http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/sacking-of-adelaide-recruiter-matt-rendell-wont-solve-racism-problem/story-e6frf9jf-1226301992755

Trigg conceded Rendell believed he was taken out of context while trying to explain to AFL community engagement manager Jason Mifsud the difficulty in recruiting indigenous players.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/adelaide-recruiter-matt-rendell-quits-over-racism-row/story-e6frf9jf-1226301482027

Adelaide chief executive Stephen Trigg said after talking to Rendell his position at the club was deemed "untenable''.

"Matthew disputes the interpretation in the context of what was said but he is aware that to continue in the role would be to attach those comments to the club,'' Trigg said.

"I believe the comments in a meeting with Jason (community engagement officer Jason Mifsud) were taken out of context. They were misunderstood. I have a strong track record of recruiting Aboriginal players. My comments were about where recruiting could finish up without proactive work. I was trying to help.

“However, knowing the implication of such reports, I’ve decided to stand down.

“To stay would attach those comments to the club, which is not the case either.”

His position at the club is deemed untenable , says it all really,no matter what he meant,it was what was actually said that was important.

Edited March 17, 201213 yr by DeeZee

His position at the club is deemed untenable , says it all really,no matter what he meant,it was what was actually said that was important.

Yet no one knows exactly what was said, because it's all 2nd hand from Mifsud...

Everyone of us have our strengths and weaknesses, but I'm not going to stop saying the truth of what I believe, because someone wants to twist things, to make it sound like I have something against their Race. If I have something against a particular Race. then I'll say it straight Out. I won''t beat about the bush.

and I have said things about a Race as a generalisation before.

But I don't believe for a second that Rendell has a thing against Our indigenous race.

I'm not trying to twist your words I just think that assuming a persons strengths and weaknesses based on the colour of their skin is absolutely ridiculous. You don't have to hate a race to say racist things, all you have to do is judge people based on their race rather than what they can actually show you. I don't know whether or not Rendell has something against Aboriginals but someone making recruitment judgements based on such a petty idea is the worst way he could do his job.

I'm not trying to twist your words I just think that assuming a persons strengths and weaknesses based on the colour of their skin is absolutely ridiculous. You don't have to hate a race to say racist things, all you have to do is judge people based on their race rather than what they can actually show you. I don't know whether or not Rendell has something against Aboriginals but someone making recruitment judgements based on such a petty idea is the worst way he could do his job.

But he didn't do that, and didn't propose to do that.

He was worried someone else in the game MIGHT.

I don't think any news sources actually know.

It's all second-hand from Mifsud.

It was reported that there was another AFL official with Mifsud when it was said.

Going on what Rendall said what he meant by the comment was really not how Mifsud took it and reported to Vlad who immediately rang Adelaide who immediately asked for Rendall to stand down. By Caro's article this morning there may have been an injustice here to Rendall but the implications were such that his position had become untenable. He had nowhere to go when he who will be obeyed asks for your dismissal.

But he didn't do that, and didn't propose to do that.

He was worried someone else in the game MIGHT.

Look, I don't know the guy,don't know if he has a racist bone in his body or not, fact is he said the Wrong thing,whether he meant it or not, and an AFL club,sacked him for it....they wouldn't have sacked if it was hearsay.

No club in their right mind would want to recruit Rendell now...rightly or wrongly...and u can bet your bottom dollar we won't.

Mathew Rendell may have been inopportune in his use of words and the context in which they may have been (ab)used by the media are appalling and in line with lowest effort by the media.And I cant see why his comments if true were released to the media anyway.

I believe he has been hung out to dry by the AFL in an effort to diffuse the media storm in a teacup. About 10% of the AFL listed players are indigenous.

I am not sure he would be an appropriate recruiting head at MFC under the circumstances

There seems to be a double standard to me whereby a player can issue blatantly racist remarks and be merely sanctioned and/or fined, whereas an official like Rendell has the heavies put on him to exit the business altogether.

http://www.news.com....r-1226302140100

Maybe it's my illness-riddled, wedding-planning head - but I don't see a quote of what he actually said there.

I don't see it that way at all.

I think he said that the way we are going, in the very near future WE (as a sport) wouldn't be recruiting players from a solely indigenous background, without some sort of white influence. Not that it is necessarily a correct view, but that it could be taken.

Not that he or the Adelaide Crows refused to recruit an indigenous player, but that a culture was being developed where some clubs could adopt that attitude in the future. That that was the way the game was heading, and it was a shame.

The way I see it, ironically, Rendell was actually concerned about statements being made, just like those he is being accused of having actually made.

Ask yourself, 'Why would he say that, a recruiter?

He's recruited Indig boys before... & overlay that with how the game has evolved over the last 4 years. > sports science, stats & long hours of gym work & study, with a propensity to play the game with Max' defensiveness, & NOT Overcommit when you have the ball....

