Rendell given an AFL gig

[Ghost Dog]

Caroline Wilson
April 3, 2012


MATT Rendell, the Adelaide Crows recruiter removed from his job after he made offensive comments about indigenous footballers, looks headed for a position within the AFL.
The Age understands talks have been conducted at the game's highest level with a view to resurrecting Rendell's career via a portfolio in the league's game development department.
The discussions began after Rendell's lengthy counselling session with the AFL's vilification consultant Frank Bassini and unofficial talks are understood to have involved league chief executive Andrew Demetriou, his senior lieutenant Gillon McLachlan and, potentially, game development boss Andrew Dillon and football boss Adrian Anderson.
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A cagey Demetriou said yesterday: ''I will say we've got a proud record of giving people second chances. Matt Rendell has had a career in the game over a 35-year period and that sort of experience is not something you necessarily want lost to the game.
''Our view is that he's more than welcome back into the fold and if there's a role for him here, we would certainly look at that.''
Rendell had recommitted to the Crows for three years at the end of last season and remains highly valued as a recruiter, albeit one who occasionally allows his passionate and occasionally inappropriate views to affect his performance.

http://images.theage.com.au/2012/04/02/3184299/art-svRENDELL-420x0.jpg
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/rendells-second-chance-20120402-1w8t4.html#ixzz1qv9ltKDFhttp://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/rendells-second-chance-20120402-1w8t4.html

[chef]

They probably owe him that.

[Topdog]

How can you have a development officer with "those outdated views"? Pathetic by the AFL.

[neddie]

How can you have a development officer with "those outdated views"? Pathetic by the AFL.

He deserves a 2nd chance,the whole" affair '' was
handled very badly by all concerned.

[Sedat]

How can you have a development officer with "those outdated views"? Pathetic by the AFL.
Actually it is a brilliant strategy by the AFL. Shows the football community how willing they are to give 'quality AFL people' a 2nd chance, it diffuses the bad will that was generated by the draconian handling of Rendell in the first place, and it reinforces their stance against all forms of racial vilifaction. The fact thsi it is a contrived and artificial gesture by the AFL is immaterial - percpetion is everything.

[ledge]

After todays press conference, Mifsuds the one who should be sacked.

[Maddog37]

What took place Ledge?

[AndrewP6]

What took place Ledge?

Mifsud had owned up to being the one who told Grant Thomas that Mark Neeld was treating the indigenous players at melbourne differently than the others, not giving them individual meetings and such.

Shocking behaviour, and even worse AD didn't accept his resignation.

[bornadog]

Mifsud had owned up to being the one who told Grant Thomas that Mark Neeld was treating the indigenous players at melbourne differently than the others, not giving them individual meetings and such.

Shocking behaviour, and even worse AD didn't accept his resignation.

Also shocking that Grant Thomas didn't verify the story and went ahead and published it.

[ledge]

Feel sorry for Rendell now, is this the AFLs way of making up to him?

[GVGjr]

After todays press conference, Mifsuds the one who should be sacked.


Mifsud had owned up to being the one who told Grant Thomas that Mark Neeld was treating the indigenous players at melbourne differently than the others, not giving them individual meetings and such.

Shocking behaviour, and even worse AD didn't accept his resignation.

I mentioned when all this went down that I couldn't believe Mifsud was walking away from this unscathed when Rendell lost his job. How can a person that has been given the role of representing the Indigenous players within the AFL not report Rendells comments to his boss straight away?
It was only exposed in a media interview otherwise AD wouldn't have asked Mifsud the right questions.

Now Mifsud has leaked information to Grant Thomas and that caused Mark Neeld a lot of unwarranted grief. I don't know how Indigenous players and ex players can trust him or why the AFL haven't stood him down and investigated this further. To be honest I wouldn't allow him to step foot in the club if I was the President.

It will be interesting to see how AFL handles this latest error of judgement by Mifsud

Link (http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showpost.php?p=260127&postcount=83)

[Remi Moses]

Also shocking that Grant Thomas didn't verify the story and went ahead and published it.

