The disgrace of a nation. Australias shame.

A dark time for sport in this country.  Not only about cricket.

 

Its been a rough week for our national obsession.

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Weve seen three men hailed as heroes brought to their knees by their own stupidity and arrogance.

Its shocking, really.

Steve Smith, Dave Warner and Cameron Bancroft flew back to their homeland to pay the price of a dumb decision, a morally bankrupt call, a low act.

We cant remember the last time we all felt so let down by our sporting heroes.

It certainly wasnt when Greg Bird then a star player for the National Rugby Leagues Cronulla Sharks was found guilty of smashing a glass into his girlfriends face.

It wasnt when Nick Stevens a former vice-captain of Carlton AFL club admitted to repeatedly beating his partner Laima McKenna, including threatening to kill her and kicking her while she lay cowering on the floor.

It wasnt that time the Sydneys Roosters Blake Ferguson was convicted of indecently assaulting a woman in a nightclub or when South Sydneys Kirisome Auvaa pleaded guilty to drunkenly assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

© AAP Image/Darren England Matt Lodge.And it wasnt when North Melbourne and Adelaide legend Wayne Carey broke a glass in his girlfriends face and was then convicted of kicking a responding policewoman in the mouth.

No, none of those incidents were a national disgrace.

As the new football season begins, the NRL boasts four players who have been charged with domestic violence.

And that number doesnt even include Matthew Lodge, the Brisbane Broncos player who is expected to be a star for the Queensland team this season despite an ongoing dispute over $1.6 million in damages he owes an American couple for beating and terrorising them and their nine-year-old son during a home invasion in 2015.

Lodge was walking on a Manhattan street when he began to harass Carolin Deykeyser, a young German woman. It was 4am when he followed her and repeatedly told her tonights the night youre going to die. Terrified, she began to madly press the doorbell of a random apartment.

 

The man who lived there Joseph Cartwright opened the door to save Deykeyser from this drunk, furious Australian footballer. Instead, Lodge barged into the apartments foyer and began to beat Cartwright, punching him repeatedly in the face. He then ran into the apartment, where Ruth Fowler, Cartwrights partner, and their nine-year-old son were hiding from the ruckus in the bathroom. Lodge began to smash up all the apartments furniture, while a terrified Cartwright was locked outside, waiting for help.

By the time the police came, Lodge was trying to punch his way through the bathroom door to the little boy and his mum.

Now, Matthew Lodge is back in Australia, and has been cleared by the NRL to be one of the Broncos poster boys this year.

We let back blokes back into the game who touched women and hit women. I wouldnt put him in that class with other blokes like that still playing, so lets just move on, coach of the Cronulla Sharks, Paul Gallen, told the media ahead of his teams opening game against Lodges Broncos.

Oh. Well, then.

None of this behaviour is a national disgrace, of course. None of it brings sport into disrepute, or points to a toxic culture, or sees big-name stars stood down for significant periods, losing their status and income. None of these incidents dominate the news cycle for days and days at a time.

No. If a sportsman really wants to feel the wrath of Australia, it seems, he needs to damage a cricket ball.

Not a woman.

 

It sort of made me rethink my views re the cricket saga.

Jay&Dee