Dustin Martin

[bulldogtragic]

My bet is they ban him for the NAB Cup after banishing him from the main training group and put him with a specialist fitness trainer with a regime set by the club and expect some spin to resolve everything... My closest guess is something like this:

"We as a club, CEO, coach, leadership group and players have taken the serious action of immediately suspending Dustin from being at the club, a place he loves to be. We are suspending Dustin as for him not to attend training for at least the next 8 weeks to serve the ban away from the playing group. Dustin was expecting a break out season and was training the house down but we needed to make a stand against violence against women and drive standards in society, as well as a club. We are further suspending Dustin for the entire NAB Cup, not only a couple of games. We think a suspension that includes 3 games of competitive AFL games is necessary on top of an 8 week club suspension. We unreservedly apologise and express disappointment about Dustin's behaviour and hope Dustin takes this training and playing suspension with maturity and commits to improving his off field behaviour. The club and Dustin have apologised to the woman involved and Dustin has made a $2,500 donation to the White Ribbon Foundation and will undertake an anger management course. We have advised the AFL of this course of action and have their complete support. We trust this concludes this matter and hope everyone can now move on".


I.e. No real substance in managing his conduct whatsoever while pretending they have.

[bulldogtragic]

The Freo guy also assaulted/resisted Police on apprehension and had other matters.

In relation to Police action, you need the cooperation of the victim in order for the matter to be further investigated.

If an independent witness were to assist Police there are some offences against Statute that could be considered (Use threatening words/behave in a riotous/offensive manner etc).

Use threatening words, that old chest nut. He might strike out of luck and get a non-conviction with a stern lecture if found guilty. I think id prefer him to be tried-by-media without the ability to hide behind 'as it's an active police investigation it's inappropriate to comment further'. Leave him and the club exposed to the full media force. Highlights the difference between them and our club holding the White Ribbon Cup and Bonts being an ambassador against violence against women.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Bit of a tough one to penalise.

12 months would send a very clear message and whilst I'd support it given his numerous indiscretions, one could argue that is a little harsh.

However, 4 weeks off seems too light IMO. With the restrictions on fines (AFLPA) I think a 10 week ban would suffice. It's harsh enough that it sends a strong message, but it does provide some light at the end of the tunnel. The rest is up to him.

At this point from a longer term perspective it's looking like he'll be out of the game before he decides to retire. In other words, sacked/pushed.

[LostDoggy]

It really would be in his and the clubs best long term interests to give him a meaningful penalty (8 weeks of season proper minimum, full season max) however, as BT articulates quite precisely, he's too important an onfield asset so he'll get the kid gloves and miss the preseason and a game or 2 max. Most organisations rate short term outcomes far too highly relative to the long term big picture.

If the club do ban him from training over the next couple of months, really suspect that has disaster written all over it. Reckon there's a fair precedent building up of some blokes being far better off within the club environment, training hard, around peers and being monitored closely. If an immature dolt like Dusty is exiled and left to his own devices about now, bad things could result.

[jeemak]

It really would be in his and the clubs best long term interests to give him a meaningful penalty (8 weeks of season proper minimum, full season max) however, as BT articulates quite precisely, he's too important an onfield asset so he'll get the kid gloves and miss the preseason and a game or 2 max. Most organisations rate short term outcomes far too highly relative to the long term big picture.

If the club do ban him from training over the next couple of months, really suspect that has disaster written all over it. Reckon there's a fair precedent building up of some blokes being far better off within the club environment, training hard, around peers and being monitored closely. If an immature dolt like Dusty is exiled and left to his own devices about now, bad things could result.

By bad things, do you mean actually killing someone with a chopstick face stab instead of just threatening to do so?

I hate the numbnut boofhead culture this guy epitomises. I hate how News Limited on the one hand sexes up the exploits of dickheads like him, and then waits for them to fall over so they can publicly whip them.

