Aussie legend slams “childish” Fava
3 Dec 2007
Sir Nicholas Shehadie has strongly condemned Scott Fava’s behaviour on a recent Force training camp.
The loose forward was fined A$11,000 (around R55 000) after an eyewitness saw him throw a quokka (a small marsupial) around five metres through the air at a training camp on Rottnest Island last month.
Fava on Friday admitted to having a binge drinking problem but former captain Shehadie called his behaviour “Mickey Mouse childish stuff” that was not worthy of a Wallabies player
“The solution is to be stricter and tougher, the hierarchy has to set an example,” Sir Nicholas told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“It used to be that if any younger players stepped out of line, the older guys would give them a nudge but it seems that one or two of the players are giving the other 90 per cent a bad name.
“Following this recent example a lot of ex-Wallaby players have contacted me, all of them concerned with what is going on. It appears they have too much time on their hands, they are made out to be gladiators and they are getting too much money.
“I think they should all have a job and there needs to be stricter control from the top, certainly more discipline.”
46 Comments
3 Dec 2007, 09:53 am
Send him home, oh damn he is home
3 Dec 2007, 10:10 am
All rugby players should be encouraged to work. It is good for the mind and becoming a normal person. Although the rugby season is too long and players are not going to be able to do this.
I think it is good for the players and the creativity of the game if the season was somehow 2 months shorter and they could get back to some sort of normal life and come back refreshed and strong mentally, instead of this squad system stuff that we have now where you never play your best team because they are waiting and resting in the wings for next week which never comes. There always seems to be a more important game than today, so we have excuses for losing and mismatches both in the super 14 but more worryingly in test matches.
3 Dec 2007, 10:28 am
Childish Fava slams Aussie quokka.
3 Dec 2007, 10:28 am
This is where academies come in.
To teach snotkop laaities life skills before they become ‘professional’.
I would even encourage unions to present/subsidize and insist that all their players obtain a degree or diploma at least in an unrelated market from sport such as marketing or something.
3 Dec 2007, 10:37 am
True PissAnt.
Thing is, we only read about them because they’re famous rugby players. The real problem here is binge drinking. And lots of people get up to no good when they’re out-of-control drunk – we just don’t hear about them.
The culture of drinking is what should be addressed. Surely it should be pointed out that an unhealthy practise such as binge drinking and earning your keep as a pro sportsman just don’t gel.
They don’t smoke, I assume. And so they shouldn’t overdo the booze either. Nothing against a few drinks with your mates. But this is something else.
3 Dec 2007, 10:50 am
#5 Katman
You sounds like one of Gordon Brown’s people. Bingedrinking the new topic in the UK which is basically just to divert attention from all the scandals in Labour
3 Dec 2007, 10:52 am
There is a culture of drinking in rugby Katman, I mean if you ever played club rugby you will know!
Nothing personal against it either, but you rightly mentioned the word ‘professional sportsmen’ in your post and this is the difference.
Unlike being an accountant or other pro in any other business drinking really does not affect your work (well if you dont drink on the job that is or come to work pissed) but it does affect athletes.
It is why I find Percy’s story so interesting where everyone says he is a true pro in every sense and looks after his body a hell of a lot.
Drinking or a big drinking culture and pro sports dont mix.
I still find it that in rugby people are having a hard time letting go of amateur things in rugby and culture and applying themselves professionally.
Again I think academies should play a huge role in preparing kids for the challenges pro-sport throws at you.
I personally also think it plays a huge part when we look at development of previously disadvantaged players where they come from a life with nothing, and suddenly they get a hell of a lot of money, fame, cars etc. and they lose the plot. We must prepare these okes mentally for the world of pro-sports as much as we prepare them physically because in my opinion, that would stop situations like what happened to Solly where he moered off the bus.
3 Dec 2007, 10:54 am
All the money the rugby clubs, unions and franchises pay the professional rugby player nowadays they should get more from them than 80 match minutes and a few training sessions a week.
They should all be expected to perform additional community tasks on a daily basis in between training times as well.
They will not have time to get pissed up if in between trainings they are expected to visit schools, junior clubs and kiddies hospital wards.
A lot of these players get serious rewards for just playing rugby. Rugby is supposed to unite communities and engender community pride. Getting pissed up and molesting small mammals is simply a symptom of a young man with too much money and time on his hands.
