By Mikayla van Loon
The Eastern Football Netball League (EFNL) has brought back its Silent Sunday rounds for the junior football competition before heading into finals.
In an aim to reduce negative comments, abuse and parent coaching from the sidelines, the EFNL are encouraging spectators to be respectful and mindful of players, umpires and coaches.
EFNL Junior Football Manager Paul Giannopoulos said while there is a list of dos and don’ts, the idea is more about making people aware of their actions and words.
“It’s more just an awareness campaign because if you look at the do’s and don’ts, it’s not anything you shouldn’t already be doing at the footy,” he said.
“It’s just unfortunate that some people cross the line occasionally and this is just a way of putting it into their front of mind when they do attend a game in the next couple of weeks, just to hopefully control their emotions more than anything.”
Throughout the Silent Sunday rounds on 16 and 23 July, spectators are asked that they do cheer, clap, support the players and enjoy the game but not to join in the huddles during breaks, abuse or attempt to correct an umpire’s call, nor abuse or correct players and to be respectful of all players.
Having introduced a similar concept in 2019, Giannopoulos said at the time there was some push back from a “small minority” but this time it has been embraced by all clubs.
“We ran this past the club’s the other week and our clubs are all great, they’re all on board, they’re supportive,” he said.
“They obviously want the best environment for the games as well. So we’re pretty lucky that our clubs, generally whenever we come up with any sort of initiatives or changes, they back us in.”
Croydon Junior Football Club president Brad Eley said he was incredibly supportive of the initiative.
“It means the kids will be able to just play football, not have to worry about whether parents are going to come over and get involved or the parents are going to be yelling things out. You just switch off and just have fun at the end of the day,” he said.
Eley said unfortunately in recent years, the culture of drinking at junior football games has become more of a regular thing but getting ahead of it now will reduce the frustration and anger that comes from it.
As a coach of the under 11s side, Eley said “the hardest thing is not actually coaching football, it’s keeping the parents at bay”.
“Everyone’s got something to say and to be able to take that pressure off the kids so they can just roll out there play football and not have to have someone judging you. The silent round is huge, it’s really good to see it.”
Hopeful some of these changes will eventually become standard practice throughout the season, Eley said it will help the players to just enjoy the game and be themselves on the field.
Giannopoulos said across the board and especially in the AFL the overall culture is improving.
“Hopefully, we can eventually change behaviour to the point where you don’t need to run these [silent rounds] on a regular basis.
“We’re not asking people to do anything too extraordinary. It’s just to go to the game and support and enjoy the game for what it is and don’t cross the line.”
That change has been seen over the last 20 to 30 years with racist remarks being outlawed from top level to community sport.
“You’d hope, in the future, when people step out of line and abuse an umpire or an opposition player, we have that same level of self policing to the point where if you do that sort of thing anymore you won’t be welcome at your own club or the game,” Giannopoulos said.
“It’s taken a while to change where we were probably 20 or 30 years ago with the racial abuse and vilification of players but now that sort of self regulates.”
Giannopoulos said it’s also important to remember that many of the umpires are “14 or 15 year old kids learning how to umpire the game”.
“You wouldn’t abuse a child in any other walk of life and just because they have a uniform on, it’s not okay to criticise or berate them about their performance during a game.”
This is just a small step and action to permanently achieve a better sporting culture that is supportive and respectful for all who choose to take part in the great game.
More information can be found at www.efnl.org.au/efnl-silent-sunday/
