AFL: Loving the game, hating the institution

Footy is one of the greatest love affairs I have ever experienced in life. It’s no secret, nor is it an overstatement. It only takes a casual glance at my screen during work hours or a short conversation with my wife to realise that my obsession is frighteningly compulsive.

But my love wavers the minute you look at the AFL as an institution, its politics, and the media cycle and player culture. All essential elements of ‘footy’ that I do not identify with and so actively disengage from.

This article goes a long way in helping me understand why I do that. It confirms some of my fears that. despite the AFL’s attempts to fix some of the problems it has had with gender, inclusivity and race, many of these efforts are little more than token PR exercises, rather than attempts to create a real change within the organisation. I guess the same can be said of many supposedly ‘woke’ organisations – or perhaps I’m just cynical. I should probably just stick to shouting at the TV when the Lions play instead.