This issue swept through out little town like wildfire!
The idea of a 14-year-old playing footy against 40-year-olds had people ranting for months, even though the issue had never been raised before in all the years our small-town league had been enlisting teenagers.
It became very personal because parents and teenagers took it very personally, other parents became rabid, and footballers were just plain nervous.
Looking back, I now think I'd have to go with the 'they're just too young' line, because I wouldn't like to see my little boy fronting up to some of these guys out on the field.
But you make your own decision...
My friends and The Newspaper's regular readers are perfectly aware that I normally have an opinion on everything - but when it comes to telling people how to raise their children I have trouble finding a clearly black or white place to stand.
Ask me about whether children should eat Whiz Fizz for breakfast or how to handle a mid-shop temper tantrum and I’ll give you a clear, and probably quite loud, opinion. But when it comes to kids and sports - the line seems to become a little more blurred.
The talk of the town, right now, revolves around a tiny handful of young teenagers who have stepped up to play football in ‘the big league’ - as ODFC president Peter Lindner so cleverly phrased it.
I’ve talked to parents, players, community members and I have to say - I don’t have a hard and fast opinion on this one. All of the parents I’ve spoken to - the ones who support young teenagers joining local league games and the ones who are horrified - all have very legitimate opinions.
Would you risk your children getting hurt in a game of football? We’d all say - "of course not!" And I believe local parents opposing the move are sincere in their concerns.
But don’t we risk sporting injuries for ourselves and our children every day? Aren’t their 40-year-old men being carted off the field on a Saturday and junior footballers playing kids twice their own size in their own, appropriate grade? You can get hurt playing cricket or netball too. And where do we draw the line - size, age, weight or ability? Who decides who can play and who can’t?
In a town of this size, with all the restrictions that shift work and a fluid population places on our sporting groups - this certainly isn’t the first time a junior this young has joined the senior ranks. I remember cheering on my teenaged class mates, myself, when I was in high school here.
Did local parents and football clubs act responsibly when they let young Adam ‘Boof’ Warren step out on the field at Coober Pedy this month? I believe so. Players and clubs were well informed, 13-year-old ‘Boof’ and his equally-young Coober Pedy counterpart were both keen, and parents were ready on the sideline to step in. But then - if ‘Boof’ had been hurt - what way would public opinion be swaying right now?
The fact is, the AFL - and at least some of our local clubs - are not opposed to juniors playing senior football if they have parental approval and, in this case and subsequent cases, all players were duly informed.
One of the most practical precautions I’ve heard so far is requiring junior players - especially ones so young - to wear an armband, identifying them to their fellow players?
But, in the midst of this whole football furore - the one thing I am very clear on is that I believe, it is imperative that all players are aware of their young opponent. I liken this to playing a pregnant opponent in netball or volleyball - everyone must be aware of the possible consequences of playing.
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