WEBVTT - MINI: Four Weeks, Missing the Point

0:00:09.685 --> 0:00:12.205
<v Speaker 1>I Heeart podcasts. You can hear more Gold one I

0:00:12.285 --> 0:00:15.645
<v Speaker 1>four point three podcasts, playlist and listen live on the

0:00:15.685 --> 0:00:17.005
<v Speaker 1>free iHeart app.

0:00:18.165 --> 0:00:25.525
<v Speaker 2>Got anything good? Hey? This is the Christian O'Connell show podcast.

0:00:27.125 --> 0:00:30.085
<v Speaker 1>Now. Over the last four days there's been a ongoing

0:00:30.485 --> 0:00:34.725
<v Speaker 1>mess legal bs involving Adelaide and the AFL and the

0:00:34.765 --> 0:00:38.724
<v Speaker 1>player as it ranking, And yesterday on the show, we

0:00:38.725 --> 0:00:41.085
<v Speaker 1>were talking about this when it looked like it was

0:00:41.125 --> 0:00:43.245
<v Speaker 1>going to be a five game ban, and then the

0:00:43.284 --> 0:00:46.485
<v Speaker 1>club worked starting to prepare statements and they were talking

0:00:46.525 --> 0:00:48.725
<v Speaker 1>about Snoop Dogg and all kinds of other things, giving

0:00:48.725 --> 0:00:52.004
<v Speaker 1>mitigating circumstances why that word was used. And I actually

0:00:52.405 --> 0:00:55.325
<v Speaker 1>feel like we owe you are an apology rear because

0:00:55.525 --> 0:00:58.124
<v Speaker 1>when I went home, I felt really bad because there

0:00:58.125 --> 0:01:00.645
<v Speaker 1>are too many voices like mine, all the media commentators

0:01:00.685 --> 0:01:03.125
<v Speaker 1>weighing in on this, and I can't speak for the

0:01:03.325 --> 0:01:06.805
<v Speaker 1>a community. It's actually I want to hear your voices

0:01:06.845 --> 0:01:10.845
<v Speaker 1>because you know four well the power of that word

0:01:10.965 --> 0:01:13.885
<v Speaker 1>and those slurs and why there are bands in place

0:01:13.925 --> 0:01:16.725
<v Speaker 1>for behavior like that. I actually felt like on the

0:01:16.725 --> 0:01:18.405
<v Speaker 1>show yesterday we let you down. I want to know

0:01:18.445 --> 0:01:20.525
<v Speaker 1>what you're taking is. It's not like, whenever there's going

0:01:20.565 --> 0:01:22.645
<v Speaker 1>to be a gay story, we need to go to

0:01:22.685 --> 0:01:26.645
<v Speaker 1>our chief gay correspondent, chief of Gay's Rio. But I

0:01:26.725 --> 0:01:29.045
<v Speaker 1>actually think it's really important. Actually the most important voices

0:01:29.085 --> 0:01:31.805
<v Speaker 1>in order of this are those in the gay community

0:01:31.805 --> 0:01:34.525
<v Speaker 1>to tell us really how they feel, not how Eddie

0:01:34.565 --> 0:01:37.365
<v Speaker 1>McGuire feels, or even me for that matter. So Rio,

0:01:37.405 --> 0:01:39.005
<v Speaker 1>if you're happy to, i'd really know what do you

0:01:39.045 --> 0:01:40.765
<v Speaker 1>think about this? But now the band is down to

0:01:40.805 --> 0:01:41.445
<v Speaker 1>four games?

0:01:41.605 --> 0:01:44.725
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, mate, thank you. It's been a I would say

0:01:44.725 --> 0:01:48.165
<v Speaker 2>it's been an upsetting week. Like it's just on a

0:01:48.285 --> 0:01:51.725
<v Speaker 2>just personal level. I've loved footy my whole life. I've

0:01:51.725 --> 0:01:54.005
<v Speaker 2>followed the Swan's my whole life. I've played footy my

0:01:54.045 --> 0:01:57.485
<v Speaker 2>whole life. It's just upsetting for a whole week to

0:01:57.565 --> 0:02:01.485
<v Speaker 2>be reminded that there are elements of the game that

0:02:01.885 --> 0:02:04.605
<v Speaker 2>maybe don't accept you or that don't make you feel welcome.

