Melinda, footballers do seem to come from another planet. I wonder if it is the 'God' like status society affords them that allows this presumption above the law. Or is it one too many kicks in the head on the field?

The so-called decency test on first glance almost appears Monty Python like (even worse than the citizenship test) or a bad joke gone wrong until you read that it is actually for real. Like telling a toddler that if you put your hand in the fire it will hurt. While we worship sport and its heroes in this country I wonder if much will change.

“The AFL wants to help the lads recognise that taking advantage of a woman who’s had too much to drink, doesn’t rank as the noblest decision they could ever made.”

I’ve never been a footballer, nor have I ever molested women, but I imagine that the ‘respect’ this author demands from footballers might be a little harder to summon up in the case of a drunken female who obviously has no self-respect. Where alcohol is involved in the quantities young people now drink, all of the rules go out the door. Words like ‘consent’ and ‘respect’ are meaningless.

We are talking about a mind-altering drug here, albeit a legal one.

“As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8, women’s advocates are forced to face the brutal reality that we haven’t come a long way at all. We may even have gone backwards.”

Yes, you have gone backwards. You’ve gone past the equality stage to become, in many case, even grosser than the type of men you are rightly concerned about. Drunkenness (as mentioned), foul mouths and sexual aggression being the most obvious.

“Is it no longer considered basic human decency, let alone a mark of minimum sexual standards, that you don’t take advantage of someone who is drunk?”

For decent people, yes. But if Melinda Tankard Reist knew as much as she thinks she does, she would know that footballers are not footballers because they are decent or very smart. And, how about this drunk “someone” taking a look at herself, having some self-respect, and not putting herself in the position in the first place.? It’ s like saying that women should be able to walk anywhere at anytime, dressed anyhow, and not be raped. Yes, they should be able to, but knowing they often cannot, they need to use commonsense and not do these things. What you ‘should’ be able to do is no protection.

If sexual harassment has become the norm, as the author suggests, she should try to be helping her own gender, not just rubbishing males.

Oh my goodness Mr Right, as stupid as drunkeness might be for either gender it is certainly not an invitation to rape. Do you understand that this scenario of the drunk female is one that has been created by the AFL for this dvd? While women do get drunk, presenting men's sexual violence in a context of "drunk" women "asking for it" is sexist and grossly misleading. The problem is the predatorial attitude that these men have grown up with, combined with their drunkeness, enourmous egos and the physical strength to overpower a woman if tricking her into sex hasn't worked. they seem to think that if a woman cannot articulate the word "no" then it defaults to a yes. Nobody deserves to be raped, not even when they are drunk. Men do not have a right to sex on demand.

I can't believe that in this day and age, this needs to be stated. No wonder we have problems.

Dave here Firstly if for any reason a man has sex with a woman in an intoxicated state & that woman would not have done that act sober then that becomes statutory rape. the problem is not the rape as the cause it is the woman that places so little repect upon herself to place herself in the position for this to happen the same as a man that says that he was drunk when that other woman got him into bed while he is married it is the mans fault for placing himself in that position. If women want respect then they must resort back to a behaviour that warrants respect. I remember women fighting for equal rights fair enough but it has gone to the point of male domination further women have a Minister for women do men have a Minister for men.It is the age old situation behind every great man there is a woman but the fall of every great king has been for a woman this kind of says it all doesn't it we are to work together not total domination by either
May your Lord shine on you all well
God Bless Dave

perhaps i should blame my parents, for an idea that putting oneself in danger was not merely foolish. it was also antisocial because someone might have to get you out of danger at some risk to themselves.

i don't think a woman has a right to attend a party centered around football players, drink herself into oblivion, and then complain of rape. if she got drunk and climbed into the lion cage at the zoo, she wouldn't get much sympathy for a mauling, surely?

football players aren't lions? the ones who also drink themselves into some mixture of lust, arrogance, and unconcern for anyone's regard outside the change room should be regarded as lions. well, hyenas.

yes, this is rape, and there should be sanctions. whatever the judge thinks is right for the bloke(s), and 3 months in a brat camp for the sheila.

Women such as former Australian hockey players who sell their bodies to smutty magazines for cash do very little towards enhancing how men view women. I have no doubt that many men do need to change their attitudes towards women but many women should not continue to be as naive to believe that their actions don't contribute to these attitudes.