Nick D'Arcy - booted again

[mrslong]

I think he should be stood down for a couple of years...

The guy has 3 plates in his head and hardly any teeth left ffs. You can't just get away with that crap.

 

[Flutterby]

My 2 cents - I fully support Swimming Australia's decision. As Coxy said, the guy should actually be sitting in a jail cell right now. The fact he missed the Olympics is the only reason that he isn't (the judge made comment on this himself in the sentencing), which I find appalling.

Secondly, regardless of his sentence being suspended, he now has a criminal conviction recorded against him - he is therefore unlikely to even get a visa to go to Italy (Rome) and in actual fact he probably won't be able to get a visa to enter England for the London Olympics in 2012. Unfortunately I think that his international swimming career is over regardless.

Thirdly, he actually hasn't really shown any remorse for what he did to Simon Cowley. There have been further incidents of him out drinking and threatening violence against other people (I believe his exact words to one were "Don't you know - one punch is all it takes") and if you watched the Australian Story episode recently, he was constantly looking for someone or something else to blame - even trying to shift blame to Cowley himself at one point.

Lastly, I am glad swimming is one sport in this country that is prepared to take a hard stance when their athletes do the wrong thing, especially criminal acts - our football codes in particular could learn a lot from them.

 

[Coxy]

Flutterby is quite correct on all counts, as per usual!

 

[Black Philip]

I seriously don't know how anyone can sympathise with him? If he was just another dickhead bogan and he had gotten the same charge and subsequently couldn't find employment, I'm sure people on here would be saying that's too bad cause he broke the law. But because he is a professional swimmer and could win medals for Australia, some people think he should be treated differently? Good riddance to bad rubbish.

 

[gUt]

just another dickhead bogan

Exactly.

 

[Jeba]

I seriously don't know how anyone can sympathise with him? If he was just another dickhead bogan and he had gotten the same charge and subsequently couldn't find employment, I'm sure people on here would be saying that's too bad cause he broke the law. But because he is a professional swimmer and could win medals for Australia, some people think he should be treated differently? Good riddance to bad rubbish.

No, the court has made their decision, AND he missed the Olympics.

 

[Hamm.0]

I seriously don't know how anyone can sympathise with him? If he was just another dickhead bogan and he had gotten the same charge and subsequently couldn't find employment, I'm sure people on here would be saying that's too bad cause he broke the law. But because he is a professional swimmer and could win medals for Australia, some people think he should be treated differently? Good riddance to bad rubbish.

That's the whole debate mate, if he was just a dickhead bogan, would he recieved such a sentence? Like I said (and to help answer Coxy), yes I know people who have committed assault GBH, only recieving suspended sentences.

 

[Coxy]

Well then that's a whole other issue. Anyone who willfully causes those sorts of injuries on someone should spend a minimum 6 months in jail, end of story. Provoked or not.

 

[Hamm.0]

Well then that's a whole other issue. Anyone who willfully causes those sorts of injuries on someone should spend a minimum 6 months in jail, end of story. Provoked or not.

I agree, much like many other crimes which reguarly attract small penalties in Aussie courts.

 

[Coxy]

Yes. And since we as society are pretty united that such crimes are too leniently punished, isn't it reasonable that despite the failure of the court to put in socially acceptable sentences that such privileges as representing your country at the highest level in a sport should be revoked?

In any case it's a moot point, he wouldn't get a visa anyway.

 

[Flutterby]

Agree Coxy, the courts have failed to deal with this situation adequately, therefore Swimming Australia had to take further action.

 

[Steve]

I applaud the decision. A 14 month suspended sentence for what he did to Cowley is as good as a let off. It's not a punishment at all. SA are hitting him where it hurts (pardon the pun).

 

[Coxy]

And I know the response I'll get from some on this, but can you honestly tell me you could sit there and watch him represent you and your country knowing what he did?

I sure as hell couldn't.

 

[Flutterby]

Depends if he won or not. If he didn't win I couldn't :P

 

[Coxy]

Hahaha!
Seriously, I think it'd make me physically ill watching him if he won gold and shedding crocodile tears as the anthem is played. Bah!

 

[Hamm.0]

Agree Coxy, the courts have failed to deal with this situation adequately, therefore Swimming Australia had to take further action.

So are you suggesting that any organisation (sporting or otherwise) should take discipline action where appropriate should they feel the Australian Legal system has failed? eusa_think

Furthermore, are you insinuating that SA considers the punishment not harsh enough for the crime and as such took matters into their own hands? eusa_think

 

[Flutterby]

Nope, I am saying that any organisation has the right to enforce their own rules and code of conduct. SA has a Code of Conduct (and I've seen it) that states quite plainly that if found guilty of a criminal offense a member may be removed from a team for which they have been selected.

However if the courts had imposed a more appropriate sentence - being Jail Time instead of suspended sentence - then SA would not have been in a position to impose their penalty because well, he couldn't be swimming in Rome while he's sitting in a jail cell.

 

[Coxy]

What I don't get is so many people seem to think that if you seriously assault someone, rape someone, whatever, you should still be able to play professional football, represent your country at the Olympics blah blah blah.

And yet the vast majority of countries won't even let you have a holiday there because you have a criminal record...

Then there's the "it's their profession" argument. Well, lots of professions forbid you from practicing if you've got a serious criminal conviction. Medicine, education, law, etc.

Professional sport is a privileged position, and similar rules should apply.

Credit to SA, and (to a lesser extent) the NRL for recognising their representatives are privileged Australians and as such should be of the highest conduct and merit.