0:02:04.645 --> 0:02:07.285
<v Speaker 2>And for I still have a very you know, that

0:02:07.645 --> 0:02:10.045
<v Speaker 2>wide eyed view of footy like I did when I

0:02:10.085 --> 0:02:12.565
<v Speaker 2>was a kid, Like I just love it on such

0:02:12.605 --> 0:02:16.804
<v Speaker 2>a really deep, you know, almost childlike level. And to

0:02:16.845 --> 0:02:20.005
<v Speaker 2>be sort of dragged back to reality for a whole

0:02:20.045 --> 0:02:22.805
<v Speaker 2>week with this kind of stuff has been pretty upsetting,

0:02:22.845 --> 0:02:27.525
<v Speaker 2>to be honest. But the most frustrating thing about it

0:02:27.565 --> 0:02:30.645
<v Speaker 2>isn't the four weeks or the five weeks or the

0:02:31.245 --> 0:02:33.045
<v Speaker 2>you know, getting hung up on you know, should we

0:02:33.125 --> 0:02:36.365
<v Speaker 2>wait finals games differently to a regular game for this

0:02:36.485 --> 0:02:39.364
<v Speaker 2>kind of stuff, because I think the whole conversation has

0:02:39.405 --> 0:02:42.325
<v Speaker 2>missed a very important element of it. And it's not

0:02:43.045 --> 0:02:46.285
<v Speaker 2>the football impact, the impact on Grand Final Day or

0:02:46.325 --> 0:02:49.885
<v Speaker 2>the Adelaide Crows or rankin that's all anyone's spoken about

0:02:49.925 --> 0:02:53.165
<v Speaker 2>for the whole week. I think there's a human impact

0:02:53.285 --> 0:02:56.725
<v Speaker 2>that people just hasn't been talked about for seven days.

0:02:56.765 --> 0:03:01.005
<v Speaker 2>And the reality is there are gay players in the AFL.

0:03:01.645 --> 0:03:04.645
<v Speaker 2>Clubs are on record about that. There's a four Call,

0:03:04.725 --> 0:03:06.885
<v Speaker 2>four corners sort of documentary on it that came out

0:03:06.925 --> 0:03:10.485
<v Speaker 2>last year, The Gay Yeah, it was brilliant. There are

0:03:10.485 --> 0:03:14.364
<v Speaker 2>gay players in the AFL that do not feel comfortable

0:03:14.765 --> 0:03:18.525
<v Speaker 2>to come out and to be their true selves in

0:03:18.605 --> 0:03:21.165
<v Speaker 2>the place that they work, playing the game that they love.

0:03:21.245 --> 0:03:24.285
<v Speaker 2>And it's because of things like this. This has happened

0:03:24.405 --> 0:03:27.005
<v Speaker 2>five times this year where these slurs have happened, and

0:03:27.045 --> 0:03:30.525
<v Speaker 2>people wonder why don't people feel comfortable coming out? It's

0:03:30.565 --> 0:03:33.605
<v Speaker 2>because of things like this. If there were you know,

0:03:33.645 --> 0:03:36.325
<v Speaker 2>if you told me five people in our workplace had

0:03:36.405 --> 0:03:40.005
<v Speaker 2>used that word at work, I would not feel comfortable

0:03:40.005 --> 0:03:42.325
<v Speaker 2>being in a meeting room with them. I wouldn't feel comfortable,

0:03:42.365 --> 0:03:42.605
<v Speaker 2>you know.

0:03:42.525 --> 0:03:47.085
<v Speaker 1>Having they wouldn't employed, they fired, should.

0:03:46.805 --> 0:03:49.885
<v Speaker 2>Be exactly, and my heart made That was just where

0:03:49.925 --> 0:03:53.445
<v Speaker 2>my heart went to this whole week. Those players there

0:03:53.485 --> 0:03:56.485
<v Speaker 2>that have to be sort of living a lie essentially

0:03:57.405 --> 0:04:00.525
<v Speaker 2>and every day putting on a mask, trying to hide

0:04:00.525 --> 0:04:03.765
<v Speaker 2>who they are, living in fear, probably because it's just

0:04:03.845 --> 0:04:08.685
<v Speaker 2>such a hostile environment for them to step into, and

0:04:08.725 --> 0:04:12.525
<v Speaker 2>for me personally, especially as someone who is really lucky.

