SEN's Andy Maher says Sydney would not have drafted Tyrone Leonardis if they knew that had liked Facebook pages vilifying club champion Adam Goodes.

Leonardis was drafted by the Swans in last night's draft with pick No. 51.

It was later revealed that he has like two Facebook pages criticising Adam Goodes, called "Adam Goodes for flog of the year" and "Adam Goodes for wanker of the year".

https://twitter.com/DanielCherny/status/669133193019129856/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
โ€œI donโ€™t think Sydney would have drafted Tyrone Leonardis if they knew about this.โ€œ said Maher.

โ€œHeโ€™s pick 51. Heโ€™s a deep pick. Iโ€™m tipping theyโ€™re not picking him up if they knew about this stuff before the Draft.โ€

โ€œSome of the views (on the facebook pages) were vile.โ€

Sydney football boss Tom Harley said the club was made aware of the Facebook pages immediately after he had been drafted.

โ€œWe have spoken to Ty and he is really disappointed.โ€

โ€œThey were groups he joined in February and he is really apologetic. It is a really good reminder of the pitfalls of social media. It is not ideal but he is unbelievably apologetic.

โ€œHe is feeling really bad and it is a conversation we will pick up with him when he arrives.

โ€œIt is a really tangible example of the dangers of social media.โ€

It is fair to say Leonardis will now be far more careful when using social media.

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193 COMMENTS

  1. Freedom of speech differs to spreading and rejoicing in hate, especially if literally-challenged and the “opinion” misconstrues the truth about a champ cause an ex great of the club you support, or washed up cricketer tweets minions to bag the player. Classy Vics and well done on rallying hate to other clubs 2015. How those FaceBook pages continue to exist is a wake up to parents, principals, employers and the AFL to review comments, and consider is that the current / former student we want at our institution, is he/she the right employee for our workplace and clubs could rescind memberships based on the appalling posts others see as, sadly, humorous. No left wing PC garbage criticism please, if you tolerate and condone the player abuse you are as young, ignorant and foolish as Tyrone. However, the ignorance and stupidity of youth is no defense, grow up! Let’s start a muck campaign on the most decorated, respected of your club champions (who btw did naught to deserve the treatment) and call to arms for all to sprout lies. Make it up as you go along just as social media does. Do yourselves a favour, research the full context post May 2013, what clubs and rounds it started to gain traction, who bagged the player (all ex Hawks greats plus Lloyd, Warne) linked to racial slurs at Pies, Bombers, Dogs rounds. The stager/diver fable proudly owned by Hawks is linked to Leigh’s protected species rant and Dermott’s criticism of the MRP. Cats fans swayed by Newman’s pitifully ignorant and deliberately misleading lies, Pies fans not wiling to move past round 9 2013 nor acknowledge the racial vilification by their own president – a president in another country who would have had his license revoked. Check the stats for the two out of 17 years the player was bagged – stats don’t lie, media do and sadly it stems from Vic, FoxFooty, Ed and Co, Kennett, Panahi, and so it goes, all Vics. Shame on you for damaging the game you purport to embrace.

  2. Thats correct it started with the media, Goodes hasn’t done anything different to any other player in the league, the media has a responsibility to be fair and unbiased, yet they kept promoting the views of a couple of below average commentators who knew what they were saying and fed of the response of social media and willingly led the charge, for their 5 minutes of fame, it just goes to show what the tv stations will allow to get people to view its programming and the character of the commentators and the gutless cowards who come out of the cracks in society when opportunity arise

  3. The message is harden the f*** up Vic footy fans particularly born after the late eighties – whatever societal pill you swallowed is bitter, twisted and scaringly perverse in how distorted the truth is, how little research or enquiring occurs in your minds or social media networks. It’s an unwritten rule to bag a generation but you are seriously screwed up and exist for only hatred and lies – stay in Vic if that is where you multiply, and what a disappointment you must be to your parents, teachers, employers and footy clubs – wake up and smell the truth about dragging a champion through the muck of ignorance and disrespect – think for yourself reject Derm, Dunny, Ed & co – life us better on the other side!

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