Junior players and parents need to be aware of cyberbullying abuse, says AFL Goulburn Murray Independent Tribunal chairman
AFL Goulburn Murray Independent Tribunal chairman Don Kilgour has issued a stern warning to footballers, particularly junior footballers, to be careful not to embrace cyberbullying or pay the consequences.
And he warned, the consequences of any player involved in the practice would be harshly dealt with by his tribunal.
The long-serving football stalwart said he had in his possession material of cyber bullying among juniors in the Goulburn Murray area which he described as “threatening and disgusting”.
“It’s appalling really what has been happening and if it ever gets to the tribunal we will come down heavily on the culprits. We will be showing them no mercy I can assure you,” Kilgour said.
“Because of the system, we have all the evidence in front of us, so we’ll know if anyone is lying or not. They won’t be able to deny it if they are guilty.”
Kilgour said the tribunal had dealt with a cyberbullying case in the past which involved several players from a junior team who had been before the tribunal accused of cyberbullying.
“They protested their innocence, but we had all the evidence of what they were doing and, when we gave them time to think about it, they changed their plea to guilty,’’ Kilgour said.
“In one case, one junior player was so scared with what he had been threatened with he threw up when he got on the ground to play.
“Players have been sending threatening and disgusting messages to rival players.
“I’m saying now, before it gets any worse, that if any player comes before our tribunal for cyberbullying we will come down on them like a ton of bricks.
“I can assure them they will be shown no mercy by the tribunal.”
Kilgour also stressed, in the case of junior players, their parents and coaches should be advising them what could happen to deter them from even thinking about it (cyberbullying).
“We mean business and we are giving a warning now, we just won’t tolerate it,” Kilgour said.