Football officials get on front foot over bullying claims
CRITICISED in the past for dragging its heels over player welfare issues, Football Australia (FA) has got straight on the front foot this time.
Notified by News Corp following Lisa De Vanna’s bombshell allegations about how she was harassed and bullied during her playing days, FA revealed it has already contacted the Matildas legend, although not about her specific complaints, while also speaking to government investigators.
“While it is not appropriate to discuss individual cases, we can confirm that we have met with Lisa De Vanna and heard her grievances,” an FA spokesperson said.
“Football Australia have already engaged with Sports Integrity Australia to develop a process for independently investigating historical issues, specifically for former players and staff, such as Lisa. We will announce the details once the framework has been finalised.”
FA’s pledge to act quickly will come as welcome news to critics who have long argued that sporting bodies too often sweep integrity issues under the carpet.
FA, under the guidance of new CEO James Johnson, has vowed to change all that.
It’s been less than two years since FA conducted a review into how the sport is run in Australia after the sudden dismissal of former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic but a fresh investigation hasn’t been ruled out.
One of the findings from that 2019 review – conducted by Diane Smith-Gander, Rod McGeoch and Liz Ellis – was the lack of trust that players had in administrators but FA said key reforms were already being made and more were forthcoming.
“We intend to go beyond those recommendations as we set about addressing the cultural issues of the past and putting Australian football – both women’s and men’s – on a path to continual improvement and sustainable success, on and off the field,” FA said.
However, critics of the 2019 review say it was not fully independent after it emerged that Stajcic was not spoken to during the investigation.