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Grown men threatened by a 22-year-old model

Tory Maguire

by Tory Maguire

10 Mar 03:15pm

Filed under: Cricket, Lara Bingle, Michael Clarke, Society

166 comments

Update - 8pm: A Current Affair has reported that Clarke has ended his relationship with Bingle. Read the news.com.au report here.

I’ve been thinking for a while now that the Australian cricket team and the huge machinery around it contained a bunch of over-paid, under-developed, spoiled brats happily trapped in a pre-feminist world, but today really tipped it over the edge for me.

Yep, she's pretty scary isn't she… Picture: Jim Trifyllis

It’s clear the cricket mob is not coping with the loss of the good old days when wives maintained a dignified presence at home for 10 months of the year while their husbands traveled their way around the world safely cocooned in the mantra “what goes on tour stays on tour.”

According to Peter Roebuck, Robert Craddock, Mark Waugh, and just about every other bloke with an opinion on this, Lara Bingle didn’t get the memo that it’s her job to stay at home and play a “quiet, dignified supporting role.”

On the front page of the SMH Roebuck spelled out his phobia of a “femme fatale” such as Lara, saying: “Beauty and danger are a potent combination.”

“As far as Australian cricket is concerned the problem is the instability this relationship causes. By now gilded youth ought to have given way to adult sensibility. On this occasion, Bingle was grievously wronged. Apparently some dill thought it amusing to pass around pictures of her emerging from a shower. But nothing in her life suggests she has ever emerged from the chrysalis of youthful beauty.”

Michael Clarke’s role in all this according to the cricket crowd? He’s “besotted.” And by extension, his actions are beyond his own control. The future captain of the Australian Cricket team is whipped by his hot girlfriend, and cricket’s world view is shaken to the core.

Amazing isn’t it. All these grown men threatened by a 22-year-old model from the Shire with expensive taste and low self-esteem.

Most of the commentary about this has hinged on a 20-year-old quote from Allan Border: “If you want to go the long journey in cricket you either have to have a smooth relationship or be single – anything in between is a nightmare.”

The smoothness of the relationship, however, seems to rest on the shoulders of the woman at home. The “dignified”, “supportive”, “low profile”, woman.

God forbid the cricket star be forced to be supportive in return (with Roebuck’s exception in the case of “family loss or devastating illness – sometimes he is allowed to attend a birth.)

The consequences of this new threat to cricket – wives who aren’t so dignified and supportive – can be dire. Just ask Brett Lee.

His career never fully recovered after the break down of his marriage, which in a very un-cricket-like fashion involved claims of infidelity by his then-wife – not the way these things are supposed to happen.

So Clarke has been dispatched to his $6 million apartment to boot out the woman he loves because she’s just not cricket.

Best find yourself a nice plain, quiet, tolerant girl son – if you want to captain your country.

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166 comments

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    • Eno says:

      02:31pm | 10/03/10

      Goodness me Tors - you’ll have to hand in your identity cards and emigrate after writing that. Didn’t you know Cricket is more important than ANYTHING particularly one trick ponies Like Lara Bingle. She needs to be sacrificed so we can have our Vice Captain back..  LOL

      Reply

    • Craig says:

      01:14am | 12/03/10

      VC? You must be joking. After failing to support his partner by booting her at the first hurdle, Clarke has demonstrated quite clearly that he does not have the courage to take on a captaincy role. Strip him of the VC and hand it to someone who will stand by his team through thick and thin.

    • Pete says:

      02:38pm | 10/03/10

      We need more Bingle! The Aussies might have a chance of winning with Clarke out of the team!

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      02:38pm | 10/03/10

      A bit of scandal from the missus could be accepted if it was a rare and unforseen occurence.
      A self-caused and manipulated scandal all to get a bit more publicity and cash on the other hand is just not on.
      Pack your bags Bingle, its time to find yourself a real job.

      Reply

    • BJ says:

      07:12am | 11/03/10

      Well Said Tim I agree 100%.

    • Binny says:

      03:16pm | 11/03/10

      When this was about some dickhead footballer passing around a photo to his mates, And a lowbrow woman’s rag publishing, and obviously personal photo without permission. She had my support, and so it would seem the support of her fiancée.
      But when she opted to take a $200,000 payout, in order to keep the whole situation alive. She lost my support and so it would seem the support of her fiancé.
      This has nothing to do with anyone being threatened.
      This is about a young woman revealing her true character, and a young man saying “I’m sorry, but you are not the sort of person I want to spend the rest of my life with”
      The looks will fade but the high maintenance neediness won’t.