3 Dec 2007, 10:54 am
So , does one look at a ban on sponsorship frim the Liquor companies ? As F1 did with the Tabacco lot ? A lot of International sides sponsored by big booze and teams forced to be seen sipping their brew , no ?
3 Dec 2007, 11:02 am
pauld,
I’m gonna pretend I didn’t read that.
PissAnt,
As I said, I’m all for drinking socially, but binge drinking has a kind of Margate Matric holiday feel to it. I find it odd that these athletes have the most intricate gym programmes worked out for them, that they have fitness routines and diets and a bunch of other scientific support, that they don’t smoke and hopefully don’t get caught up in the drug culture, but they don’t think twice about getting fall down drunk on a regular basis. Not only is it unprofessional, but that amount of alcohol is seriously unhealthy.
3 Dec 2007, 11:05 am
Sir Nicholas Who???
Katman
I see I missed your almighty clash with the jagter brigade the other day… pity
3 Dec 2007, 11:13 am
Ja Bod. They tried to chase me out of town with torches and pitchforks.
Water off a cat’s back.
3 Dec 2007, 11:17 am
PissAnt/Katman
Dont you think profesionalism is the is the very root of all evil in binge drinking in the modern game.
Professional players have huge amounts of time on their hands nowadays, leading to boredom, excess boozing, gambling and the like. Coupled to the fact that with the available recovery time and the fact that full time training easily helps the body absorb the effects of excessive boozing, meaning that the professional game is very condusive to binge boozing
Pre-professionalism, players had to hold down a job plus play rugby. There just wasnt the time nor could you afford the after effects (i.e. baabelas) of too much dop in that era.
3 Dec 2007, 11:22 am
The old oom who defiantly announced that there was nothing wrong with blowing rabbits to bits because they were rodents??? took the cake…
3 Dec 2007, 11:26 am
#14
How about the guy who stuffed a handgrenade into a dead chicken , chucked it into the river and blew up a croc ? And then ate the tail. Steve Irwin would have said crickey !
3 Dec 2007, 11:53 am
Whatsgoingonhere.
3 Dec 2007, 11:53 am
BOD,
I dont think we can blame professionalism as such – but we can look at how professional clubs/unions/franchises in fact are.
Every company you work for has a code of conduct and most big companies send staff on courses and life skills programs.
I think rugby just in general has trouble adapting to true professionalism.
3 Dec 2007, 11:57 am
#17
I think rugby has a problem adapting to good administration. End of story. As long as the has-been octagenarians continue running the game we will always have issues.
3 Dec 2007, 12:03 pm
if your good enough to play proffesional rugby, why would you ruin your blessed life with booze? what a bloody clown
3 Dec 2007, 12:07 pm
Quottas on quokkas for the Force,
as surely it was the quokka’s fault,
bringing up the fact
that two Aussie were at the bottom
of the Super 14 table in 2007
and that they don’t stand a chance in hell
to do better in ’08!
3 Dec 2007, 12:10 pm
i dont think there’s anything wrong with a few beers, its inherent to the game and one of the great ways of socialising with the oppo afterwards.
Just cos an oke cannot handle his booze and/or decides to throw quokkas cos he let himself down, not sure there’s a need to go puritanical.
3 Dec 2007, 12:15 pm
Keo.Co is a very educational experience.
How many Posters knew what a quokka was a week ago.
That reminds me!
Q-Why do you wrap a quokka in duck tape?
A- So it won’t burst when you fook it.
3 Dec 2007, 12:17 pm
cane is your first name Scott?
3 Dec 2007, 12:18 pm
Yes, yes I know.
You are right.
Don’t bother ……I already regret it.
3 Dec 2007, 12:21 pm
cane,
I don’t think I want to know what duck tape is and what it is commonly used for.
Perhaps you meant duct tape?
3 Dec 2007, 12:26 pm
lol!
3 Dec 2007, 12:27 pm
Katman,
That’s it Katman………do you use it too?
Scar,
No such luck. Young Scottie probably makes more money attending a training session than I do in a month.
3 Dec 2007, 12:30 pm
Cane,
He also probably drinks more on a training camp than what we could put down together in a month !!
3 Dec 2007, 12:33 pm
Scar,
Lucky *******.
