Another article about Ablett, this one us DTer's do like!

[Justin Bieber]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/134545/default.aspx

GARY Ablett should be sacked, or at the very least, suspended for half a season.

How dare he have an opinion. How dare he express it. How dare he be prepared to let the football world know he has a personality that proves him not to be a robot.

Hell, what's football coming to? A highly decorated player volunteering truthful thoughts. An intelligent 27-year-old offering insight into what an elite football mind thinks of a certain opponent.

Well, we can't have that now, can we?

Nup. We must have all players regurgitate the same boring, condescending, lip service and cliches.

Most reaction to Ablett's tweet of last Friday night has been oh so typical. Senior football officials have been critical, many have talked of the tweet creating "undue pressure" on his club and teammates.

Seriously, it is time everyone in football hardened up and realised that what is said in between matches has very, very little to do with what actually happens in them.

Ablett was in Melbourne, watching on TV the Fremantle-Carlton match when he tweeted this: "[Ryan] Crowley is a joke! Play the ball, not the man! That's why lingy (Cameron Ling) was such a great player he ran both ways! #givejuddafreekick."

Yes, there's history between Ablett and Crowley. But don't for a minute think Ablett tweeted on a whim. He is extremely media savvy, and knows the power of his own words.

He has become well aware of the might of Twitter, where 48,000 people choose to know his thoughts.

And, significantly when it comes to this topic, Ablett is a keen follower of sports, and sports stars, in the United States, where it is refreshingly accepted that athletes have both personalities and opinions, and are happy to publicly express both.

Perhaps we here in Australia don't want to fully travel down the path of the US's trash-talking superstars. But we should be open to venturing down that path to a certain juncture.

Virtually every hour of every day in the States, a sports star is expressing a view far stronger than that which Ablett offered last Friday. And everyone is adult enough to deal with it.

NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, who has 3.4 million followers on Twitter, happily taunts opponents and even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on a regular basis.

He once used Twitter to inform upcoming opponent Darrelle Revis, who gave himself the nickname Revis Island, that: "y'all better focus until I come to town, i will be taking over the big apple for a 3 hour period, 1-4, please don't try to cover me!" And: "I'm gonna burn you so bad you gone wish you played lacrosse!!!"

To another opponent, he tweeted: "bruh don't pull a Rex Ryan (New York Jets coach) and write a check yo cant cash, I will play defense this week just to hit you in yo mouth fool!!!!"

And to someone else: "dont give a flying **** about your lil slogan, bring the pain crap, GTFOH, you and anybody else got a problem see me Sunday." And: "STFU before i cave your face in with my fist boy, when I touch the field this Sunday its gone be a reality show, ultimate catches."

Once, when asked if his knee would be right for an upcoming match, Ochocinco, who changed his surname from Johnson to "eight five" in Spanish (which is the number he wears) said: "I had sex yesterday. With some of the moves I did, I should be fine."

Everyone in America is OK with that style of talk. There is no hysterical reaction, and no need for mopping up by club officials.

We here in AFL-land are unfortunately so far away from embracing anything of the type. And before you argue that that is a good thing, consider that such words are said nearly as regularly in AFL, only nearly always in private because of everyone being hellbent on putting image before reality.

Ablett's words the other night were too much for some people simply because they challenged a misplaced convention that no one in the AFL needlessly rocks the boat.

Ablett has led the way on the field for six seasons now. Here's hoping that after having the courage to tweet as he did last Friday, and then be prepared to stand by that tweet, that he chooses to lead off it as well.

Here's hoping that very soon he tweets or says something else which gets football people out of their pathetic little tell-'em-nothing comfort zones.

[Justin Bieber]

Ablett is our top man. We don't want him to get suspended for a half the year. I agree with you Damien Barrett?

[T Dog]

Barrett is quickly becomimg the No1 candidate for TOOL of the WEEK!!! ;D

[BGK]

Obviously sarcasm is lost on you two.

I agree with the article. I can't believe the backlash Ablett copped over a little tweet. People are really too precious.

[Justin Bieber]

Obviously sarcasm is lost on you two.

I agree with the article. I can't believe the backlash Ablett copped over a little tweet. People are really too precious.

Yes you got me. The sarcasm is there. Who gives a shower really? Except Cw lol.

[esquire]

Ablett is our top man. We don't want him to get suspended for a half the year. Who are you kidding Damien Barrett?

Why don't we like this article? Barrett is defending Ablett and saying he should be able to speak his mind. His suggestion of a half season suspension was sarcasm.

[Justin Bieber]

Ablett is our top man. We don't want him to get suspended for a half the year. Who are you kidding Damien Barrett?

Why don't we like this article? Barrett is defending Ablett and saying he should be able to speak his mind. His suggestion of a half season suspension was sarcasm.

Yeah well I didn't read it properly lol. But yeah my bad. Edited lol.

[BGK]

Obviously sarcasm is lost on you two.

I agree with the article. I can't believe the backlash Ablett copped over a little tweet. People are really too precious.

Yes you got me. The sarcasm is there. Who gives a shower really? Except Cw lol.

Yeah I'm not sure why CW thinks this makes Ablett look so bad.

[Justin Bieber]

God I read it wrong the first time. Ossie can you delete all comments and start again lol.

[BGK]

God I read it wrong the first time. Ossie can you delete all comments and start again lol.

Don't stress mate. Everyone makes mistakes.

[mpollock]

I am all for Ablett (and co) having an opinion .... just don't agree with his comments at all as it was a little disrespectful of Crowley ... he could have made a statement about taggers and rule changes but took the easy (and non fineable) way out and attached Crowley specifically (hence some of the backlash was deserved).

He came across as a winger who can't accept that taggers are part of our game.  What a sook ...  :'(

As for DB ... good article even if it was a little over the top ... (the sarcasm was not lost on me).  ;D

[Lucastorm]

Unfortunately this is all too common and widespread in Australia.

Everything has to be squeaky clean and politically correct.

It's a load of shower and hopefully one day this country can get over it and embrace reality. Until then, expect more bullshower like this.

[danger]

God I read it wrong the first time. Ossie can you delete all comments and start again lol.

haha, classic !

By the way, love the swan ended up as your DP.. hope he stinks it up BIG TIME!!  8)

[truBLUE]

Man what has footy come to he's done  nothing wrong surely they are allowed to voice an opinion  ???

[rider]

We are a Nanny State, Its not just AFL related!