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Alex Docherty

Assessing The Susan Alberti Incident


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Firday night was a wonderful night to be a Bulldogs' supporter. The AFLW side recorded a historic victory of nearly 9,000 people in the AFLW's first-ever 'Pride' game, promoting the inclusion of the LGBTI community.

We should be celebrating the Western Bulldogs' big 73-point win over the Carlton, we should be talking about Brooke Lochland's stunning seven-goal performance and we should be talking about the Western Bulldogs' legitimacy towards the 2018 AFLW premiership. Instead, it's not the big story to come out of this game.

It was revealed after the game that Susan Alberti, who was once the vice-president of the Western Bulldogs, was denied entry via the main entrance by security on Friday night as people walked into the venue.

Now for those who may not know Susan Alberti, she has been a huge name in football for quite a while. She's a very successful businesswoman and a very successful philanthropist. She was one of many that helped save the club from merging, she became a board member of the Bulldogs in the early 2000's and became vice-president of the club in 2012, was awarded life membership at the club in 2015 and served as the vice-president until their premiership success in 2016. She is also a huge advocate of women's football, many will go as far as to say that she was one of the few people that pressed to have a women's league in the AFL and a key reason as to why the AFLW was established. Before the women's league was created, the Western Bulldogs had an award named after her for the lady that was judged the best player in the exhibition games during the 2015 and 2016 years – both were won by Katie Brennan and Jaimee Lambert respectively.

Outside of football, Alberti is also highly regarded. Last year she was named Melburnian of the year along with an award for leadership at the Austrailian Institute of Sport Awards. She's a recipient of Research Australia's Great Australian Philanthropy Award in 2013, a recipient of the Humanitarian Award for contributing to the health and wellbeing of this nation's youth and was National President of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Australia as well as joining the board of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.

But most importantly, she's a wonderful lady who is generally loved and respected by the general public.

So why is it that she got denied at the main entrance by security? A woman so respected and loved by the western suburbs that has become such a revered name in the suburb of Footscray?

It has been said that the security refused to let her in the main entrance because she simply wasn't on their list, and forced her to enter through with the general public – Whitten Oval has a small gate a little further down the entrance driveway, just before you get to Barkly Street. It has reportedly been the second time that Alberti was denied at the main entrance at the Whitten Oval, the first time happening when the Bulldogs met Fremantle at the first game of the year.

“I'm sad, extremely disappointed, but most of all humiliated... I can't believe it's happened at my home of 66 years.” Quoted Alberti on the Herald Sun.

This is at the fault of Peter Gordon and the club. If Alberti wasn't on their list for the main entrance, then it should be amended before the Western Bulldogs' next home game, that being in round seven as the Daughters of the West play Melbourne. She has done so much for the club and so much for women's football. It's a bit of a shame that it has been played out the way it's been played out, but I do not blame the security for doing their job correctly.

It should also be pointed out that it was reported yesterday on 1116 SEN that Easton Wood, the captain of the Western Bulldogs' men's team, was denied entry into the main gate as well, but that didn't blow out of proportion in the same manner as Alberti's situation. Even still, I believe it's a bit of a bad look on the football club, and provides further evidence that the club has to change their policies when it comes to who can and can't enter via the main entrance.

This entire debacle is on the hands of the president of this football club. He did respond promptly to the Herald Sun article and it's been reported that the pair will catch up in a meeting and discuss about this situation. He also mentions that he regrets that Alberti had 'ventilated one part of the story in the media.' Whether or not he means that was made up, or that he didn't want a certain part of that story to be out in public, that remains to be seen.

The Herald Sun might've produced something that could be a 'Storm in a teacup' article – I believe that there's nothing much in this incident anyway – to have both Alberti and Gordon lock horns and reignite what is a long-running feud is not what the club needs as the Western Bulldogs women's team is flying at the moment and the men are working as hard as ever to bounce back from what was a very mediocre 2017 campaign, and so far, they are heading in the right direction.

Does Peter Gordon have to explain why Alberti was denied the entrance? Absolutely he does, and I hope he gives a full explanation to her when they sit down for that meeting. Whether or not he changes the ruling so Alberti can enter through the main entrance, that's the prerogative of the president, but I hope that this matter can be resolved. Alberti has done so much for this club, so I can't see why the club can't allow her in the main entrance. Assuming that this 'list' that the security guards have at the door is for all the AFLW players, coaches and staff – it sounds fair enough, but they've forgotten one thing. Alberti was one of a few key figures that got the ball that is AFLW rolling. But will this matter divide the club like what some of the media outlets are saying? Highly unlikely. That claim sounds like it is blown out of proportion and just a poor attempt to make something out of nothing.

Having watched the women's team play in the first four rounds, it's quite obvious that they absolutely love playing with one another, they enjoy getting round each other when they kick goal and most importantly, they work really well together and that's why they are sitting on top of the AFLW ladder after round four.

For the men's team, I doubt that this will effect them either. Particularly after the disappointments of last season. Forget about all the rumours of club-infighting from last season and all of that nonsense surrounding Jake Stringer – it's pure rubbish and it has been dealt with. The men's team are as hungry as ever and I don't think this small issue is going to slow them down this year, if their intra-club match was anything to go by. Quite a few players impressed on the Saturday.

This whole issue has been blown up by the media a lot more than it has to be, but Peter Gordon – who is a man I have a great deal of respect for – has got it wrong here and perhaps a simple apology wouldn't go astray at this point in time.

Because as small of an issue as this is, the Western Bulldogs Football Club do not need this sort of thing happening this early on in the new year.

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