3 Dec 2007, 12:33 pm
a howdy all!!!
ja, as the rangerman, i am against all cruelty to animals. but dont get me wrong, i love a good steak.
i have also done many a stupid thing when drunk.
WHAT? BINGE DRINKING! …uh, yes your honour, a nasty habit, but but but… oh sh#t i know it will happen again sometime, but for the purpose of defending my career and future earnings judge, i proooomise it wont! howzat!
3 Dec 2007, 12:43 pm
I have also done many stupid things while drinking – like go home.
3 Dec 2007, 12:44 pm
well pa, my old man always said, “if you are not in bed by ten, go home!”
3 Dec 2007, 13:03 pm
#32
and never gone to bed with an ugly chick but woken up next to one or two
3 Dec 2007, 13:10 pm
aah, the breakfast run!lol!
reminds me of a time at varsity. lived in a digs with 9 guys and the banter flew thick and fast.
one morning a mate banged on my door frantically, yelling camera, wheres your camera!
i woke up and opened the door and he grabbed my camera as one of the botswanans living in the digs had brought home a whokle lotta woman the night before.
he had woken her at 6 in the morning to try and sneak her out before the rest of us could find out. thing was, he drove a 1964 land rover series 2a and the battery was dead. hanging BADLY, he tried to use the crank to get it going but woke the rest of the boys up and as he saw all of us coming he just sank to the ground in despair!
we had a good time getting him and his ladyfriend to pose for photos lol, the photos went on the wall of shamebut he got rid of them quick!
3 Dec 2007, 13:13 pm
#34 Quality
I think most of us have had those mornings. Hyena treatment and all.
3 Dec 2007, 14:09 pm
ag its always the Aussies who can’t behave. Lota Tequila , Sailor , Matt Henjak , Shane Warne i could go on forever lol
3 Dec 2007, 14:27 pm
36
When did mulder, cronje, dalton, gibbs become aussies…last time I checked they were still saffas getting away with their misdemeanours.
3 Dec 2007, 14:46 pm
Oh Dear Wallabie, Gibbs not even in the aforementioned league as the rest of them!!!!!
not to mention Warne and the Waugh brothers that were just as guilty re match fixing…..but whatever makes you feel better and bigger and stronger!!!!!!!!!
3 Dec 2007, 14:55 pm
Yeah, they are Wannabie. And they are held in equal discontempt.
There does seem to be a drinking problem in Aussie rugby though. Care to comment
3 Dec 2007, 15:18 pm
39
You know i was told “absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence”…I would like to apply this to some sa players.
James small is a good example, dalton….big boozers and I hear they have had problems with drugs.
ARU and sports bodies in aussie are making sure this comes to the fore in aus to ensure these problems are out in the open so that people are educated about the pull and pressure of being a professional sportsmen.
A lot of resorces are going to try help these players overcome these pressures…but how oes one tackle it when noone knows about it.
Punishment is likely to be lenient if a player owns up and deals with their problem.
but it is ‘three strikes and your out’ policy in AFL and rugby. league is introducing a policy that will have similar measures.
3 Dec 2007, 15:20 pm
38
This is going to be a circle of nothing so I am not going to respond but only to tell you I was respponding to someone else….keep up with the program.
3 Dec 2007, 15:36 pm
Rugby doesn’t have an alcohol problem.
Alcohol has a rugby problem.
3 Dec 2007, 18:52 pm
Quokka justice!!!!!
3 Dec 2007, 22:05 pm
I reckon they send old Fava to the Kruger National Park for a week, and let him see how many small animals he can swing around there.
I’ll put money on the fact that the first mongoose he lifts up will f#%k him up, never mind the ratels (honey badgers)!
And then maybe let him be swung around by a bloody great big elephant.
5 Dec 2007, 00:33 am
“ARU and sports bodies in aussie are making sure this comes to the fore in aus to ensure these problems are out in the open so that people are educated about the pull and pressure of being a professional sportsmen.”
Comment by wallabie. : December 3, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
Its because ur players are idiots to get caught all the time. I mean, no OZZie team can go to CPT without 1 or 2 being send home for disorderly conduct. Who was it that said Ozzie had the smartest rugga players? Load o’bull if you ask me!
5 Dec 2007, 08:27 am
With apie mulder getting bust for sexually abusing a young girl I think that the pot should stop calling the kettle black and saying that Aussies do not know how to behave
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