hardtack

Yep... and I am guessing that is why Roos keeps naming him in the side?

I don't think it needs to be heard by the player to constitute vilification, but it does have to be a public comment made with the intent of inciting others into hatred.

Yes DC, they were seated outside the room, but according to others on here, there were others including Gill Mc sitting close by.

And therein lies a large part of the issue. If (and none of us know the facts... not even mo64) the offending remark was made in a private conversation between two people that just happened to be overheard by one individual (no-one else seems to have come out over this despite there being others in the room, and I imagine in as close proximity). It is hardly a public act designed to incite people. As I said in an earlier post, sit Burns down in a room with Houli and the person who reported the comment. Perhaps both the reported and the reporter need to be educated (and why has no-one questioned the sobriety of the reporter in the way that they have questioned it in Burns' case?).

Yet they still talk up Richmond as having a bad game rather than the Dees killing their chances by suffocating their key players at both ends of the ground (Hogan v Rance and TMac v Crywoldt).

This is the problem I'm having with this whole thing... what did he actually do? He DID NOT king hit anyone, he DID NOT even punch anyone... all he did was PUSH someone (albeit vigorously), after politely fending him off initially with a gentle nudge and asking him to go away. It was not just a single offender involved, but 3 or 4 drunken guys who had hounded them over a distance of approximately 40 metres and were behaving in a fairly unpredictable and unnecessarily aggressive manner, all the time getting closer and more in his face. It begs the question, what might they have done if he hadn't responded in the way he did. I think he acted within his rights and showed restraint considering the situation.

Sorry, I didn't make myself very clear... what I meant was "Does it matter if it has or hasn't been confirmed"... because the damage has been done regardless.

Does it matter now? Mud sticks and regardless of whether anything was actually said, Burns will be a suspect and Houli will have been made the centre of a "vilification" story whether he likes it or not.

I think this Burns character should definitely be counseled and made to sit down with Houli to discuss the incident and hopefully get himself educated with regards to the inherent wrongfulness of such insensitive racial or religious stereotyping (and we should not be lenient in our views simply because he might be a Dees supporter). On the other hand, the dolt that brought this to the press' attention has managed to turn an idiotic and insensitive comment from what would appear to have been a private conversation between two people, into a full blown public vilification of Houli. Two wrongs will never make a right.

Well, we all know what is famously produced as a by product from poppies, so it's not entirely inappropriate.

Where did this "40 minutes" (that I have seen mentioned in a couple of responses now) come from? It was, in Clarko's words, 40 METRES. Unless he was walking extremely slowly, there is a big difference.

Robbo not listed under Essendon? Also, David Bridie (Not Drowning, Waving and My Friend the Chocolate Cake) is a devoted Dee's supporter - renowned for his verion of It's a Grand Old Flag and the wonderful tune, "Jimmy Stynes".

Welease Woderwick!!

Have you even seen the footage??? It was a strong shove with an open hand... NOT a punch.

Those Richmond supporters are all class... first they racially abuse Lin Jong the other week during the game against the Bulldogs, and now, at the official match function this weekend, abuse one of their own in Houli, calling him a terrorist... at least that's how it appears unless there was one of our supporters sitting outside the function area... in either case, I hope they are never allowed into a game again. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-are-investigating-claims-defender-bachar-houli-was-racially-vilified-by-being-labelled-a-terrorist-in-friday-nights-loss-to-melbourne/story-fni5f9jb-1227322265800

Nope... saw Clarko interviewed in the break on Foxtel and apparently it was in the lane that runs next to the hotel they were staying in. The guys (3 or 4 of them, all drunk) had been harassing him for approximately 40 metres and that footage just records the last small part of it. He was well within his rights to react the way he did.

Not enough supporters in attendance to do that.

I'm glad the Hawkd came back like they did... meant we keep 9th on the ladder.

Gee, Port seem to be a new team having lost Wines to injury... seems he must have been holding them back

I thought he was going to get a repetitive strain injury with all of the hand action he had going in that interview.

Watching the replay now on Foxtel. Hope we win again.

They are saying "high hamstring" injury - gone for a month I really feel for Drummond...kids first game and probably gone for the year.

Gees, even when he gets a free it's soft... unbelievable!

Everyone quick to jump on Watts when he puts it out of the full... let's hear the same for Brayshaw and Tyson?

No, what's predictable is that sort of comment.