Mifsud should have fallen on his sword like Rendell did.
Grant Thomas just emphasising what an ordinary human being he is.

[AndrewP6]

Also shocking that Grant Thomas didn't verify the story and went ahead and published it.

Absolutely. Not surprising, coming from Thommo, but still...:)

[Ghost Dog]

This whole indigenous thing. Minefield. I bet Rendell just cracked open a tinnie and let out a huge sigh of relief, now the wind is blowing the other way.

[GVGjr]

Mifsud should have fallen on his sword like Rendell did.
Grant Thomas just emphasising what an ordinary human being he is.

I disagree.
If the AFL feel strongly enough on an issue to contact the President of a club and inform him to sack the recruiting manager then they must display an impeccable record on the people they employ and the standards they are expected to meet.
Clearly they don't employ the same standards to their own people as they do for the clubs.

[The Underdog]

My favourite quote from Demetriou from the AFL story - http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/132188/default.aspx was the following

"It was an unacceptable conversation notwithstanding the fact it was not supposed to appear in the public domain," said Demetriou of the conversation between Thomas and Mifsud.

Sounds suspiciously like Rendell's comment which was made in a private conversation but somehow made it into the public domain.
This whole episode has been an absolute embarrassment for the AFL administration. Pure farce.

[bornadog]

I disagree.
If the AFL feel strongly enough on an issue to contact the President of a club and inform him to sack the recruiting manager then they must display an impeccable record on the people they employ and the standards they are expected to meet.
Clearly they don't employ the same standards to their own people as they do for the clubs.

One big difference between Rendell and Misfud is Misfud came out and apologised and took full responsibility.

Like Grant, Mifsud should have checked the story first before believing it.

[Ghost Dog]

One big difference between Rendell and Misfud is Misfud came out and apologised and took full responsibility.

Like Grant, Mifsud should have checked the story first before believing it.

Don't get it. Why would Misfud make up something like that?

[bornadog]

Don't get it. Why would Misfud make up something like that?

He didn't make it up he was told from another source which turned out to be a rumour. He should have contacted Melbourne and asked if the rumour was correct.

[GVGjr]

One big difference between Rendell and Misfud is Misfud came out and apologised and took full responsibility.

Like Grant, Mifsud should have checked the story first before believing it.

Did he take responsibility for taking so long to even mention what Rendell said?
Has he apologised for letting down Indigenous players by not bringing Rendells comments to light in the days following rather than the weeks following?

My view is that he only took responsibility for leaking the information to Thomas because he was simply caught out.

He's gossiping with his mates rather than doing his job and I can't see why clubs would now want him talking to the players or the coaches. He's simply not doing the right thing by the Indigenous players or the AFL. Rendell was publicly bounced out of his job and ridiculed for saying the wrong thing and yet for some reason those same people that were so critical of Rendell are giving Mifsud a free passage by not holding him to the same standards.

Given your stance on Rendell I'm surprised you don't have a stronger view on Mifsuds lack of judgement. If Rendells position was untenable then surely Mifsuds is.

[bornadog]

Did he take responsibility for taking so long to even mention what Rendell said?
Has he apologised for letting down Indigenous players by not bringing Rendells comments to light in the days following rather than the weeks following?

My view is that he only took responsibility for leaking the information to Thomas because he was simply caught out.

He's gossiping with his mates rather than doing his job and I can't see why clubs would now want him talking to the players or the coaches. He's simply not doing the right thing by the Indigenous players or the AFL. Rendell was publicly bounced out of his job and ridiculed for saying the wrong thing and yet for some reason those same people that were so critical of Rendell are giving Mifsud a free passage by not holding him to the same standards.

Given your stance on Rendell I'm surprised you don't have a stronger view on Mifsuds lack of judgement. If Rendells position was untenable then surely Mifsuds is.

I think Mifsuds position is untenable and he will not be trusted by clubs. He should resign or move to a different role.