It has nothing to do with a race but rather a perception that they're not cutout for the modern gamestyle. I can see this as true. Neither would be Tony Lockett. I think it's an Old timer hoping his comments would aid in discussion about where the game is heading,,,,, &, Where IT Should be Heading...

Maybe it's my illness-riddled, wedding-planning head - but I don't see a quote of what he actually said there.

I don't think we will ever get a direct quote from the meeting between Mifsud & Rendell. I just posted the article as its probably the next best thing. Cheers

Neither as it happens do I ( think he particularly does ) . Adelaide kneejerk a brilliant footy mind right out the door, own goal me thinks.

There is probably nothing that Matt wouldnt have thought or said that any half way decent and experienced recruiter and observer of the game wouldnt. He gets taken oiut of context and the PC idiots have a fiield day. Hewould probably have more footy knowledge on the end of his little finger than most supposed commentators would amass in a lifetime.

Hmmn, I wonder if Ross Lyon has been in touch in past days/weeks,,, or since Even?

Thanks Bonkers.

It seems very strange to me that he would be sacked for issuing a warning about where the league may be headed.

If true, his warning should very well be taken on board by all and sundry - especially from those within the AFL.

To simply get rid of him in a seeming show of "solidarity," because the AFL is very wary of attracting criticism, it seems to me they are taking the easy way out.

Perhaps he's made it up and claimed that he would no longer take full-blooded aboriginal players - which is even more bizarre than the alternative scenario.

His position at the club is deemed untenable , says it all really,no matter what he meant,it was what was actually said that was important.

Actually 'DeeZee', it sounds like it was said in conversation privately to Jason Mifsud an Crows community engagement officer. How then does a private conversation someone has about a concern Rendell has, about the viability of Indig' players, then become public, & thru the Media?

I don't think Rendell leaked it.

So, how did it get out of that room, & Why?

I'm not trying to twist your words I just think that assuming a persons strengths and weaknesses based on the colour of their skin is absolutely ridiculous. You don't have to hate a race to say racist things, all you have to do is judge people based on their race rather than what they can actually show you. I don't know whether or not Rendell has something against Aboriginals but someone making recruitment judgements based on such a petty idea is the worst way he could do his job.

Oh your Joking.

Your making judgements about what Rendell said in that room, & why he said whatever he said to Mifsud.

I don't see any racist remark at all but can Imagine a career based opinion on which groups go better at the game currently, & which ones don't. He's a recruiter. His job is to make intelligent decisions on whom to recruit to get best results. He was talking about which group suits the job best.

Some short people don't get recruited to NBL basketball. Not because of Bigotry. No doubt Giants don't get selected to Limbo Dancing either?

So this has nothing to do with racism & everything to do with a recruiters mindset to achieve.

Look, I don't know the guy,don't know if he has a racist bone in his body or not, fact is he said the Wrong thing,whether he meant it or not, and an AFL club,sacked him for it....they wouldn't have sacked if it was hearsay.

No club in their right mind would want to recruit Rendell now...rightly or wrongly...and u can bet your bottom dollar we won't.

No, he didn't say the Wrong thing at all. If your asked to give your honest opinion behind closed doors, about your thoughts based on ability for some to cope with a career position, & then give those thoughts on the matter, it's Not his fault they made the Light of the daily Press. Where they are taken Out of context altogether.

Someone else in that room, is the rumour monger in the paper Jungle. and the cause of much Anxst... Australia wide.

Andrew Mcleod talks a lot of sense here IMO.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/mcleod-shattered-by-fallout-from-remarks-made-by-crows-former-recruiting-manager-matthew-rendell/story-e6frf9jf-1226302515091?from=public_js

Pretty interesting reading, especially considering where it is published.

Here is my take on the issue, based only on agreed facts known so far.

I blame the AFL totally on this. While I don't know exactly what was said and what context it was said in, I do know that what was said, was said in a private meeting between Rendell and Mifsud ( an AFL ) employee, in January this year. If what was said was so bad, surely Mifsud would have firstly taken it up with Rendell during the meeting and allowed him to explain, apologize or whatever. This was not done. Next if what was said was so bad surely Mifsud would have advised the AFL the day it happened and action should have been taken that very day to investigate. That was not done. So either Mifsud sat on it or the AFL did. Why?

Why has the AFL not investigated the issue before going to the media? The AFL have admitted telling the media. The media were clearly not aware of the incident before the AFL told them. Why was this not investigated and kept in house. Is the AFL grandstanding? This has cost a decent bloke his job and possibly his reputation without any investigation of the incident. This is disgraceful. Note how the AFL said a club Recruiting Officer had made a racist remark, knowing who it was, but not naming him, thereby intensifying the blame game.

Drug using players get strikes. Why was Rendell not investigated and Counselled if necessary? Why was he not allowed to explain and publicly apologize if necessary?

