Who defends Wife Beaters?
Organisations such as Azure Partners defend Wife Beaters; Wife Beaters like Curtis Scott.
Scott is a former NRL player who was inducted into The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame after being found guilty of assaulting his former partner multiple times. Scott also earned a Wife Beater Tattoo and joined The Frownlow Medal Wife Beaters Club.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern-day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while NRL star Talatau Amone is the most recent recipient.
The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame honours former players and players who received media attention in previous seasons, for similarly scandalous behaviour, and its inductees include Ben Cousins and Julian O’Neill.
Few people would defend Wife Beaters. Lawyers do, but that’s their job.
Azure Partners is not a law firm, but it’s defending Scott.
Azure Partners is ‘Australia’s Premium Athlete Advisory’ offering ‘Professional and Personal Growth Services’ and is based in Sydney, Australia.
It was launched by various people including another former NRL player, Trent Merrin, and claims to help other footballers prepare for public scrutiny and to succeed on and off the field during and after their sporting careers.
The organisation’s Instagram account still has a link to an interview with Scott after he was found guilty of multiple counts of severe domestic violence against his former partner. The interview was conducted just before he stepped into the boxing ring. The lead calls Scott a “…symbol of resistance and determination…” and promises to tell Scott’s “…untold narrative”
Not only that, the company expects listeners to pay.
That’s right.
“To support our ongoing initiatives in athlete empowerment, the full exclusive interview with Curtis Scott is available for a minimal fee of $3.00. Your contribution goes directly towards fostering a community of athletes who aspire to achieve greatness both on and off the field.”
The website then tells the public that “Your ticket to truth awaits.”
Would you pay to listen to a Wife Beater?
If so, that’s your choice. It’s your money.
Would you pay knowing that the interview itself legitimates Scott and diminishes the crime of violence against women, at a time when Australia is calling for more action to stop violence against women, and at a time when football codes like the NRL are holding Women’s rounds?
Would you pay knowing that young people, especially males, regard professional athletes as role models and often emulate their behaviour?
Again, it’s your money.
On the organisation’s website, Merrin says,
“We all know or have experienced the terrible mishaps that athletes fall into, including their personal relationships…”
As well as claiming that the service is aimed at…
“Empowering athletes to innovate, create, and disrupt off the field…”
One has to wonder if ‘disrupt off the field’ includes breaching an AVO, as Merrin himself was accused of doing, or beating one’s partner like Scott did.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 