    • acker says:

      02:38pm | 10/03/10

      Not enough grown men being threatened in the selection of the Australian test side for New Zealand. Clarke got selected even though he deserted the touring side and North got selected with a terrible form line. This side realy has become an exclusive mates club.

      Reply

    • biff says:

      02:43pm | 10/03/10

      I think I’ll wait until Lara writes her book.

      Reply

    • SLF says:

      03:16pm | 10/03/10

      Mee too.

      I like join the dots and colouring in.

    • BTS says:

      04:13pm | 10/03/10

      SLF,

      Now that’s funny!

    • Old Clive says:

      07:48am | 11/03/10

      I agree also, it is as much as most of us can do in this day and age and watch cricket at the same time.

    • Pete says:

      02:47pm | 10/03/10

      The point isn’t about Ms Bingle being upset, but rather that the Captain in waiting for our national sport has to run home, at no notice,to comfort her mid international series.
      The fellows mentioned in the article are questioning his judegement, not the right of of Ms Bingle to become upset and demand her Boyfriend to come home.

      Last time we checked;

      She is not in labour with his bub.
      She is not seriouly unwell.
      No member of his family is unwell.

      The above three reasons, note, not excuses, have been more than adequate for cricketers to return home from tours without an eyebrow being raised, as it should be.

      In this instance, don’t blame the game or the girl, blame the player.

      Reply

    • RT says:

      11:40am | 11/03/10

      Isn’t that ‘last time we checked’ line a bit old, not to mention redundant?

    • stiffy says:

      02:46pm | 10/03/10

      Tors- Lee Furlong, aka Shane Watson’s wag is a perfect example of what the modern female partner of an Australian cricketer can be. Bingle however is just that .....one great Bingle.

      Reply

    • glen says:

      11:30pm | 10/03/10

      This publicity seeking , tasteless, talentless, gold digging bimbo is more than a bingle…she’s a friggin train wreck…pup and australian cricket are both better off with her gone from the picture.

    • Johnny-Boy says:

      05:49pm | 11/03/10

      I agree Stiffy.  The most important thing in teh distinction between Lara and Lee is that Lee HAS A JOB!!!!!  Also she is not s self-serving bimbo with entitlement issues.

    • Ray says:

      02:52pm | 10/03/10

      Toby, I know you must be only taking the snakes hiss. But really the slightest hint that this is to do with pre-feminist ideology is absurd in the extreme. This is about having class and having respect for your partner by behaving appropriately. I’m afraid Lara fails on both counts. While you fail just as comprehensivly by reading into this matter a shallow offence to womanhood. Although I know under feminist doctrine the first position for women is not to respect their menfolk. And no one is saying she shouldn’t have a career. They are in true feminist fashion saying she should get one. And really to interpret down that path is an insult to your own and your readers’ inteligence, something along the line we would expect from Bingle’s track record. Cheers, Don’t take it hard just take a deep breath and learn from it as Lara should.

      Reply

    • Ray says:

      02:52pm | 10/03/10

      Sorry Tors, I meant Tory. Anyhow have a nice day.

      Reply

    • Nathan H says:

      02:54pm | 10/03/10

      I’m not sure what the specific veiled point of this misandrist diatribe is, but I think I’ve narrowed it down to one of the following:

      1) Some unnamed man has instructed Michael Clarke to find a submissive woman and is therefore as evil as he is anonymous.
      2) Her feelings right now are equally important to his career and life-long dreams.
      3) His apartment is worth $6m! This is a relevant fact, because Karl Marx says we shouldn’t like him.
      4) Up to 3, unattributed people said or wrote “dignified”, “supportive” & “low profile” at some stage in their lives.
      5) 22 Year-old women should not be able to threaten anyone, especially grown men.

      None of the above assertions particularly disprove Allan Border or Peter Roebuck’s points; an unstable home life results in bad cricket. Bad cricket results in no captaincy. The choice is Michael Clarke’s: The Baggy Green, or the Bingle. It’s a difficult choice to make, no matter how much his flat is worth or how old Lara is.

      Reply

    • Michelle says:

      12:42pm | 11/03/10

      Who actually cares this much about cricket or football, property or age? Ridiculous.

    • mr plow says:

      01:31pm | 11/03/10

      probably about the same number of people who care about fashion, celebrity and social gossip

    • Lorraine says:

      04:28pm | 11/03/10

      Lets talk about Haiti or climate change or something that rally matters!

    • George (not a Liberal Party member) says:

      02:57pm | 10/03/10

      Tors - couldn’t agree with you more!  One iota of comment though, your headline should read “Australian criket faithful threatened by 22- year old model”.  Referring to grown men in general is a bit insulting to others who are obsessed with other things like Tony Abbott bashing.