0:04:12.565 --> 0:04:14.205
<v Speaker 2>I mean, it shouldn't be lucky, but it is that

0:04:14.725 --> 0:04:16.844
<v Speaker 2>I come to work every day and I can be

0:04:16.964 --> 0:04:19.964
<v Speaker 2>my full self and I don't have to hide any

0:04:20.005 --> 0:04:24.205
<v Speaker 2>part of it. And actually, the the monday after my

0:04:24.365 --> 0:04:27.244
<v Speaker 2>first ever date with a guy, I told you guys

0:04:27.245 --> 0:04:29.284
<v Speaker 2>about you were the first people I told It was

0:04:29.404 --> 0:04:32.004
<v Speaker 2>the in between time waster, in between the long ad break.

0:04:32.205 --> 0:04:35.365
<v Speaker 1>Aria just came out in the studio off air, and

0:04:35.445 --> 0:04:38.445
<v Speaker 1>I was like, Wow, this is amazing. I wish i'd

0:04:38.484 --> 0:04:40.205
<v Speaker 1>known advance. I would have dressed up. I don't know

0:04:40.325 --> 0:04:42.925
<v Speaker 1>you it's just an invite. So I've never been to

0:04:43.005 --> 0:04:45.325
<v Speaker 1>a coming out party and it just happening in the

0:04:45.325 --> 0:04:47.645
<v Speaker 1>middle of a radio show. But I felt very honored.

0:04:47.685 --> 0:04:49.005
<v Speaker 1>I was like, but this is how it should be,

0:04:49.364 --> 0:04:51.205
<v Speaker 1>you know. I felt proud and actually of the work

0:04:51.284 --> 0:04:54.244
<v Speaker 1>environment that we are all parts of, where everybody's welcome

0:04:54.245 --> 0:04:56.445
<v Speaker 1>and all voices are welcome. You should be hiding away

0:04:56.484 --> 0:04:58.605
<v Speaker 1>any part of who you are. It's not like it's

0:04:58.604 --> 0:05:00.765
<v Speaker 1>a choice or it's anything like that. It's like, this

0:05:00.844 --> 0:05:04.205
<v Speaker 1>is who you are. Yeah, there was an amazing moment

0:05:04.205 --> 0:05:05.485
<v Speaker 1>for you to come out like that, really in the

0:05:05.484 --> 0:05:07.244
<v Speaker 1>mid of the middle of a show. But yeah, I

0:05:07.284 --> 0:05:09.684
<v Speaker 1>just felt yes, and I do an apology rio is

0:05:09.685 --> 0:05:12.044
<v Speaker 1>because I just thought, you know, we could talk about

0:05:12.044 --> 0:05:13.725
<v Speaker 1>it from our point of view, but our point of

0:05:13.765 --> 0:05:15.805
<v Speaker 1>view is irrelevant. You know, I don't speak for the

0:05:15.885 --> 0:05:17.964
<v Speaker 1>gay community. You know what that's like. And I can

0:05:18.005 --> 0:05:21.205
<v Speaker 1>imagine how this is incredibly hurtful. You're right, not that

0:05:21.245 --> 0:05:24.444
<v Speaker 1>maybe the reduction from five to four just embarrassment of

0:05:24.484 --> 0:05:27.844
<v Speaker 1>the AFL saying it's five games. There's precedent here, then

0:05:27.885 --> 0:05:30.125
<v Speaker 1>a club going can we have three? And then what

0:05:30.325 --> 0:05:33.245
<v Speaker 1>negotiating over this? And then I know, there's these medical

0:05:33.284 --> 0:05:35.845
<v Speaker 1>statements that we're not going to see because obviously they're confidential.

0:05:35.885 --> 0:05:40.764
<v Speaker 1>But surely there can't be any mitigating circumstances for using

0:05:40.804 --> 0:05:42.885
<v Speaker 1>a word like that. What do you think about that?

0:05:43.364 --> 0:05:47.964
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, look, I don't know enough probably about Isaac's personal

0:05:48.005 --> 0:05:51.325
<v Speaker 2>situation to comment, but I find it, you know, very

0:05:51.325 --> 0:05:54.445
<v Speaker 2>difficult to certainly think of a situation where we would

0:05:54.445 --> 0:06:00.804
<v Speaker 2>make it acceptable. To be honest, I'm not particularly hung

0:06:00.885 --> 0:06:03.525
<v Speaker 2>up on the going down from five to four. I

0:06:03.565 --> 0:06:05.765
<v Speaker 2>know the precedents there and all that kind of thing.

