Sexting habits a worry

ANNA was shocked.

Just minutes after connecting with an AFL player on Instagram, he’d asked for her phone number and immediately placed a video call to her while naked and touching himself.

“To think his actions are acceptable, to straight away Facetime someone and be naked on the other end is not normal,” she said.

“I know friends who have also come forward and said he (this player) had added them on an app and, within 10 minutes, had asked to see their feet.

“No conversation beforehand, just straight into it. It’s very bizarre behaviour.”

This is not an AFL problem, it’s societal.

Many women encounter this type of lewd behaviour on social media and dating apps regularly.

The level of brashness of this particular footballer, however, stood out to Anna* as beyond the pale in her experiences.

“It’s pretty common behaviour but usually there is more conversation to the point to get to that,” she said.

“He just has no idea about people’s boundaries, or even knowing what is acceptable and what isn’t.

“And I think it’s more of a mental issue than anything else.

“I don’t think he even knows what he’s doing.”

Anna said the player was completely self-absorbed in his actions.

“Looking over all of it now, all you realise is that all he wanted was these things for himself,” she said. “Nothing was ever about another person or creating pleasure for someone else.

“In some very crude messages he sent to some of my friends, every message about what he would do to them was all for himself.

“It was never about the other person.”

Hawthorn forward Jonathon Patton was stood down by the Hawks this week as they investigated claims he shared lewd images with women.

It came as a growing number of women detailed what they said was inappropriate behaviour by Patton, and called for a cultural overhaul among AFL players.

The Hawk has been suspended from all club commitments until a probe into his alleged behaviour is completed.

He has vehemently denied the allegations against him.

Early last week he was admitted to hospital, where he was receiving treatment for mental health issues.

The AFL Integrity Unit is also investigating the claims, and has interviewed numerous women who have come forward.

Anna said she believed there was a level of entitlement among some AFL players.

“I’ve met AFL players out and, the younger they are seemingly the worse they are,” she said. “It’s not normal behaviour and they definitely do have a sense of entitlement, but I definitely think it depends on the player.

“I know a lot of AFL players that are not like this, so it’s not a blanket situation.”

* not her real name