      Reply

    • Matt says:

      10:16am | 11/03/10

      George (not a Liberal Party member but doing a good impression of one) - this is a story about Clark and Bingle.  The only person “obsessed” with Tony Abbott is you.  Grow up please.

    • formersnag & tired of the man haters. says:

      03:00pm | 10/03/10

      Poor Tors, like many a “post fauxmanista”, educated, “alpha woman”, you still, just, don’t get it. There is no such thing as a man, who is afraid, of “modern women”.

      They have used fe"man"ism, to make themselves as ugly & unattractive as possible. And hey presto it worked. Many of us, no longer, find you attractive any more.

      Look at SATC, the fab 4, “who can’t find a man” in New york city. Sure the real actresses, are physically attractive women, but the “characters’ being portrayed are so, “ugly on the inside”. If i met any of those women at a singles bar, then of course i would be interested in a, “one night stand” but MARRY one, PUHLEEEASE.

      Reply

    • Not a Keeper says:

      06:31pm | 10/03/10

      LOL!!!  Love it and agree 100%.

    • ED says:

      08:39am | 11/03/10

      Gosh really formersnag?
      That’s terrible, because judging from the drivel you post here I would think the ladies would be belting your door down for a ring.

    • Michelle says:

      12:52pm | 11/03/10

      I almost took you seriously, until I got to singles bar…. HILARIOUS.

      I don’t think you’ve ever got lucky, let alone “picked up” in “singles bar”

      Time to go listen to music on the old Cassette Deck.

      PS time to get up with Popular Culture, T-Rex….

    • James1 says:

      01:56pm | 11/03/10

      You are aware that Sex and the City was made up, and was not a documentary, right?

    • formersnag & still, tired of the man haters. says:

      03:11pm | 11/03/10

      @ ED, Correct, i do very well with the ladies, many of whom are tired of man haters, trying to turn them in to lesbian/bi, CEOs of Mega corp, who are also in an army reserve commando unit, disarming IEDs in Afghanistan.

      @ Michelle, “and i said hey yeah, yeah, yeah, what’s going on” with K D Lang? So 1990’s.

      @ James1, actually SATC is whats, known in the trade as, a “docudrama”, based on truth, real life, etc. The author was intending to teach her readers, softly, that they were being “too picky”. Exaggerating the behaviour & character portrayals a little, so that the readers/viewers could, hopefully, see some of their own foibles, while laughing at the sitcom. Are you suggesting that most women were too busy doing “retail therapy” or “being vacuous” to get that? I wasn’t, i have met many “real women”, who reject fe"man"ism and appreciate “macho men”.

    • Michelle says:

      07:55am | 12/03/10

      That last comment didn’t make sense at all. I think someone should stop drinking and posting.

      SATC:  three out of the four characters are married, as of the last installment.  Thanks for the update on the column though, Pepys.

    • pamela says:

      03:01pm | 10/03/10

      Please tell them to consult Sachin Tendulkars wife as a mentor.

      Reply

    • Samir says:

      09:20pm | 10/03/10

      Sachin Tendulkar’s wife Anjali is a OB/GYN. That requires brains. Plus coming from wealthy old money industrialist family might help with classiness. Bingle or most Aussie WAGS don’t compare.

    • Lee from WA says:

      03:01pm | 10/03/10

      What happened to yesterday’s call that he could never be captain Tory? All of a sudden it is ok for him to return?

      Reply

    • Julie Coker-Godson says:

      03:03pm | 10/03/10

      I know I’ve commented on The Punch before on this subject, but it has made me very angry at the way this young woman is being treated and the way some commentators and media outlets are more than happy to let it happen.

      Has anyone, before rushing off to print an article/comment, stopped to remember the late Princess of Wales v. The Media and the resultant outcome?

      Is it just me, or did the same tired old argument of “she was a media manipulator” come into play.  Why is it always the woman’s fault?  Thank you Tori for your article.  I think cricket fans/commentators et al should take a good hard look at their patronising attitude towards the women of the cricket players.  Presently I am a cricket fan, but I am not too sure I want to remain so after the current outpouring by former cricket players on this issue.  To them I would just say, it takes more balls to support the woman in your life in this country, than it does to walk away from her and join your mates on the cricket pitch.  For that Michael Clarke will have my admiration and support.

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      03:21pm | 10/03/10

      You’re joking right?
      This woman who blatantly manipulates the media for $$$$ should be protected from the media when she feels like it and be able to rely on her partner to back her constantly when it is adversely affecting his job?
      To you I would say, it takes more ovaries to support your partner and shut your mouth than it does to deliberately undermine your partner’s career all for your self promotion and then complain about the resultant publicity.

