Re: "intention"
There is a difference between intending an act and intending its outcome. Sometimes, especially when it comes to the AFL Laws, if you intend an act and the outcome is to be expected or foreseeable, you are considered to have intended the result irrespective of whether you actually even thought about it. In the case of Dane and the pole-shaking, I think it's grey and vague what the law means. As it happens, I don't think Dane did in fact intend to shake the post at all. Like stevo, I definitely think he was trying to position himself to spring and touch the ball before it went through if he could. Clearly he didn't know the rule (nor did I) and his action was, anyway, a big brainfart driven, as he said, by his passion for the game. I think it was a common sense outcome although I have some sympathy for outraged Bombers fans.
RE: "talking like a little girl"
This is a much more complicated and interesting issue. I think the reason Rampe got a fine was largely a sop to the Bombers who were outraged about losing a close match and the 'missed' free kick for the pole climbing. That said it IS regrettable that Rampe compared the umpire to a 'girl' perjoratively. While, on the one hand, I think it's great that the AFL has intervened and said this is not ok, I don't like that they have made an individual player a scapegoat - although perhaps this was inevitable. Also, the penalty was entirely disproportionate to the 'crime'. Until this season I doubt you would have got in trouble for making this comment at all. That you can now, is positive progress. That Dane said it doesn't so much make me think less of him than of the culture that we are living in. I doubt he's considered the effect of using the word 'girl' in this way at all before and, to his credit, I think he has now and he has apologised.
My final comment on this topic is taken from a friend. He pointed out to me that an important element has been entirely overlooked in the debate about the 'talk like a girl' comment: not only does using 'girl' perjoratively or as a term of abuse demean women, it also makes it less ok for men to express their more feminine sides. My friend had school time experiences of being called a 'girl' and it has inhibited him from feeling free to engage in behaviours that are less than 'manly'. I think this is an excellent point and I haven't seen it made elsewhere.
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