More so, I hate that arse clowns like Bruce and his Ch7 chronies will be lining up to kiss his backside when he takes a game that in which, by rights he shouldn't be playing in because of his terrible behaviour, by the scruff of the neck. Forgetting that deep down, he's a genuine shit stain on our society and not deserving of any hype or adulation.

Finally, I hate how I still get worked up expecting the AFL, or society to actually call wankers like Martin out and start punishing them for being the wankers they are. I should know better.

[Remi Moses]

Ten weeks or a year, and the guy won't change .
Caroline Wilson defending Richardson on the initial statement was totally insane.
Stated that Richmond thought the young lady had accepted his apology and moved on. Hence the"hiccup" statement.
Richardson should be called to account as well as Martin .

[whythelongface]

Is this type of behaviour ingrained in an individual or can they change through rehabilitation? Each individual person I would think is different, however it would be interesting to know the percentage of people that previously committed some form of violent act who have been able to undertake some form of therapy and come out the other end changed. I would think that it is a very small percentage that actually are able or are willing to change.

Richmond and the AFL really need to ask the question whether this individual is able to change and are not just tinkering around the edges with a small ban and a fine. There really needs to be some form of rehab that he needs to attend (not sure how long this process would be) and then he needs to prove himself that he has changed. First of all he needs to be able to want to change. He should be stood down immediately and not be involved with RIchmond or the AFL until he can prove (through independent assessments) that he has changed. Unfortunately this won't happen and, as others have pointed out, he will be "punished" with the obligatory fine/ donation and suspension for a few games. This basically states, from both Richmond and the AFL, that we accept violence per se and that the club and its supporters are valued more than society as a whole. It is just brushed aside in the hope that he won't re-offend until the next time and we go through the same piss weak process again and again and again.

Somebody in these organisations needs to make some hard calls and actually make these people responsible for their actions. Like it or not they are role models and their behaviour influences the behaviour of future generations.

[Murphy'sLore]

There was a very moving documentary on the ABC recently, 'Call Me Dad', which looked at the role that men's counselling and support groups can perform in keeping men who are at risk of perpetrating violence accountable for their actions and attitudes. Really excellent stuff. This particular group was called Heavy M.E.T.A.L. and they seem to be doing some amazing work.

Change is possible but it's a long hard road for everyone involved, and the crucial thing is, the men need to be willing to take responsibility and want to change. Don't know if Martin is there yet.

[Ghost Dog]

I agree with what you are saying ... any threat of violence against a man or woman is wrong; but with the prevalence of domestic violence predominantly against women (because sometimes men are victims too) and the fact that we are trying to champion women within our sport, but especially as we have our own ambassador Marcus Bontempelli and other AFL superstars spruiking THE LINE aimed at tackling the issue of violence against women; Martin needs to be made an example.

I see your point.
Who works for the law here? If ordinary Joe Shmoe went into a bar and half-pissed, told someone he was going to kill them with a chopstick, what would the punishment be? IF they were half-joking, or half-serious regardless, what would the penalty be?

Then beyond that, why does the AFL need to be involved at the level of punishment?
We can't have it both ways - on one hand we decry AFL protectionism ( Essendone ) and on the other, turning the AFL into some sort of agent for social change at a mass level.
I would have thought Police should apply their penalty, and the Richmond leadership group will apply theirs, but not sure the AFL should have anything to do with the incident. Their job is at a broader level.

Somebody in these organisations needs to make some hard calls and actually make these people responsible for their actions. Like it or not they are role models and their behaviour influences the behaviour of future generations.

It's very hard to change adults. You had best begin with the next generation.

On one hand we have the celebration and constant replay of the 1989 hit on Dermott Brereton as a classic moment in sport.
So tell me that violence is not a part of Australian culture and the AFL profits from it?

[Twodogs]

There was a very moving documentary on the ABC recently, 'Call Me Dad', which looked at the role that men's counselling and support groups can perform in keeping men who are at risk of perpetrating violence accountable for their actions and attitudes. Really excellent stuff. This particular group was called Heavy M.E.T.A.L. and they seem to be doing some amazing work.