Mifsud is a part aboriginal. If he was that upset at a remark, one would imagine a discussion flowing immediately or a report made to a superior that day. Why has this leaked 2 months later without either happening?

This stinks and the AFL is the cause IMO.

Here is my take on the issue, based only on agreed facts known so far.

I blame the AFL totally on this. While I don't know exactly what was said and what context it was said in, I do know that what was said, was said in a private meeting between Rendell and Mifsud ( an AFL ) employee, in January this year. If what was said was so bad, surely Mifsud would have firstly taken it up with Rendell during the meeting and allowed him to explain, apologize or whatever. This was not done. Next if what was said was so bad surely Mifsud would have advised the AFL the day it happened and action should have been taken that very day to investigate. That was not done. So either Mifsud sat on it or the AFL did. Why?

Why has the AFL not investigated the issue before going to the media? The AFL have admitted telling the media. The media were clearly not aware of the incident before the AFL told them. Why was this not investigated and kept in house. Is the AFL grandstanding? This has cost a decent bloke his job and possibly his reputation without any investigation of the incident. This is disgraceful. Note how the AFL said a club Recruiting Officer had made a racist remark, knowing who it was, but not naming him, thereby intensifying the blame game.

Drug using players get strikes. Why was Rendell not investigated and Counselled if necessary? Why was he not allowed to explain and publicly apologize if necessary?

Mifsud is a part aboriginal. If he was that upset at a remark, one would imagine a discussion flowing immediately or a report made to a superior that day. Why has this leaked 2 months later without either happening?

This stinks and the AFL is the cause IMO.

Because there is no "recruiting officers union" redleg.

The AFL would not have been able to get away with this if it was a player making the remark.

Edited March 19, 201213 yr by old dee

Here is my take on the issue, based only on agreed facts known so far.

I blame the AFL totally on this. While I don't know exactly what was said and what context it was said in, I do know that what was said, was said in a private meeting between Rendell and Mifsud ( an AFL ) employee, in January this year. If what was said was so bad, surely Mifsud would have firstly taken it up with Rendell during the meeting and allowed him to explain, apologize or whatever. This was not done. Next if what was said was so bad surely Mifsud would have advised the AFL the day it happened and action should have been taken that very day to investigate. That was not done. So either Mifsud sat on it or the AFL did. Why?

Why has the AFL not investigated the issue before going to the media? The AFL have admitted telling the media. The media were clearly not aware of the incident before the AFL told them. Why was this not investigated and kept in house. Is the AFL grandstanding? This has cost a decent bloke his job and possibly his reputation without any investigation of the incident. This is disgraceful. Note how the AFL said a club Recruiting Officer had made a racist remark, knowing who it was, but not naming him, thereby intensifying the blame game.

Drug using players get strikes. Why was Rendell not investigated and Counselled if necessary? Why was he not allowed to explain and publicly apologize if necessary?

Mifsud is a part aboriginal. If he was that upset at a remark, one would imagine a discussion flowing immediately or a report made to a superior that day. Why has this leaked 2 months later without either happening?

This stinks and the AFL is the cause IMO.

Well layed out Redleg IMO.. seeing it as such layed out in print it feels to me like the AFL deliberately, If what you say is true about them releasing it themselves and after a few days, seemingly they discussed this themselves prior to a Media release, But why???

I wonder If they wanted this can of Worms to appear, to start a discussion happening in the wider footy world, about the Why's & Wherefores...

Mifsud was not the only AFL official in the room when it was said, there were 2 others.

Mifsud was not the only AFL official in the room when it was said, there were 2 others.

Then why didn't anyone of the three take it up with Rendell? Why didn't the AFL deal with it immediately if 3 guys heard a racist remark from a club official? Why did they leak it and leave the person un named? They knew the name, one of their officials had to have told them.

Well layed out Redleg IMO.. seeing it as such layed out in print it feels to me like the AFL deliberately, If what you say is true about them releasing it themselves and after a few days, seemingly they discussed this themselves prior to a Media release, But why???

I wonder If they wanted this can of Worms to appear, to start a discussion happening in the wider footy world, about the Why's & Wherefores...

They wanted it out there because Roos touched on the subject and he is not a club official anymore. Anderson on Eddy show last night. Papers full of the subject. Calls for an indigenous Commissioner.

Edited March 19, 201213 yr by Redleg

Then why didn't anyone of the three take it up with Rendell? Why didn't the AFL deal with it immediately if 3 guys heard a racist remark from a club official? Why did they leak it and leave the person un named? They knew the name, one of their officials had to have told them.

They wanted it out there because Roos touched on the subject and he is not a club official anymore. Anderson on Eddy show last night. Papers full of the subject. Calls for an indigenous Commissioner.

Nailed it perfectly Redleg. AFL could have dealt with this behind closed doors.