Ethnic violence at the tennis, it’s just so pathetic

Tony says:

01:37pm | 19/01/10

Right, lets identify this handful of individual young idiots in terms of a particular ethnic group, and not the pathetic morons they are. Real smart (End sarcasm).

Latent red-neck Australia in action, passing judgements on a particular group or background and not their individual behaviours, attributing certain groups as trouble makers etc… but NOOO, Australia is not racist when innocent young Indians get bashed and killed at higher proportion to the rest of the population. Us dinky dy Aussies, nah how dare you call US racist, you can’t taint us with the one brush.. the Indian media is biased/over-reacting. Cronulla, that wasn’t racism, Aussies aren’t like that.. the word of the day today is “Hypocritical”, can you say it H-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-i-c-a-l, very good.

Paleeeaaaseee people. There’s a serious broader social issues and Australia is knee deep in denial. If you’re not Anglo SAxon your not Australian, but if try to be more Anglo, we’ll pat you on the head like a good boy and let you hang around with us. Do anything wrong and we’ll attribute it to your ethnicity.

Chris Cox says:

02:09pm | 19/01/10

Totally agree. Tennis is not the place for such thuggish behaviour. Leave that to the beaches of Sydney and the Gold Coast on Australia Day, thanks!

Voxpop says:

09:53am | 19/01/10

AusCro has it right these kids have been spoon fed this crap from their parents etc - much the same as SM and others have been spoon fed the Aussie pride crap of assimilate or f*ck off.
Generally there are selfish chest-beating angry posers from all nationalites.

Bemused says:

11:52am | 19/01/10

Melbourne seems to be very violent place. I’m so glad I don’t live there. Is there a police force in Victoria or has your Premier Brumby sent them all out to supervise school crossings and hand out colouring in pencils?
At least in NSW this stuff is stopped striaght away by our coppers. They were legends in putting an end to all that Cronulla riot stuff just by bashing a few heads together.
Victoria is for sooks and cry babies…. and people who wear funny shorts playing Aussie kick-about-whatever shebangabang at the MCG child care centre.

jim says:

08:34am | 19/01/10

@KM says: 08:31am | 19/01/10
Get your hand off it KM, we have all heard this “multicultural gang wars” crap many many times before and somehow it just never manages to materialise. A bunch of lame-arse bogans rampaging around at the tennis hardly indicates that we are on the verge of some kind of race war. What of the millions of ethnic Australians who could not give a crap about their suppossed ethnic “enemies”. And trying to blame Rudd is simply retarded, you really need to look up a few books on Australian history to get your facts straight.

Biff says:

07:49am | 19/01/10

Aaaahh multiculturalism! We are the envy of the world. It’s been a long time since that old trope was used.

Barb says:

08:32am | 19/01/10

This is another example of Kevin Rudd’s multicultural paradise.
The ALP have had their chance to diversify Australia, and it has failed miserably.

Let’s stop cowering to the rest of the World, develop nuclear weapons, grow some balls and make Australia the first superpower from south of the equator. Or, we could just go to the beach, get pissed and let others take control of our destiny.

~Rumpleteazer~ says:

08:35am | 19/01/10

Make them take their “hoodies” off and show their foolish faces. Crying because they couldn’t get in. That cracked me up. Not so smart now are you!
I’ll bet their parents would be ashamed of them. Their parents have come from war town countries and lived with violence. Their deep seated hatred of other Balkan countries will always be there, but they don’t take it too the tennis and spoil a lovely day out for others.
Good work, not allowing them in the gate. A good start to stop this crap.

Gina G says:

12:27pm | 19/01/10

Yes, the media is very good at playing the race/ethnicity card however, in this case, it is justified because the thugs were wearing Croatian national colours.  I agree with Linda Paric that the thugs have to be identified before their ethnic ties can be linked to Croatia.  It may well be that they are Serbian thugs wearing Croatian national colours.  Let’s get people to speak out and identify these thugs so they can be charged.  Shame on the families of these thugs, shame on their sub culture and the wider Australian culture which condones racism and vilification of minority groups.  In a disgusting display of Nationalism, thugs draped themselves in Australian flags and then began racist violence on the streets in Cronulla.  When you take nationalism to the degree of perpetuating violence then shame on the Country that enables this to happen.

Frank says:

08:43am | 19/01/10

Barb, are you serious? Apart from the fact that the great bulk of immigrants came here under Liberal governments (and has been a great social and economic success), why in the world would a small group of neolithic idiots at the tennis indicate that we need nuclear weapons? Have you really thought this through or have you just woken up from a big night out?

