What does culture mean to Sydney Swans?
Last week was a rollercoaster for Swans fans as we grappled with allegations of sexual assault against leading players, as well as swirling rumours on social and legacy media. For women who've experienced sexual violence, the situation was far more triggering and upsetting.
I'm grateful that the Swans came down hard on the players and stood them down for the season. It helps the conversation I'm having with my 13yo daughter, with whom I've been going to Swans games since she was 3 months old.
To non-footy fans, Swans have spoken about their 'bloods culture' since Paul Roos took over in 2004, placing integrity and personal accountability above a 'win at all costs' attitude. It wasn't perfect (Barry Hall!) but it called on the team as a collective to commit to a higher standard of values. It made me walk taller with a greater pride in my home city of Sydney. You had to respect it.
Swans don't have that culture anymore.
Culture doesn’t stand still, so is it realistic to expect them to embody the same thing as years pass? It must evolve so that each new generation owns, protects, and reflects it. How does it replenish and strengthen in a new group and a changing society? Is it a balance of elder influence and younger energy that nurtures but safeguards the qualities that give it its value?
Culture can't be PR driven. It isn't built on players visiting hospitals, taking photos, or attending footy camps.
Without values, culture is meaningless.
It raises a question for me: how do we, in general, preserve the best parts of our culture and let the worst parts fall away?
I'm inspired by Freo's captain Alex Pearce, who has spoken out on political issues and I was so impressed that Errol Gulden walked the bridge with hundreds of thousands last year protesting the genocide. Why shouldn’t athletes care as much as us??
Players get smashed when they express political opinions, especially in this hysterical age of social media. Yet they have the potential to cut through in ways that most of us can't dream of. Usman Khawaja did it and incurred the wrath of a one hundred thousand blokes holding fish in their avatars. Standing your ground against such vicious pressure from News Corp and mainstream media is an act of the strongest willpower.
In recent years I've felt the human spirit of the Swans has taken a back seat to its corporate interests. It's a personal view but watching the Qatar air luggage race at each SCG game leaves me flat. The game is corporate - no escaping that - and judging the club on this may be unfair, but us fans pay our memberships because of a sense of deep connection with the club. It's a big spectacular communal activity that brings together thousands of people.
Culture is made from the stories we tell each other, the standards of behaviour we mutually expect, and the way we respond when someone breaks that bond. It is in our imperfect human nature to fuck up from time to time, and handle situations badly. It is also in our collective interest to seek ways to repair those violations and wrongdoings. Things can't back to normal until we rebuild trust and we need to look for ways to support this process. If we're unwilling to do so, there's gotta be a cost.
By banning the players, the board has likely ended our chances in a season where we should've gone to the Big Dance. They've shown more integrity here than we see from politicians or the corporate sector. There should be consequences for abusing women. Without the 'cost' I mentioned above, humans will always test the boundaries.
Our society doesn't treat violence against women with anywhere near the urgency it deserves. We have a broken media culture that screams bloody murder about protestors on the streets but pays lip service to domestic violence - an epidemic raging through the quiet streets of our communities. Nothing changes. We deserve a culture that understands how high the stakes are for all of us if we don't take DV seriously.
In many ways, what's happening with the Swans is a mirror to all of us, and an opportunity to reinforce what we value in our culture.