When Daniel
Connors was sacked by the Richmond Football Club yesterday, the
Australian Football League again displayed it's most brutal form of
professionalism. Connors is twenty-three and will likely nominate
for this season's National Draft. His chequered record makes it
unlikely he will be given another chance and after 28 games he will
be ejected to one of the AFL's myriad, bespoke scrapheaps – the
EFL, the NTFL or even country footy.
It's not the first time Connors has
made headlines for the wrong reasons, meaning his indiscretion
has cost him far more than Martin. Of all the PYTs at Punt Road,
Martin perhaps sparkles brightest, a straight-lines midfielder who
has caught the eye not only of spectators but also, apparently, West
Sydney's recruiting department. However, his penalty – a two match
suspension – reflects both a first offence and the investment
willingly paid into him by the Tigers and their fans.
Martin was suspended for a little under
10% of the season. The frequency with which AFL clubs impose
sanctions like these on the young men in their care is startling:
times are long gone where a wayward genius can be banished to the
twos until he learns to see the coach's point of view. In fact,
significant suspensions and, now, sackings are a penance required
almost exclusively of Australian sportsmen – can you imagine an NBA
team suspending a starter for seven games for an infraction like
this? Or a European football club suspending a premier talent for
three games?