John A Neve says:

08:56am | 19/01/10

Barb @0932hrs,

I like your second suggestion, “we could just go to the beach, get pissed”.
We don’t have to “let others take control of our destiny”, they already have.

Mark says:

09:45am | 19/01/10

Where was the violence yesterday at the tennis?? You call 15 yo kids waving around a lit flare violence?? hahaha what a joke

Vido says:

09:49am | 19/01/10

Will you be reporting Australian nationalist racists behaving in similar if not worse manner on Australia Day or is sensationalist reporting only warranted when “ethnics” are involved?

Brian says:

11:01am | 19/01/10

I think if you look a bit harder you can attribute most of Australia’s ‘racism’ to roaming gangs of morons who have so little going for them that they have to hang their identity on something their parents or grandparents come to Australia to get away from. They categorise themselves and other by their ethnic identity because it is all they have, therefore any attacks on others are based purely on their misguided racist views.

CSallen says:

09:51am | 19/01/10

Rob- What the?
Where did I say anthing about pre word war 2 Australianisms or anti multi-culturalism?
Surley you don’t agree with these idiots making a massive ethnic based fracas over not getting into the tennis?  In case you didn’t notice- the protest these people staged was based on the fact that they think their origin is better than everyone else’s- is that racism? Or am I racist for not wamting to tolerate it?

Football Fan says:

10:50am | 19/01/10

Why is this an ethnic or multicultural issue and not a tennis issue? If this were a football match (and I’m not talking Aussie Rules football) it would be reported as “soccer hooligans” and we would have all those one-eyed AFL morons coming out of the woodwork making anti-football comments and basically blaming the sport of football for attracting this type of behaviour. Now we have everyone blaming it on multiculturism. The local media is so pathetically one-sided.

ImaWestie says:

09:54am | 19/01/10

From my time spent in the Australian Army Reserves, no shortage of dual citizens object to getting trained in Australia then taking the training “back home” to put it into use.

stephen says:

02:37pm | 19/01/10

Yes I think the notion of dual-citizenship needs to be queried, and it is not only related to this shebang.

Q.E.D. says:

10:05am | 19/01/10

Much as I don’t like Rudd, I have to agree with jim.

Surely the families of these twits have some explaining to do?

Peregrine says:

10:21am | 19/01/10

I think this highlights a failing in our immigration and citizenship process. By all means this country should welcome all who wish to move here, no matter what country they are from provided they pass basic health, education, and security checks. I don’t think many would argue with that. But as a caveat to their entry and citizenship we should reserve the right to send them right back to where they are from if they commit any act of racial hatred or incite racism.

Auman says:

10:29am | 19/01/10

Let’s not pussyfoot around here, it is not an Australian who chants, abuse, throw, punch, or any other negative action words you want to use when not backing Australia. (not that they should be used when backing australia). How can a person be an Australian and still abuse another person (or country) while being another country.

I am originally from Another Country, now an Australian, I would not consider it Australian to sit there in any environment and revert to my original Nationality and abuse the old country’s enemies…. how is that in the spirit of being an Australian?

Sure you can have culture from the ‘old country’ but to continue the racism, hatreds, etc of countries not Australia tells me you do not consider yourselves Australian.

Jolanda says:

10:34am | 19/01/10

The problem as I see it is that this has occured because those who behave in a manner that is rude or disruptive during the tennis are not dealt with.  Many years ago you would watch the tennis and there wouldn’t be any interruptions with people yelling out things whilst the players were trying to serve and the applause would stop in time to allow the players to get ready for the next serve.  There was respect for the players and the games.

Then some idiots started yelling out stupid comments and instead of them immediately being told to stop or they would be thrown out - people laughed adn no matter what they did nobody threw them out.  This is the bullying syndrome where those who disrespect and ruin things for all are supported by silence and by lack of action and in many cases even by laughter and applause.

These young people then get more brazen.  To walk up to the Australian Open doing what they did without a care in the world is a serious concern.  This is not a race issue - it is an attitude problem.

Education - Keeping them Honest
http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/

Parker says:

10:40am | 19/01/10

i know its not right to respond to pathetic violence with violence but i wish my mates and I were there (all aussies) we dont go out looking for trouble ever but would have enjoyed putting these try hard gangsters back in there box. I see it all the time, they form their little packs and all of a sudden they call themselves a mafia. They will encounter ppl soon that wont be as forgiving as tennis security though, and they will cry for their mums when this happens, lets just hope they dont ruin any lawn bowls meetings in the meantime. LOSERS!!!

