Thread by @DeadSexyWaiter

My latest article, an #OPINION piece, for the @InsideFeedHQ sport website: Jordan De Goey should NOT play for Collingwood vs Geelong tomorrow. Nor should he have played since the alleged sexual assault charges were laid against him. #auspol #AFL #THREAD

insidefeed.com.au/post/opinion-d…

In fact, due to the alleged sexual assault charges against him, the club should allow him time to fight them. #AFL #auspol

I will make this clear from the outset: This is not an anti-Jordan De Goey take. Deep down, I’m sure he is a nice, upstanding young man. Nor is it an anti-Collingwood take – as much as I want my Geelong Cats to beat them tomorrow night. #AFL #auspol

If anything, my take is in support of women in the community first, De Goey’s right to fair justice second, and just ahead of the @AFL’s need to adopt the @NRL’s stand-down policy for any players accused to serious criminal allegations. #AFL #auspol

“Listen to women”, “respect women”… those are the messages being sent, in the comments from #AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan, in the wake of the Sydney Swans case in voluntarily standing down Elijah Taylor. #auspol

And as sexual assault offenses have nothing to do with the color of one’s guernsey, the “listen to women” and “respect women” messages are the right ones to send. #AFL #auspol

Sure, De Goey playing since the charges were handed down sends the wrong message – particularly to younger #AFL fans – about how the seriousness of his charges, and the nature of them, may be viewed. Instead, stand-down policies in sport have a purpose. #auspol

And that purpose is twofold – one, so the accused has a chance to focus on the charges against them to clear their name, and two, to protect the brand of the sporting league in question, in the way of its image, interests and welfare. Are these the #AFL’s values, too? #auspol

As much as the rule of law and justice states that accused persons are innocent until proven guilty, De Goey deserves the time to focus on his legal fight, and – as long as the AFL has yet to invoke a stand-down policy – Collingwood should give it to him. #AFL #auspol

Moreover, plenty of reasons exist for Collingwood to stand him down, and for De Goey not to be playing, with respect for women ranking highly among them. #AFL #auspol

Those are just some of the talking points – enjoy reading, discuss, and discuss *fairly*, and feel free to RT and share this story from the @InsideFeedHQ sport website far and wide. #AFL #auspol

@threadreaderapp, unroll please.