Change is possible but it's a long hard road for everyone involved, and the crucial thing is, the men need to be willing to take responsibility and want to change. Don't know if Martin is there yet.

I did see that, very confronting.

My son pointed out that the biggest bogan out of all of them was wearing a bulldog jumper.

[Drunken Bum]

Is this type of behaviour ingrained in an individual or can they change through rehabilitation? Each individual person I would think is different, however it would be interesting to know the percentage of people that previously committed some form of violent act who have been able to undertake some form of therapy and come out the other end changed. I would think that it is a very small percentage that actually are able or are willing to change.

All violent offenders should be given powerful psychedelics like DMT, ayahuasca and ibogaine, once they face their demons and realise we are all one change is inevitable. Actually i believe in Peru violent offenders can undergo ayahuasca treatments in prison and it's produced some very positive results

EDIT: actually it's Brazil not Peru

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/wo...prisoners.html

http://www.ayahuasca-info.com/

[Twodogs]

All violent offenders should be given powerful psychedelics like DMT, ayahuasca and ibogaine, once they face their demons and realise we are all one change is inevitable. Actually i believe in Peru violent offenders can undergo ayahuasca treatments in prison and it's produced some very positive results

EDIT: actually it's Brazil not Peru

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/wo...prisoners.html

http://reset.me/story/brazil-offers-...to-redemption/

Wow. That's an interesting program. I saw a similar thing on TV a couple of weeks ago wherevBuddhist monks were making a violent purgative to meth heads in order to vomit the toxins out of their system. It's all their way or the highway but they were getting really good results.

[Remi Moses]

God spare me .
Nine talking to tiger fans on their way to the agm
Mountain out of a molehill, nothing to see here .
Gotta love the rusted on fans

[Drunken Bum]

Wow. That's an interesting program. I saw a similar thing on TV a couple of weeks ago wherevBuddhist monks were making a violent purgative to meth heads in order to vomit the toxins out of their system. It's all their way or the highway but they were getting really good results.

It's ironic that some of the most effective treatments for addiction are also illegal, Ibogaine has proven to be very effective treating heroin and meth addictions, ayhauasca as well as well as being effective treating depression, thankfully the door is open to proper research on these powerful medicines again after being shut down for so long.
LSD was very nearly a part of the AA 12 step program before being made illegal and has had positive results in treating addictions along with psilocybin.
If you're at all interested in the subject MAPS and reset me are two good sites to start off, with lots of great information.

http://reset.me/story/howpsychedelicssavedmylife/

http://www.maps.org/

I have a bit of personal experience myself, i was pretty much an alcoholic for most of my adult life before stumbling upon psychedelics, don't get me wrong i was using them for partying but had a profound effect on me, probably one of the most significant events in my life, i'm a far better person for having found them, they've been powerful medicines for 1000's of years and we are only just now beginning to acknowledge that.

[Bulldog4life]

It's ironic that some of the most effective treatments for addiction are also illegal, Ibogaine has proven to be very effective treating heroin and meth addictions, ayhauasca as well as well as being effective treating depression, thankfully the door is open to proper research on these powerful medicines again after being shut down for so long.
LSD was very nearly a part of the AA 12 step program before being made illegal and has had positive results in treating addictions along with psilocybin.
If you're at all interested in the subject MAPS and reset me are two good sites to start off, with lots of great information.

http://reset.me/story/howpsychedelicssavedmylife/

http://www.maps.org/

I have a bit of personal experience myself, i was pretty much an alcoholic for most of my adult life before stumbling upon psychedelics, don't get me wrong i was using them for partying but had a profound effect on me, probably one of the most significant events in my life, i'm a far better person for having found them, they've been powerful medicines for 1000's of years and we are only just now beginning to acknowledge that.

Bert Newton was undergoing treatment for a severe mental breakdown in the 60's when he was legally injected with a potent dose of LSD. Resulted him having a very "bad trip" and made him worse.