Sam Keloski. 6 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 2: Matilda's star Mary Fowler has alleged she experienced racism at 7 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 2: her former French football club Montpellier in her recently published memoir. Now, 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 2: the club has strongly denied the allegation. So today we're 9 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 2: going to unpack what Fowler said happened. The response from 10 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 2: not only the club, but also the broadest sporting world 11 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 2: and the mental health conversations her book has also sparked. 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: And why don't we start this conversation off with Mary 13 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: Fowler herself? So give me a sense of who this 14 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: very young athlete is. 15 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 2: Yes, so we're talking about one of Australia's most talent footballers. 16 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 2: She is only twenty two years old. But of course 17 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 2: Mary Fowler is a beloved Matilda's player. She currently plays 18 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: for Manchester City in the Women's Super League, which is 19 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 2: England's top tier women's competition. And as I mentioned, she 20 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 2: is a key player for our national football team. If 21 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 2: you were not a Fowler fan before the twenty twenty 22 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: three World Cup, you were probably one afterwards. She was 23 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 2: everywhere during that incredible campaign from the Tillies. She's even 24 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 2: got her own Barbie doll and she was born in 25 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: Cans and comes from a sporting family. Her father played 26 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 2: professional football in Pubu, New Guinea and several of her 27 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 2: siblings have also played at the elite level. 28 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: And just like a lot of our best footballers, she 29 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: hasn't played a lot of her actual career in Australia. 30 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: She's in France well, exactly. 31 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: So she moved to France when she was just seventeen 32 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: years old, so young. That was in twenty twenty when 33 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 2: Fowler joined Montpellier, a club in the French Women's League, 34 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 2: and moving overseas at that age. As you've mentioned, Sam, 35 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 2: for ossie's it's not that uncommon. There are so many 36 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,799 Speaker 2: talented Ossie players playing in Europe in the UK professionally 37 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 2: for football, because you know, it's just generally such a 38 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: world class competition over there and considered, you know, stronger 39 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 2: than what is available domestically to football is here. So 40 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 2: Mary Fowler spent three seasons at that French club before 41 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 2: moving to Man city where I mentioned she plays now 42 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 2: and that's as part of the Women's Super League in England. 43 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: So she is one of the best women's football players 44 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: in the world. 45 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,799 Speaker 1: And she has recently published a memoir. That's why we're 46 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: talking about her on the podcast today. Take me through 47 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: the allegations that she has put out in this book 48 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: about that time in France. 49 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. So the book that Mary Fowler has just released 50 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: is called Bloom and in it she wrote that at 51 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 2: a ceremony for players who were departing Montpellier in twenty 52 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: twenty two, she and another teammate, Ashley Weirden, were the 53 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 2: only two who were leaving the club who didn't receive 54 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: flowers right. Fowler wrote quote, Afterwards we got inside the 55 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 2: changing room, some of our teammates questioned why we hadn't 56 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,959 Speaker 2: received any flowers. A few of the girls laughed about it, 57 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 2: and then one of the other players came over and 58 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 2: handed my friend and meet some bananas, saying here have these. 59 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: She goes on to say, not receiving flowers was one thing, 60 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 2: but as two of only six black girls in the squad, 61 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 2: receiving bananas wasn't something I could laugh off and forget about. 62 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: Fowler also claims in the book that both she and 63 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 2: Weirden were left feeling a similar way quote many other 64 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 2: times during her second year at Montpellier. 65 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: Pretty shocking allegations. I want to talk through what's happened 66 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: since that book was released, but we'll be right back 67 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: with more of today's Dee Dive right after this. So 68 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: some very serious allegations from Mary Fowler in this book, 69 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: but it's not the first time that we've seen something 70 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: like this in European football exactly. 71 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 2: This association between bananas and racism in the sport has 72 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 2: a long and very ugly history, you know, stretching back 73 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: as far as the nineteen sixties. It's been used as 74 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 2: a racist gesture towards black players for decades and even 75 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 2: as recently as twenty twenty two. Now, that was when 76 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 2: Brazilian footballer Racharlison Deandrade he's also a current Tottenham forward, 77 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: had a banana thrown at him after he scored a 78 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 2: goal against Tunisia in a friendly game in Paris. He 79 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 2: expressed outrage at that racist act, and that was the 80 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,239 Speaker 2: same year as the alleged incident that Fowler wrote about 81 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 2: in her book. 82 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: And so now that those allegations are out there. How 83 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: has Montpellier responded to them? 84 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 2: The club has strongly denied the accusation. They released a 85 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 2: statement saying there's no evidence to support Fowler's account. They 86 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 2: have really downplayed these claims. They pointed out that Fowler 87 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 2: was actually under contract with them until twenty twenty three, 88 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 2: which seems to be their way of questioning why she 89 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: would describe herself as leaving in twenty twenty two. And 90 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 2: in their statement, the club said that if such incidents 91 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 2: had been reported and substantiated, they would have taken all 92 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: necessary measures immediately upon being notified, and they added that 93 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: racism is a serious issue to the club. According to 94 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 2: some reports now though Montpellier may be considering legal options 95 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 2: in response to the allegations, so looking to challenge Mary 96 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 2: Faller's claims. 97 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a really strong reaction to the allegations. Puts 98 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: Mary Fowler perhaps in some legal difficulties. There. Has Mary 99 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: Fowler now that she's had a chance to understand and 100 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: see how the club has responded. Has Mary Fowler or 101 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: anybody else responded to the way in which Montpellier has 102 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: denied these claims. 