James says:

10:53am | 19/01/10

Serbs and Croatians largely migrated to Australia in the aftermath of World War Two.  I suppose you think that Mr Rudd was there holding his Mummy’s hand, welcoming the boats.

Hel says:

11:02am | 19/01/10

It’s funny you say that. When I saw the headline on news.com “Racists bring shame on Aussie tennis ” I thought ‘wow, it must be bad, news ltd is usually so against using the R-word for anything, they always find underyling causes!’ and then I read the story,  and realised ‘ooooooh it was Croations, THAT’S why they were so happy to use it’...

Steve says:

11:02am | 19/01/10

Unfortunately all it takes is the idocy of a few to spoil it for the rest, bit like what happened to our gun laws.

Hel says:

11:05am | 19/01/10

(ignoring the gaping hole in your argument in that these kids were probably all born here) What about Australians who commit any act of racial hatred or incite racism? Where do we send them?

Al says:

12:07pm | 19/01/10

Heres an Idea, how about Jail.
Idiotic violent actions should be punished harshly, either that or instigate a system of violent youth being forced to serve in the military, the basic training will have them ALL weeping into their pillows at night.

6clegs says:

11:25am | 19/01/10

And on the 26th these same morons will don an Ozzie flag and behave exactly the same.

These kids parents have a lot to answer for. The complete lack of parental guidence across the country/world is shameful. Respect for the Rights of others isn’t even talked about in their homes - but by golly - don’t go “disrespecting” them!
The Bogans vastly out numbers the ordinary person trying to do the right thing. It’s okay if you can afford to live in a ‘’ old tree lined suburb’‘, and if you do, half your luck - just spare a thought for those of us who get their roof and windows rocked (most days) and sprayed with taunts/abuse if we dare ‘terrorise’ their kids by gardening, watering said garden, or choose to sit on ones patio on a summers eve. They sure don’t like being ignored, they want a reaction, and if one doesn’t react they just keep upping the stakes! (sorry for going off track, it’s sometimes hard to concentrate when stones are raining down on ones roof…)

Ivan says:

11:46am | 19/01/10

I am Croatian Australian…. I have met my wife who is of Italian heritage but third generation Aussie, and fell in love in Australia first time I have came here to visit… After this incident I am ashamed to say that I am Croat…. As much as I’m proud of my roots I love country that embraced me and accepted me without any prejudice… These kids are probably all born here, have no idea about what life is in Croatia (and probably can’t even say their names in Croatian properly) and what sort of damage are they doing to normal Croatian community in Australia…. Unfortunately, I believe they are product of their parents… There is a lot of hate going on back there and nobody really knows why anymore… And lots of post WW2 immigrants brought that hate here and now spreading the disease among their children…
I feel like apologizing to all my friends and rest of Australians no matter what their background as these kids are representing themselves as Croats… They are not speaking for all of us, in fact not even 1% of us!

NJC says:

11:47am | 19/01/10

Yeah, I have been to NY and London. Not LA though. What I saw was a lack of integration between the different ethnicities. Everyone more or less hung out with their own. Melbourne is different. We’ve more or less integrated the differing groups. Obviously some are more resistant than others

Daniel says:

11:53am | 19/01/10

Could not have said it better myself! We tollerate this all to often in this country and it has to end. Send them home or lock them up. I’m sick of our country opening it’s arms to migrants only to be slapped in the face for it.

Logic says:

12:00pm | 19/01/10

They are 3rd or 4th generation Australians. They didn’t come from anywhere but here. Don’t be naive.

B says:

12:00pm | 19/01/10

Great article, very accurate.

I’ve got Serbian, Croatian & Bosnian mates who are all great mates themselves.  This sort of behaviour is just typical of the wannabe tossers who have never so much as visited Croatia, speak only English, listen to a bit of Thompson to get fired up and then pretend to want to fight Serbians.

Wankers.

SM says:

12:08pm | 19/01/10

We send them to the tennis

Adam says:

12:18pm | 19/01/10

If these idiots love their ‘homeland’ so much then what are they doing living here? I have Polish ancestry but I don’t care one iota for Poland - my patriotic loyalties are 100% to Australia because I live here and love this country alone. These people are truly confused about their identity.

igor says:

12:19pm | 19/01/10

Bunch of kids having fun!!!!! It’s hardly a riot or fighting that broke out!!! So a kid let of a flare!!! Are the jails filled with Croats? NO!!!!!

