Whither the individual

We note that Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown, in commenting on the Fevola sacking, extolls the unity and the purpose of the team above the needs of the individual. Brown was apparently one of Fevola’s closest friends at the Lions.

 

Lions Coach Michael Voss says, “You recruit on the premise that you think they can make you better. That's what we hoped to get. Clearly we didn't get that.”

 

What’s clear is that Brisbane took the decision to recruit Fevola looking only at the potential on-field benefit and utterly omitted consideration of the individual concerned.

 

We are not defending Fevola, but we firmly believe that Brisbane have a moral obligation to Fevola in a way that they don’t have to Albert Proud for instance.

 

Notwithstanding the circumstances of the Fevola deals which lost Brisbane an experienced and capable forward and a future elite midfielder, Brisbane appear to have all but ignored the personality baggage that clearly came with Fevola in single-minded pursuit of on-field success.

 

Proud, on the other hand, was recruited via pick 22 of the 2006 AFL Draft, delisted at the end of 2010 and rookied in the 2010 pre-season draft. He has known only Brisbane at the elite level. After four seasons, his delisting and subsequent selection as a rookie illustrated another chance being offered. Further indiscretions have resulted in his sacking.

 

Fevola, by contrast, was a known serial offender against AFL and community standards and was repudiated by his former club. Did Brisbane think that a good dose of Queensland sunshine would straighten him out? It’s disingenuous of Brown to say that the problems began in January of last year — mere months after Fevola arrived at the club. That was nothing more than a continuation of established behaviour and Brisbane must have known that.

 

It’s all very well for clubs to take a hard-headed professional approach, but these are human beings we’re discussing, not inanimate objects.