Fans and players are excoriating the Australian Football League (AFL) over its draconian regulation of social media content. Second, they are highly, highly protective about player behavior. The league’s commissioner, Andrew Dillon, recently visited Geelong star Bailey Smith’s home to discuss his controversial social media post, which alluded to illicit drug use. This has led to further fan outrage at how the AFL has handled player behaviour since this incident. They’re also challenging the league’s overall social media footprint.
Smith’s post blew up online, in part because it wasn’t clear what drug use it was referring to. This led the AFL to issue a final warning about his social media use. Dillon’s intervention signifies the league’s commitment to maintaining a certain standard among its players, especially those regarded as role models. In the course of this discussion, Dillon pointed to how social media has changed the landscape for public perception and player reputation.
In another case, Hawthorn forward Jack Ginnivan made headlines on social media. Never one to miss out on a viral trend, he took to Twitter to bid his emotional “goodnight” to now former head coach, Sam Mitchell. It was this video of Ginnivan’s light-hearted interaction that opened our eyes to the comedic relationship between player and coach. This opened up a big conversation about whether such content was appropriate in a professional league.
Criticism reached a boiling point when the AFL’s main social media account shared material once fans deemed “cringe.” We heard from a lot of champions about their frustration with the league’s overall social media marketing plan. They lambasted others as “strange,” “cringy,” and inappropriate for an agency’s official account. Former Australian Olympic volleyball player Andrew Schacht spoke out against the bill. As a fan of the Adelaide Crows, he pointed out the favoritism and alleged corruption that had permeated the league’s practices and operations.
“Jesus, are you serious? You are supposed to at least pretend to be unbiased. VFL,” – Andrew Schacht
Adding to the controversy, the AFL recently scheduled a night game in Tasmania featuring two top-four teams at a time of year that some fans deemed inappropriate. Tom Wolf’s decision sparked further backlash from his supporters. They thought the scheduling was terribly haphazard and that it added to their overall frustrations with where the league’s heading.
During the week, Bailey Smith’s social media habits came under heavy scrutiny, with Geelong coach Chris Scott. Despite that, Bryant maintained that Smith’s reaction to a random troll mirrored the current trend in how players react to real or perceived slights on social media. Scott explained, “I think he bit on a troll in the way that contemporary players bite on trolls. He raised speculation that people may have misread Smith’s aims. In general, ‘Get out of your silo and isolate other methodologies, especially modeling!
As a result, fan sentiment is turning sharply against the AFL’s handling of social media and player behavior. As this disillusionment continues to fester, it begs the question—what will the league do going forward? Supporters are calling for shifts in the AFL’s leaders’ response to such issues. They call for new employees to monitor social media usage.
Fans are getting more and more antsy. This unrest is indicative of greater concerns over the league’s reputation and its battle to maintain a neutral facade while exerting player accountability. The combination of social media missteps and questionable scheduling decisions has led many to ponder whether the AFL can effectively navigate these challenges moving forward.