0:06:06.085 --> 0:06:08.724
<v Speaker 2>It's the impact, Yeah, it's the impact. I think, Oh,

0:06:08.924 --> 0:06:13.045
<v Speaker 2>just prefer people to you know, this has happened. Can

0:06:13.085 --> 0:06:16.364
<v Speaker 2>we have a conversation about the actual culture of the

0:06:16.404 --> 0:06:18.324
<v Speaker 2>AFL and what are we going to do to actually

0:06:18.364 --> 0:06:22.724
<v Speaker 2>improve it beyond worrying about weeks and punishments and stuff

0:06:22.765 --> 0:06:25.445
<v Speaker 2>like that. I would love I would much rather Isaac

0:06:25.565 --> 0:06:29.564
<v Speaker 2>have two weeks and go out to a gay outreach

0:06:29.804 --> 0:06:33.164
<v Speaker 2>program and you know, talk to the homeless gay kids

0:06:33.205 --> 0:06:35.325
<v Speaker 2>that have been kicked out by their families and he

0:06:35.325 --> 0:06:38.244
<v Speaker 2>wouldn't use that word again or go talk you know,

0:06:38.325 --> 0:06:41.365
<v Speaker 2>every single club has a gay element of their like

0:06:41.404 --> 0:06:44.924
<v Speaker 2>a gay cheer squad. Go and hang out with the

0:06:45.125 --> 0:06:48.445
<v Speaker 2>you know, the guys and girls who you know bleed

0:06:48.525 --> 0:06:51.164
<v Speaker 2>for your club and who live for you and your club.

0:06:51.445 --> 0:06:53.485
<v Speaker 2>Go have a chat with them for a week. Go

0:06:53.525 --> 0:06:55.685
<v Speaker 2>hang out with them, and I promise you they won't

0:06:55.804 --> 0:06:57.924
<v Speaker 2>use that word again. And I'd just love to see

0:06:58.484 --> 0:07:01.964
<v Speaker 2>action and actually going out of your way to you know,

0:07:02.404 --> 0:07:05.844
<v Speaker 2>involve yourself in these communities that really look up to

0:07:05.885 --> 0:07:07.645
<v Speaker 2>you and and that are a big part of the

0:07:07.645 --> 0:07:11.325
<v Speaker 2>football world get chunned a lot. I would love to

0:07:11.325 --> 0:07:14.605
<v Speaker 2>see that sort of action and that sort of conversation

0:07:14.804 --> 0:07:18.245
<v Speaker 2>happen so that you know, the sixteen year old kid

0:07:18.325 --> 0:07:21.605
<v Speaker 2>running around, you know that might think they're gay or

0:07:21.725 --> 0:07:24.085
<v Speaker 2>is gay and is watching this and isn't thinking, Okay,

0:07:24.125 --> 0:07:27.285
<v Speaker 2>do I have to choose between chasing my dream and

0:07:28.005 --> 0:07:30.845
<v Speaker 2>living a lion and hiding my true self? Like to me,

0:07:31.685 --> 0:07:35.965
<v Speaker 2>that's that's much more important to me than the weeks

0:07:36.045 --> 0:07:39.805
<v Speaker 2>or the Grand Final or the waiting or any of that. Yeah,

0:07:39.804 --> 0:07:41.444
<v Speaker 2>that's what I'd really love to see come from this.

0:07:41.645 --> 0:07:44.564
<v Speaker 2>And to be honest, unfortunately I haven't really seen much

0:07:44.565 --> 0:07:44.725
<v Speaker 2>of that.

0:07:45.925 --> 0:07:48.564
<v Speaker 1>Beautifully said rio you you're talking about that it's just

0:07:48.645 --> 0:07:50.564
<v Speaker 1>not a safe space for people, is it, you know,

0:07:50.605 --> 0:07:53.244
<v Speaker 1>and you look at like the AFLW that does appear

0:07:53.285 --> 0:07:55.925
<v Speaker 1>to be the opposite, a very very safe space where

0:07:56.765 --> 0:07:58.805
<v Speaker 1>I can't speak for it, but I'm sure you wouldn't

0:07:58.845 --> 0:08:01.204
<v Speaker 1>hear words like that, you know, And then they wonder

0:08:01.205 --> 0:08:02.845
<v Speaker 1>and scratch the hands away. Right while there are no

0:08:02.965 --> 0:08:06.485
<v Speaker 1>openly gay payers. You see this week, an entire week,

0:08:06.965 --> 0:08:10.005
<v Speaker 1>an entire week, this has been in the headlines. It's

0:08:10.005 --> 0:08:13.605
<v Speaker 1>a terrible decision by a terribly run organization. At times

0:08:13.605 --> 0:08:16.085
<v Speaker 1>it is rio. Thank you so much for giving us

0:08:16.165 --> 0:08:18.605
<v Speaker 1>the real perspective what we need to hear this week.

