Look, if you needed evidence that change is afoot in Australian sport, you got it this week from Collingullie-Wagga Demons. A regional NSW football club showed what accountability actually looks like when a video surfaced showing an assistant coach making derogatory remarks about female players.
The footage captured the official saying "She could be a good player if she lost all her weight" and "She actually reads where the ball is, but she just can't f---ing move," before launching into a broader critique of women's bodies in society. He then said "They're our breeders, mate... you hardly saw any fat girls [growing up]."
The video was recorded during the Collingullie-Wagga Demons' win against Griffith on February 27 in the AFL Riverina League. When it circulated on social media, the club didn't dither. Club president Noel Penfold said "We were made aware yesterday and immediately approached the guy." Penfold emphasised that the individual is "no longer" associated with the club and that the AFL has been formally notified of the incident.
Here's the thing: you can't fault the response. Head coach Stephen Carroll wasn't one of the men in the video and would continue to lead the team, which matters for clarity. The club said "We've taken the right actions and offered support to the girls. We're very sad this has happened; it's not who we are as a club." That's not corporate speak; it's a club recognising it has a problem with one of its people and dealing with it head on.
AFL Riverina responded with a statement saying "The language and commentary contained within the video are not representative of AFL Riverina, AFL, or the values of our game." That's important too. The game's governing bodies are taking notice when this sort of behaviour surfaces, and that's a shift worth acknowledging.
But here's where it gets complicated. The fact this video exists at all, that someone in a position of authority over female athletes thought this was acceptable commentary, tells you something uncomfortable about attitudes that still lurk in community sport. The fallout has left the playing group shaken. These aren't just abstract conversations; they're real players who had to process being spoken about this way by someone they played for.
The women's game in Australian Rules football has grown enormously. Collingullie-Wagga Demons is a club with a rich history spanning over a century, nestled in the heart of the Riverina area. That history matters. The club has built something, and they've shown they're willing to protect it by acting fast when standards slip. Despite the off-field turmoil, the team is expected to show their resilience on the park; "They'll all play football tonight," Penfold confirmed.
The hard truth is that swift punishment alone doesn't fix the underlying problem. It's a necessary first step, not the solution. Regional football clubs everywhere face the same challenge: how do you build genuinely inclusive communities while there are still people who hold these views? You can't coach someone out of those attitudes overnight. But you can make it clear, as Collingullie-Wagga has, that they have no place in your organisation.
Fair dinkum, this incident shows both what's working in modern sport and what still needs work. The club deserves credit for acting decisively. But the women players deserve better than having to bounce back from this kind of disrespect in the first place.