Coach keeps her distance
Northern Mystics coach Helene Wilson has distanced the team from star player Maria Folau’s husband’s view on gay people going to hell.
Last month Wallabies star Israel Folau wrote on Instagram that God’s plan for homosexuals was ‘‘HELL... unless they repent of their sins’’.
Maria Folau hasn’t publicly spoken in support of her husband’s views, but on Instagram wrote: ‘‘Stand with God no matter what ... Don’t be afraid to stand up for the truth, even if that means you will be standing alone’’.
But Wilson said yesterday Israel’s view of gay people wasn’t one she or the team agreed with.
‘‘Israel’s personal beliefs, are his personal beliefs. I know that at the Mystics we celebrate diversity with the people we employ to be in our team,’’ Wilson said yesterday.
‘‘I don’t think any person would like me to discriminate against people for anything, when they’re employed to play netball.
‘‘I hope that the public can see Northern Mystics coach Helene Wilson on Maria Folau that the Mystics are an organisation that have diversity in the people they have in their team.’’
Maria Folau will only play for the Mystics for part of the upcoming season; the rest of the time she’ll be with her husband in Sydney.
It’s unknown whether there will be a backlash against her when she does play in New Zealand.
‘‘Maria’s personal beliefs are not the beliefs of our organisation,’’ Wilson said.
‘‘We know that Maria is very respectful to all sorts of people she comes across and I don’t see her personal beliefs should reflect on our organisation at all.’’
As for the Mystics’ other experienced shooter, Bailey Mes, Wilson was confident that she would be able to bounce back from a disappointing Commonwealth Games campaign.
‘‘For Bailey, it’s about what strengths she brought to our club last year and building on those.
‘‘Going back to what she knows she’s good at and she’s got all of her team-mates here who know her well, so I’m pretty confident that she’ll be on court and raring to go when she starts in our first game.’’