17-year Geelong member Elly has renounced her Cats membership after feeling sexually and physically threatened by Richmond fans on Friday night at the MCG.
Elly, who has been a member for 10 straight seasons and 17 seasons altogether, believes the way she was made to feel was not acceptable, and she told foxfooty.com.auย she could not support a league that stands by while this type of behaviour happens.
โAll was going well until we walked across the park to the MCG,โ Elly toldย foxfooty.com.auย during the week.
โThere were large number of Richmond fans and some of those fans were already loud and abusive.
โThey were shouting things like, โstick it up the pussies, stick it up our arsesโ.โ
Elly went on to say the torment continued inside the MCG, and those sitting behind her made it difficult for her to enjoy the game.
โWe had the expectation that Richmond fans would be loud and passionate supporters,โ Elly said.
โBut I had some particularly loud men behind me who were intimidating and abusive.
โIf anyone moved in front of them they were particularly aggressive. They were unduly aggressive.
โIf anyone had got up to get a drink and were coming back to find their seat or shifting in order to take a jacket off, these Richmond supporters would yell at them and tell them to sit down and f*** off.โ
After a string of incidents in the past, Elly said Friday night's match was the last straw for her, and officially renounced her Geelong membership on Tuesday, although it's her club she has a problem with.
โThat was partly in response to the immediate incident at the qualifying final against Richmond,โ Elly said.
โBut for me it was really the last straw because there had been a number of incidents that had made me feel uncomfortable about being part of the whole footy culture.
โGeelong, as far as Iโm concerned, has been a wonderful club to be a member of. Theyโve been exemplary.
โBut there have now been enough things in the footy culture more broadly that made me think things are unacceptable.
โIf fans are being passionate in terms that are sexually threatening and violently abusive โฆ I didnโt want to be part of that.โ