[Sedat]

Did he take responsibility for taking so long to even mention what Rendell said?
Has he apologised for letting down Indigenous players by not bringing Rendells comments to light in the days following rather than the weeks following?

My view is that he only took responsibility for leaking the information to Thomas because he was simply caught out.

He's gossiping with his mates rather than doing his job and I can't see why clubs would now want him talking to the players or the coaches. He's simply not doing the right thing by the Indigenous players or the AFL. Rendell was publicly bounced out of his job and ridiculed for saying the wrong thing and yet for some reason those same people that were so critical of Rendell are giving Mifsud a free passage by not holding him to the same standards.

Given your stance on Rendell I'm surprised you don't have a stronger view on Mifsuds lack of judgement. If Rendells position was untenable then surely Mifsuds is.
100% correct GVGjr. Mifsud now cannot be trusted in his role and his position is untenable. He, ably assisted by Vlad, has done more harm than good for the indigenous community that he is supposed to be protecting the welfare of.

I love the way that Grant Thomas has given acute public embarrasment to Vlad and his groupthink cronies in this instance - he is the only scribe that is prepared to take the AFL to task, meanwhile all the other scribes cower in fear of losing ther precious AFL accreditation. The very people that the AFL are supposed to protect the welfare of, the indigenous players, are now all suspicious and distrusting of Mifsud and the AFL - nice work Vlad :o

Fact is AD could not give a stuff about indigenous player welfare - all he cares about is window dressing to give the perception that he gives a toss. I originally thought it was a brilliant, albeit cynical and contrived, strategy by the AFL to offer Rendell a position. But now that Mifsud has been outed as the source of Thomas' Neeld accusations, I am laughing heartily at seeing Vlad squirm in the glare of the cameras, over a series of incidents all of which have been entirely self-induced. Adelaide and Trigg come out of this just as poorly for pulling he trigger so quickly on Rendell (that's if you care to believe that Vlad had nothing to do with Rendell's sacking :rolleyes:)

[Topdog]

former players now getting involved.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/david-king-and-dean-rioli-say-jason-mifsud-has-broken-trust-with-indigenous-players-and-must-resign/story-e6frf3e3-1226317984814

[westdog54]

I love the way that Grant Thomas has given acute public embarrasment to Vlad and his groupthink cronies in this instance - he is the only scribe that is prepared to take the AFL to task, meanwhile all the other scribes cower in fear of losing ther precious AFL accreditation. The very people that the AFL are supposed to protect the welfare of, the indigenous players, are now all suspicious and distrusting of Mifsud and the AFL - nice work Vlad :o


The problem is though, Grant was wrong on this one. He might be prepared to take the AFL to task but he has to get his facts straight otherwise he's going to get himself in some serious strife.

The whole thing has become a right mess and Mifsud has some bridges to re-build.

[GVGjr]

I think Mifsuds position is untenable and he will not be trusted by clubs. He should resign or move to a different role.

His position should have been untenable when Rendell was bounced but that clearly wasn't on your radar then and your focus was fully on Rendell. Was leaking the inaccurate information about Neeld the final straw in your comment above because I think originally you were supportive of Mifsud?

In my opinion a lot of people took the easy option when this first surfaced and just potted Rendell and in the process refused to look at the issue a bit deeper especially the timing of when the comments were made by Rendell and when the AFL eventually stepped in and contacted Trigg.
Apparently Mifsud was so appalled by Rendells he mentioned it to no one at the AFL for weeks eventually blurting it out to the Age in an interview which got the ball rolling. If he didn't do that interview do you think it would have surfaced by now?

The fact that Mifsud has now offered his resignation and the AFL refused to accept it is clearly a token image saving gesture designed to show that Mifsud has standards. If Mifsud was genuine he would just resign and not offer his resignation.
Vlad is guilty of holding others to high standards but finding a bit harder to apply it in house.

[Desipura]

If Aaron Davey was the player that went to Mifsud, should his position within the club be questioned?
Demetriou will not remove Mifsud as it puts him directly in the spotlight. People will question his decision to remove Rendell.
No surprise Demetriou is deflecting attention and putting the spotlight directly onto Thomas.