0:08:18.645 --> 0:08:20.244
<v Speaker 1>And you're right, there's a lot of mums and dads

0:08:20.245 --> 0:08:23.165
<v Speaker 1>and kids listening to the show this week. You know,

0:08:23.165 --> 0:08:25.045
<v Speaker 1>what would you be saying to them, because you know,

0:08:25.165 --> 0:08:27.365
<v Speaker 1>right now you've got this opportunity. There are going to

0:08:27.364 --> 0:08:30.125
<v Speaker 1>be people listening right now who are struggling with their

0:08:30.165 --> 0:08:31.925
<v Speaker 1>identity and how they feel about and they would have

0:08:31.965 --> 0:08:34.285
<v Speaker 1>seen this week and this huge kind of everyone on

0:08:34.325 --> 0:08:37.125
<v Speaker 1>TV going, oh, it should just be one round or

0:08:37.125 --> 0:08:39.525
<v Speaker 1>two rounds as Wokenes's gone mad. What do you say

0:08:39.565 --> 0:08:41.684
<v Speaker 1>to that? If someone's listening, maybe like when you were

0:08:41.684 --> 0:08:44.245
<v Speaker 1>like fourteen or fifteen, and you've got these really big,

0:08:44.245 --> 0:08:47.445
<v Speaker 1>what feel like big secrets. What would you say to someone.

0:08:47.684 --> 0:08:51.485
<v Speaker 2>I think this is exactly the reason why we need

0:08:51.525 --> 0:08:54.525
<v Speaker 2>to have Pride rounds, Why we need to you know,

0:08:54.605 --> 0:08:56.684
<v Speaker 2>have people I see people in comments getting pissed off

0:08:56.684 --> 0:09:00.045
<v Speaker 2>because there are rainbow flags in the Swan's cheer section.

0:09:00.125 --> 0:09:02.805
<v Speaker 2>They keep politics out of sport, blah blah blah. Well

0:09:02.845 --> 0:09:07.045
<v Speaker 2>people are still saying these horrible words professional players five

0:09:07.125 --> 0:09:10.204
<v Speaker 2>times this year. The fact that we're having this conversation,

0:09:10.365 --> 0:09:13.365
<v Speaker 2>the fact that we're even talking about Isaac Rankin, is

0:09:13.444 --> 0:09:16.525
<v Speaker 2>the reason we need to be having these rounds and

0:09:16.605 --> 0:09:19.845
<v Speaker 2>be talking about these things. And I would have, you know,

0:09:19.885 --> 0:09:23.365
<v Speaker 2>to any you know, gay players or kids out there,

0:09:24.285 --> 0:09:27.085
<v Speaker 2>as much as probably a harrowing week this has been,

0:09:27.965 --> 0:09:31.325
<v Speaker 2>I have you know, I've found a huge sense of

0:09:31.444 --> 0:09:35.365
<v Speaker 2>community and identity and belonging within football and within my

0:09:35.405 --> 0:09:37.684
<v Speaker 2>football club and within the Swans and all that kind

0:09:37.725 --> 0:09:39.845
<v Speaker 2>of thing. So I would I still think it's the

0:09:39.885 --> 0:09:41.645
<v Speaker 2>greatest game in the world and I love it so

0:09:41.645 --> 0:09:45.485
<v Speaker 2>so much, So I would say, you know, it will

0:09:45.525 --> 0:09:48.045
<v Speaker 2>get better, and you know, the more of us that

0:09:48.165 --> 0:09:50.125
<v Speaker 2>are able to feel confident enough to sort of step

0:09:50.165 --> 0:09:53.005
<v Speaker 2>out into ourselves. The you know, the easier it's going

0:09:53.084 --> 0:09:55.525
<v Speaker 2>to be for everyone. So yeah, don't don't give up

0:09:55.564 --> 0:09:56.485
<v Speaker 2>on the AFL as well.

0:09:56.845 --> 0:09:59.564
<v Speaker 1>Thanks Reren beautifully said okay, we'll take a break back

0:09:59.564 --> 0:10:03.085
<v Speaker 1>in a moment. Thanks mate. Christian O'Connell show go On

0:10:03.605 --> 0:10:05.365
<v Speaker 1>podcast