Ben G says:

12:23pm | 19/01/10

Remember the Swedish fans that used to come for Stefan Edberg? They were awesome. The only thing you had to worry about with them was having too much fun.

Helen says:

12:27pm | 19/01/10

I agree totally… my parents were born in Croatia, and so they know about the violence that went on over there. Worrying about being attacked because you were walking past a town that had a different religion. But that doesnt stop them having good friends here of that same religion.
Most of the parents have left their hatreds over there, and have not instilled those hatreds in their children.
Its the children who look for a reason to cause trouble, so they look at their ethnic background, and see as good a reason as any (well, as any that their small minds can think of).

Shane Smith says:

01:19pm | 19/01/10

I don’t condone the actions of these idi*ts one bit, however lets not get carried away here. The media always has a way of drumming up ethnic violence while sweeping under the rug anything that doesn’t keep up with its agendas.

In much the same way that the majority of people on here are demanding they be sent back to their homeland (which i’m sure the majority were born here) lets also at the same time demand that the people that were central in the cronulla riots be sent back to their homeland or the thugs that cause trouble at the rugby league and AFL be sent back to their homeland as well - it’s the only way we can stamp out this sort of racial violence…...oh wait….

carrying on from one of the comments i read, i think there might even be Croatian and Serbian tennis players in the same Grand Slams (shock horror) and here I was thinking all they do is maybe trade with each other now (but don’t quote me on that) some people live sheltered lives.

Again I don’t condone what was done yesterday, but seems that ethnic violence is highlighted while other agendas are hushed up - and especially when a prize winning photographer is involved (and we all know how accommodating photographers are to other peoples private lives).

Elle says:

01:22pm | 19/01/10

Maybe the Balkan players should organise a press conference showing the world (and those flare-lighting idiots from yesterday) that there’s no place for violence, protests, etc at the tennis or at any other international sporting event - period. In most cases, all the players get along well enough to talk between thesmelves and organise a united front against ethnic violence and hatred.
Come on Novak, Ana, Jelena (SRB), Ivo, Jelena (OZ) - take a stand immediately!

theodoros says:

01:32pm | 19/01/10

Disagree young Adam
i guarantee you that if asked, these kids will tell you exactly who they are and where they come from.
i also guarantee that the majority of us in this country couldn’t do that.
you are 100% Australian?..........good for you.
let others express themselves too…....

theodoros says:

01:34pm | 19/01/10

then we would be left with sausage rolls, pies and pasties and the footy.
that would be sad Daniel.
wake up

LEO says:

02:03pm | 19/01/10

cmon boys have a carrot stick and relax, its just tennis

why not take your ladies tango dancing instead?

Peter says:

02:09pm | 19/01/10

Tony, do you agree that your sweeping generalisations demonstrate your “latent” racism against Australians of Anglo-saxon background.

Andrew says:

02:37pm | 19/01/10

These people are mindless goons living in a time capsule built by their uneducated and brainwashed parents. I’m of Croatian background and know that 99.9% of our community are shamed by actions like this. Linda Paric - you must be kidding. You know as well as I do they were Nazi salutes. Stop lying and defending these morons who continue to shame our community.

Randal says:

02:42pm | 19/01/10

It is very simple to fix, if morons go to a sporting event and disrupt the event then slap them with a rather largish fine, something in the order of 10K. That would deter most of this element from fronting up and they can then save their flare throwing moronic chanting and violence for a sport that truly appreciates this behaviour… The Soccer!!

Bob the Balkan says:

03:06pm | 19/01/10

You people cannot be for real. What violence???

Chase Stevens says:

02:45pm | 19/01/10

I think that people who are violently nationalistic should not be put in gaol.

No I think they should be put through the Army, learn some discipline and get away from the breast of their mother for once.

Of course that might reinforce their nationalistic tendencies.
Anyhow these children need to learn the discipline they obviously didn’t learn during their School years (Assuming they went).

Jon says:

03:07pm | 19/01/10

Spot on!

Tony says:

03:38pm | 19/01/10

Ah yes, was trying to be ironic, to point out how silly the whole ethnic violence slant on this story is by coming from the other direction.

