The media circus that follows a misbehaving footballer has hit town, and the Addy looks as though they will be hosting them. Another misdemeanor by an AFL footballer, this time clocking 128km/h in a 50 zone, and his trial in the media starts.
According to former player Tim McGrath, “it doesn’t matter how good you are on-field, you’ve still got to abide by the rules that bind us all.” It is also speculated that if the Cats are to stick to their convictions following last year’s controversy it would sack Johnson.
Reality check Tim, yes he has to bind by the rules of society, but that has nothing to do with whether he should lose his job. Here is my list of jobs (by no way exhaustive) you should be sacked from for driving 78km/h above the speed limit:
• Taxi driver
• Bus driver
• Police officer
• Limo driver
• Minister for Roads and/or Transport
I just don’t think AFL footballer compares. If he is a member of society, which I am pretty sure he is, the court will decide his fate. He will probably lose his license for a period of time and pay a hefty fine, the accepted penalties for this crime.
If not having a license impacts on his ability to get to work, in this case training, games, meetings, etc, then his employer has the right to review his employment. Until then, his employer, the media and the public should butt out of his private life.
I wonder how Michael Auciello (the Addy journalist) or Tim McGrath would feel if they were caught breaking the law, and there were people speculating on whether they should lose their jobs at the Addy?
And people wonder why Nathan Ablett opted out of AFL football…..