[bornadog]

If Aaron Davey was the player that went to Mifsud, should his position within the club be questioned?
Demetriou will not remove Mifsud as it puts him directly in the spotlight. People will question his decision to remove Rendell.
No surprise Demetriou is deflecting attention and putting the spotlight directly onto Thomas.

I can't help but think that we do not know the full story.

[bornadog]

In my opinion a lot of people took the easy option when this first surfaced and just potted Rendell and in the process refused to look at the issue a bit deeper especially the timing of when the comments were made by Rendell and when the AFL eventually stepped in and contacted Trigg.
Apparently Mifsud was so appalled by Rendells he mentioned it to no one at the AFL for weeks eventually blurting it out to the Age in an interview which got the ball rolling. If he didn't do that interview do you think it would have surfaced by now?

The fact that Mifsud has now offered his resignation and the AFL refused to accept it is clearly a token image saving gesture designed to show that Mifsud has standards. If Mifsud was genuine he would just resign and not offer his resignation.
Vlad is guilty of holding others to high standards but finding a bit harder to apply it in house.

Doesn't matter when Rendell made the remarks and when they were reported, the fact is he made the remarks.

[GVGjr]

Doesn't matter when Rendell made the remarks and when they were reported, the fact is he made the remarks.

You are missing the point. This isn't now about Rendell it's about how long it took Mifsud to bring it to the surface. Rendell paid for his my mistake but Mifsuds involvement just slipped under the radar while everyone took the easy option.

[Topdog]

Doesn't matter when Rendell made the remarks and when they were reported, the fact is he made the remarks.

It matters because Misfud failed in his job and failed "his people".

Now AD is saying Neeld should sue Thomas. Massive LOLs to AD there. Nice deflection.


"It would be an appalling state of affairs for people to have private conversations only for so-called journalists to actually publish them without verifying those comments," Demetriou said.

Pretty much exactly what happened with Rendell and Misfud.

[ledge]

I would have thought Mifsud is the one you would go to to verify and being who Mifsud is they are saying now what he says isnt true?
Why you would have a private conversation about someone that isnt verified to a journalist is beyond me.
Shouldnt be saying anything to a journalist that isnt verified.
Dont kill the messenger (Thomas)

[AndrewP6]

I would have thought Mifsud is the one you would go to to verify and being who Mifsud is they are saying now what he says isnt true?
Why you would have a private conversation about someone that isnt verified to a journalist is beyond me.
Shouldnt be saying anything to a journalist that isnt verified.
Dont kill the messenger (Thomas)

He published unfounded claims in an online article. He deserves a public flogging at least ;)

[bornadog]

It matters because Misfud failed in his job and failed "his people".

Doesn't matter if you say it today or three weeks ago, a racists comment is a racist comment.


Pretty much exactly what happened with Rendell and Misfud.


Difference is one was true and the other was not true.

[Maddog37]

BAD I still think you cannot take a comment in isolation. You need to appreciate the context of how it was said.

The problem now is the context has been provided by how Mifsud said it happened and now we know Mifsud is a bit iffy.

Context is everything.

[ledge]

He published unfounded claims in an online article. He deserves a public flogging at least ;)

You sound like AD:D

[AndrewP6]

You sound like AD:D

Now that's just mean. :D

[Topdog]

Doesn't matter if you say it today or three weeks ago, a racists comment is a racist comment.

Sorry who said that it mattered? It was a poorly worded comment, I'll even call it racist just to agree with you. Mifsud STILL let down his people and failed to do his job by not reporting the comment instantly.


Difference is one was true and the other was not true.

Well both were false in reality but thats a whole other argument.

[Ghost Dog]

Doesn't matter if you say it today or three weeks ago, a racists comment is a racist comment.




Difference is one was true and the other was not true.

Did you watch the Rendell interview at all? Out of intrest.

[bornadog]

Did you watch the Rendell interview at all? Out of intrest.