People who behave in an anti-social way must have serious personal issues. Individuals who wants to act tough and act out violence will find any excuse, including latching on to a particular background or symbols and groups make them more comfortable. But that’s an excuse they choose and a lot of people on the blogs (not saying that you are) seem to be insinuating that the background is the cause of the violence. By that rationale the several hundred thousand Australians that are decendents from that part of the world are also violent etc. It’s ridiculous. By calling it ethnic violence many people are buying into the excuse these idiots make by latching on to a particular flag or ethnic group, it legitimises them. Don’t give them the credit, if they commited crimes treat them individually like the criminals they are.

Whatever crime they allegedly comitted, it can be dealt with by our laws. Good thing about the law in this country, assault is assault and murder is murder regardless of the background of person who comitted it.

Groundskeeper says:

04:37pm | 19/01/10

Where are all the police? All I saw was security guards. Brumby’s so called crackdown on anti social violence. YEAH RIGHT..!!! The thugs own the streets now, not the police.

Cuppa says:

04:57pm | 19/01/10

This is just another example of the great FAILED multicultural experiment that was thrust on the Australian people(without a referendum).It is actions like this that are the reason many Australians have a low opinion of immigrant minorities.Personally, i am sick of watching this sort of crap erode the freedom & culture past Australians fought for.WAIT! i am an anglo Australian that is proud of my country & has an opinion, so i must be rascist…...

Blue boy of Geelong says:

05:35pm | 19/01/10

Those guys yesterday didn’t target any particular nation/race…I don’t understand why are the Aussies the only ones complaining today…?!
Get over it!

Peter K says:

06:00pm | 19/01/10

Your comment:, Anglo football, you must be kidding, haven’t you heard of Matthew Pavlich, Glen Jakovich, Alan Didak,  Ivan Maric, Jason Akermanis , Steven Salopek, Jason Surjan, all big names in Australian Rules Football and all have Croatian descent . I can real of a whole team but why bother.  When Australian of Croatian descent make their mark there ethnic backgrounds hardly rate a mention, but when a bunch a juvenile dickheads make idiots of themselves, orr how typical of Croatians. Also by the way, Eric Bana( Actor), Natasha Stott Despoja( former democrats leader), Ralph Sarich( inventor of orbital engine), Andrew Bogut ( basketballer playing for Milwaukee bucks in NBL,) Dean Lukin( Olympic Gold Medalist), Tony Santic ( owner of three times Melbourne cup winner), Simon Katich ( Australian opening Batsman), yes all of Croatian descent,  thats typical.

RB says:

06:28pm | 19/01/10

Well said daniel.I am also tired of the tribal mentality(& who stole whos goat back in the old country) of many of these immigrant minorities. Many people i know feel the same way.Australia was a much better place before the great FAILED multicultural experiment.oops, was that racist….......

Gazza says:

06:54pm | 19/01/10

Ethnic violence!  Where was the ethnic violenc?. What ethnic group was targeted?  Who got hurt?

Gazza says:

06:57pm | 19/01/10

Melbourne is a violent city. Get used to it. Look at all the drunken louts in the city, outside the bars and nightclubs.  Start living in the real world

Cazza says:

08:55pm | 19/01/10

I’ve been reading all the comments with interest, especially how they segue into other issues so well.

Firstly, from the 40’s to the 70’s we were encouraged by Gov to have at least 3 children to do our bit for the country and populate Australia.  Catholics were encouraged to have at least 5 children mostly for religious reasons.  Then came the 80’s and all of a sudden we were growing too fast and were then made to feel guilty if we had more than 1 or 2 children.  But funny how the decrease in Australian’s baby production happened at the same time immigration increased.

Successive governments started to take ever increasing control over our children while parental and teacher and police control was reduced to a minimum, producing unruly kids with little regard for authority.

Then immigration ‘rules’ were changed once again and we start importing warring races who hated each other in their own countries, who bought that hatred and violence with them.  We also have the organised crime networks from those countries doing their bit as well.

So what have we got now?  A multi-cultural society of Aboriginals and Anglo Aussies who still haven’t worked out their differences, plus a host of other races from countries who have never got on with each other over there, but are ‘expected’ to put aside all their differences and hatred for each other and be all pally pally here.  Yeah right!  That works well.

It might take another 200 years to achieve a peaceful unified multi-cultural society, but by then we’ll be such a mixed breed the Anglo Aussie won’t exist anymore, so by then all the hoo haa going on now won’t matter.

Pugilist says:

11:49pm | 19/01/10

Sharapova: easy on the eye, but sounds like a goat being slaughtered when playing tennis ... Have too watch her play with the sound turned down on the TV.

As for the Croat-Serb losers ... Leave your conflicts back in your homelands ... Twerps!

