Inside a community sports tribunal

Accountability in sports clubs. It’s an issue we’re focusing on more and more. Why? Because club committees and leaders are fed up with dealing with issues of poor sideline behaviour - week-in, week-out. Often, it’s abuse coming from the same person. 

Most clubs are ill equipped to deal with the complaints and the confrontation, or threat of confrontation, and well, it’s hardly what anyone signed up for as an unpaid volunteer at their kids club. 

While club’s are ultimately responsible for the behaviour of people at their club, sometimes the issues are just so far beyond what’s acceptable within their code of conduct. 

The issues and complaints go higher up and get heard by a sports tribunal. Sometimes, the police are involved.  

Well publicised league tribunals, like the AFL and NRL, have a certain theatre about them, with extensive video reviews from multiple angles. But I’m more curious about how it all plays out in the local leagues - the heartland of community sport.

Here to give us this insight is Sophie Arnold, a former journo for The Age, a veteran volunteer and Director at the Fitzroy Football Club and a tribunal member at the Yarra Junior Football League.

Resources:

• Fitzroy Junior Football Club
• Fitzroy Football Club (Seniors)
• Yarra Junior Football League

Chapters: 

0:00 Introduction
1:45 Legacy in clubland
3:56 The tribunal process
8:07 Common issues 
10:14 Trends
15:03 Bigger picture in sport 
17:00 Club advice
21:01 Finding the right balance
22:49 Looking ahead
25:44 Signing off
26:17 Credits

> Club Respect helps sports clubs build and maintain a deep culture of respect.

> Club Respect is a national harm-prevention initiative by the Dugdale Trust for Women & Girls, of which the Victorian Women’s Trust is Trustee.