Tell you the truth, I am bored with the conversation as every one has a different opinion and we don't know the full story.

All I am defending is racism and if there was any of that well I am appalled.

[Drunken Bum]

Tell you the truth, I am bored with the conversation as every one has a different opinion and we don't know the full story.

All I am defending is racism and if there was any of that well I am appalled.

So that would be a "no" to GD's question then?

[The Pie Man]

Actually it is a brilliant strategy by the AFL. Shows the football community how willing they are to give 'quality AFL people' a 2nd chance, it diffuses the bad will that was generated by the draconian handling of Rendell in the first place, and it reinforces their stance against all forms of racial vilifaction. The fact thsi it is a contrived and artificial gesture by the AFL is immaterial - percpetion is everything.

True - in many walks of life

[azabob]

True - in many walks of life

In all walks of life perception is everything.

[Topdog]

and the comedy show continues. Mifsud has apologised to Davey, saying he misunderstood him.

Davey says he trusts Mifsud (LOL)

Mifsud says he is continuing his work with the AFL (surely untenable by now)

[Sockeye Salmon]

and the comedy show continues. Mifsud has apologised to Davey, saying he misunderstood him.

Davey says he trusts Mifsud (LOL)

Mifsud says he is continuing his work with the AFL (surely untenable by now)

But Davey categorically said he hadn't said anything to Misfud?

[Topdog]

Which Mifsud now agrees with, it was all a giant misunderstanding :)

Must have been speaking different languages to each other

[Jasper]

But Davey categorically said he hadn't said anything to Misfud?

clearly, if you're willing to lie and stick to that lie, you win the battle.

Given what Mifsud has created, the AFL had no choice but to back away from the Davey storyline.

[ledge]

and the comedy show continues. Mifsud has apologised to Davey, saying he misunderstood him.

Davey says he trusts Mifsud (LOL)

Mifsud says he is continuing his work with the AFL (surely untenable by now)

In effect proving it was Davey. Wonder what Neelds thinking now.

[GVGjr]

All the clubs need to take the lead here and tell the AFL that Mifsud can't talk to players or coaches without someone else there to witness the conversation.
I don't doubt for a minute he has done some great work but after the events of the last few weeks if I was the club President I'd be making sure our club doesn't get sucked into a mess with him. It's just not good enough that careers and reputations can be undone by his lack of judgement.

[Topdog]

In effect proving it was Davey. Wonder what Neelds thinking now.

Yeah extremely messy situation now and as G said there is no way any President will let him speak to players / officials without someone else present now. It's unworkable.

[azabob]

In effect proving it was Davey. Wonder what Neelds thinking now.

You have to feel for him.

Let down by a very senior player
Let down by the major sponsor - which means all the money he and Neil Craig were going to get to invest in the football department has suddenly gone.

What would Tom Scully be thinking if he was still there!! :eek:

[Ghost Dog]

All the clubs need to take the lead here and tell the AFL that Mifsud can't talk to players or coaches without someone else there to witness the conversation.
I don't doubt for a minute he has done some great work but after the events of the last few weeks if I was the club President I'd be making sure our club doesn't get sucked into a mess with him. It's just not good enough that careers and reputations can be undone by his lack of judgement.

Exactly. It was distressing to see the Rendell interview. IMO it should have never been dragged into the public arena like that.

[LostDoggy]

He published unfounded claims in an online article. He deserves a public flogging at least ;)

Get ready to publicly flog 95% of our nation's journalists then.

[AndrewP6]

Get ready to publicly flog 95% of our nation's journalists then.

Sounds like fun, where do I line up? :)

[BulldogBelle]

Pies to recruit Rendell

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/pies-to-recruit-rendell-20120529-1zhfc.html

Given his record we should have snapped him up

[azabob]

Pies to recruit Rendell

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/pies-to-recruit-rendell-20120529-1zhfc.html

Given his record we should have snapped him up

Probably couldn't have afforded him and we wouldn't have the same resources as Crows and Pies. Would he be as effective with less money and resources?