Dan says:

12:08am | 20/01/10

This is what we get for closing down the old soccer league in victoria, the idiots have to come to decent sports to start fights, let off flares and be racist.

Dan says:

12:09am | 20/01/10

Lets all hope we can get the world cup then we can have them a tourists

nh jan says:

01:19am | 20/01/10

It’s a national embarassement. Brumby said that it’s shamed Australia. Yes Brumby because of your weak justice system and the out of control violence that plagues Melbourne, VICTORIA has SHAMED AUSTRALIA. Perhaps now, that the mess that is Melbourne has been shown around the world, you might take some action. You’re an embarassement, Melbourne is an embarassement.

Carl Palmer says:

08:40am | 20/01/10

So because they are “Croats, Serbs and Greek Cypriot” and that “these guys engage in year to year under the lie of supporting their countrymen” and “wanting to stick it up their confected “enemies” with the legitimising force of cultural feud they understand” or “recurrence of violence among Balkan fans” makes the rest of this country racist.

Foreigners come into this country and bring their bigoted, racist hatred together with their behaviour and all of a sudden the rest of Australia is racist.  They leave a country where their police - who look more like the SAS walk around with sub machine guns cocked and ready for action into a country where the general law enforcement constabulary look more like a fireman or the average ambo. 

I must have missed something here.

Personally, put them on a boat and send them back to where they came from because in all probability they do have due citizenship. Once they have sorted themselves out and realised that they left a better place to live and are prepared to change their ways – which is the real reason why they came out in the first place to make a better life for themselves and their family, then they can come back.

Seriously, if their parents can’t sort out their kids, then I want to see the full force of law used to pull these people into line. The problem is that – as has been the case in the past, the police and therefore the country will be braded racist because of this behaviour. As I’ve said, the racist card is always very easy to be pulled out and used to drag this country down to the same level as many other nations. People in glass house shouldn’t throw stones.

As for people leaving this country because of this that and the other, no problem this is a free country you can leave whenever you want, funny thing is that Christmas Island is overflowing with people wanting to come into this country.

Mick says:

09:59am | 20/01/10

What is it with Melbourne, according to players & travelling media this happens at no other tournament in the world, maybe it is a Melbourne sporting culture as they always seem to make an issue with race in sport

RCM says:

12:48pm | 20/01/10

Care to reassess the thrust of this article Leo in the light of
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/australian-open-hooligans-may-be-on-bail-over-murder-charge/story-fn3dxity-1225821568168

“A really pathetic expression of half-baked nationalism from suburban mamma’s boys at the tennis.”

—A JUDGE is concerned up to two men facing murder charges may have been involved in a gang who marred the first day of the Australian Open.

“Yes the tennis. Not a bad-ass crowd sport like European soccer matches where iron bars and pocket knives are common accoutrements among fans.”

-Justice Betty King said the matter was concerning.
-It’s a little bit concerning when they’re on bail for such serious offences,-she said.

“No it’s the tennis fellas, where all you’ve managed to do is scare old Aunty Pat and Uncle Frank visiting from Newcastle, confuse the international media and royally piss-off the nation’s largest selling newspaper by punching one of its photographers.”

-Eight men, including one minor from Melbourne’s western suburbs, will face trial in the same court later this year charged with murder. Another man pleaded guilty to murder and will face a pre-sentence hearing in March.

 

 

No it’s the tennis fellas, where all you’ve managed to do is scare old Aunty Pat and Uncle Frank visiting from Newcastle, confuse the international media and royally piss-off the nation’s largest selling newspaper by punching one of its photographers.

What next? Croatian fans head to the ballroom dancing to prove once and for all they “own da floor”?

Phillip says:

03:06pm | 20/01/10

Parents are to blame, they brought and taught hate to theie children; only to bring shame to their adopted country

Matthew says:

03:07pm | 20/01/10

Let’s be honest.  We have a number of disciplinary problems in Victoria, and the problem is the lack of it.  You can do pretty much anything in this state, and a) you won’t ‘face the music’ until months, if not at least a year after the incident and b) you are most likely to be treated with kid gloves when you do.  The answer is 0 tolerance.  Make it so that if you act up, you pay a price, and not $$$, but actual, tangible consequences.

Let’s drop the racist talk.  Australia is not racist.  A country that accepts all and sundry and allows them to practice what they want is not racist.  A person who migrates to a country with no intention of integrating is a racist.  A country that doesn’t accept all people is racist.  Australia is not racist.  Being able to question immigrants, their motives and their actions is not racist.