103 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 2: Fowler herself hasn't made any additional comments beyond what we 104 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 2: have publicly written in her book, but we have heard 105 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 2: from her coach, the Matilda's coach, Joe Montemuro. He has 106 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 2: spoken out in support of Fowler last week, calling her 107 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 2: honesty courageous and said that it highlighted the pressure elite 108 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 2: athletes face. We also got a statement from Football Australia, 109 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 2: the sport's national governing body, which said, quote, Mary Fowler 110 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 2: has shown a lot of courage in sharing her story 111 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 2: and by being open about her experiences, she will help 112 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 2: contribute to broader conversations around athlete well being, inclusion and 113 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 2: respect in sport. 114 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: And I think this is one of those stories that 115 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: come up, unfortunately in sport quite often. I mean here 116 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: in Australia. Pretty much every single major sporting code has 117 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: had its own issues with racism within the last decade, 118 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: if not much much longer than that. Even some are 119 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: similar to the issues that Mary Fowler has identified or 120 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: alleged here in terms of you know, comparisons to gorillas 121 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 1: and the presence of bananas and imagery and all that 122 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,720 Speaker 1: kind of thing. But does it raise more questions about 123 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: the culture of women's football more generally. 124 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, there has been some commentary from advocates working to 125 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 2: fight racism in sport who say this type of incident 126 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 2: goes much deeper across football, across multiple codes, as you've 127 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 2: touched on, Sam, But I think it's also worth noting 128 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 2: that there have been a lot of comments on social 129 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 2: media against Montpellier, people accusing the club of longstanding racism. Now, 130 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 2: of course those are unsubstantiated comments, but that gives you 131 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 2: a sense of the dialogue happening online about this. Racism 132 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 2: in football, as we know, has been an ongoing issue 133 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 2: for several decades. But I think what's interesting about Mary 134 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 2: Fowler's story is that this is an issue that's often 135 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 2: been more visible in men's football. Sure, and we've kind 136 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 2: of got I suppose that the dark side of women's 137 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 2: footbook growing and achieving so much in recent years, is 138 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 2: there is now an increased visibility in scrutiny over the 139 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 2: darker side of the sport or alleged issues like racism. 140 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 2: So I think you know, there's good and bad from that, 141 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 2: but it says a lot about the profile of the 142 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 2: sport that we're talking about this today that Mary Fowler 143 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 2: felt she could write about it in her book a 144 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 2: few years on. 145 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: And I think that darker side of the sport will 146 00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: inevitably lead to mental struggles for those who are alleging 147 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: that they're victims of it, and that's one of the 148 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: most powerful parts of that book, I think. 149 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, So this memoir you've probably seen floating around on 150 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 2: news sites various headlines, but it addresses mental health. Fowl 151 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 2: has been really candid about her experience, and she said 152 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 2: that when she was a teen athlete living overseas, it 153 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 2: was a particularly difficult time. She wrote about periods of 154 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 2: self harm and experiencing suicidal ideation. Of course, you know 155 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 2: the context there being she was seventeen, when she was 156 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 2: living in a foreign country, trying to establish her professional career, 157 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 2: and clearly dealing with significant challenges at the time, as 158 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 2: you've mentioned, Sam, if she was experiencing racism while also 159 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 2: dealing with being away from home struggling with her mental health, 160 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 2: you can see how all of those things would easily 161 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 2: compound and. 162 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: So and where does this leave things now, both for 163 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: Fowler and the club. I also think it's worth mentioning 164 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: where a hundred days away or thereabouts from the Asian 165 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: Cup for women's football, that's going to be here in Australia. 166 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:03,079 Speaker 2: Exactly coming in March. This is a really difficult situation. 167 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: You have Fowler making these very serious allegations, speaking publicly 168 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 2: about her memoir. Then we've got this club issuing a 169 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 2: strong denial dismissing the allegation, suggesting that there could be 170 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 2: legal action whichever way you look at it, though, you know, 171 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 2: I think the sentiment is here that Fowler opening up 172 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 2: about mental health struggles about her lived experience is making 173 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 2: the sport better for more conversations of that nature. The 174 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 2: Matilda's coach Joe Montemiro described her as something of a 175 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 2: role model to all athletes, so I thought we would 176 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 2: finish on his quote. I just applaud Mary to come 177 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,079 Speaker 2: out and talk about racism and mental health sets a 178 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 2: great example of what needs to be done if these 179 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 2: things do happen in elite sport. 180 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:46,959 Speaker 1: Thank you for taking us through that, and I think 181 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: it's a really good story for us to be covering 182 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: as part of TDA Sport trying to grow the way 183 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: in which sports journalism is done in Australia as well 184 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: and highlighting types of stories like the ones that we've 185 00:09:57,679 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: discussed today exactly and If. 186 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,559 Speaker 2: You want more tea sport, you can sign up to 187 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 2: our newsletter that comes out every afternoon. There'll be a 188 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 2: link in the episode description. 189 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: That's all from us, though. We'll be back this afternoon 190 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: with your headlines. Until then, have a great day. My 191 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 1: name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda Bungelung 192 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: Kalkotin woman from Gadighl Country. The Daily oz acknowledges that 193 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: this podcast is recorded on the lands of the Gadighl 194 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait 195 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: island and nations. We pay our respects to the first 196 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 1: peoples of these countries, both past and present.