    • Larissa Annoyed says:

      04:01pm | 10/03/10

      Agreed, Julie, I am shocked at the way it seems to be so easy to heap the blame onto Lara. I was disgusted to hear the editor of Woman’s Day bag her, after the mag obviously had a scoop with that article- she seriously said that all her mag did was approach Lara (as a mag does) and the decision was totally Lara’s to share the story.
      She said ‘at least Michael Clarke is famous for something, whereas Lara is famous for doing nothing,’ (or thereabouts.)  So models do nothing. Yeah, right. They lie on the couch all day to look like that.  In any case, being a model does not take away the right to a private life.
      No disrespect to Clarkey, but he proposed to her after everybody knew of her affair with Grub T Rag- why is Lara’s judgement in choice of partners under criticism but not his? Are sportsmen the only ones worthy of sympathy?  B Fevola was married, Bingle was not. He betrayed his partner and Bingle. Bingle betrayed nobody. My 12 year old son could come up with a better excuse than ’ I lost my phone, I didn’t circulate the pic’. And by the way if anyone circulated a pic of me in the shower (or allowed that to happen) I would do far worse than flicking the bird (oh no! the BIRD!) I would find the bastard and ensure to somehow violate HIM. You go, Lara, ignore the jealous misogynists and make this bastard pay.

    • BTS says:

      04:09pm | 10/03/10

      Julie,

      Will the admiration remain if he has returned to end the relationship so he can concentrate on cricket?

    • Horthy says:

      05:18pm | 10/03/10

      “take a good hard look at their patronising attitude towards the women of the cricket players”

      You said it yourself. Taking the genitive case here voids your argument.

    • SHH! Clueless women says:

      07:13pm | 10/03/10

      Trying to stamp lara bingle in the same category as the late Princess Di is stupidity in its finest. Lara Bingle could have waited for her day in court quietly, but chose the sleezy money road (thanks max markson) to make a quick buck. Then when the press (who gave her the money, dont forget) start hounding for more of a story, she jumps up and down in a hissy fit.
      Also, lumping this tramp in the same ilk as the likes of Mrs Bracken is poor form. Can you please point to one article or reader comment that shows that she is as minipulative and contriving as Ms Bingle. There is nothing but support there from both fans/commentators. As there was for the very strong, very courageous, dignified and beautiful both inside and out Jane McGrath.
      Come out of the dimwitted feministic closet. You’ve been spotted.

    • Craig says:

      10:47pm | 10/03/10

      Sorry Julie, but your a dim wit. The media attention is all Bingle and her managers doing. Her two bit money grubber manager thought he could use an old photo nobody previously cared about to torpedo an easy target in Fevola, who clearly doesn’t have any public sympathy, and in the process gain Bingle some easy cash from magazine deals and the headlines and media attention she craves. Unfortunately her story was so thin and she had little public sympathy in first place, you know, having an affair with a married man an all, that it has all blown up in her face. Fevola is actually coming out of this the winner. The legal threats are so shallow they will never make it to court. The lesson, work hard and you might be rewarded, but petulant children like her never will.

    • Trish says:

      10:24am | 11/03/10

      Oh well said Larissa…for goodness sake LEAVE THEM ALONE ! On the news last night, their relationship woes ( imagined by the media or otherwise!) and speculation that Pup had gone home to end it all etc etc was the 2nd item on the national news !!!  What, there was nothing more important in this whole country than their relationship yesterday in the whole country. ? PULEEEASE

    • RT says:

      11:41am | 11/03/10

      You would seriously stop watching a sport you like because of views expressed by a handful of former players on a subject only tenuously related?

    • TC says:

      10:14pm | 11/03/10

      I tend to agree with you. This “woman” is little more than a kid. She’s made a few mistakes probably on the back of really bad advice but the media are really chopping her up. I doubt very much that she’s got the capability to be manipulating the press and destroy her relationship at the same time.

    • The Cricket says:

      03:03pm | 10/03/10

      Peter Roebuck’s typically overly-elaborate prose aside, his basic point is correct. Michael Clarke is the vice-captain of the national cricket team. He is a professional being paid a substantial amount of money for this honour. And he has now pulled out of a tour - and thereby hurt the team and let down his team-mates - to deal with more of hbis girlfriend’s self-inflicted problems. It’s not like her mother has just died or she’s been diagnosed with cancer here. Her silliness is now starting to harm his career,
      I’m sure there are many woman with unstable partners who face the same dilemma. It’s not about gender, it’s about behaviour and responsibility.

      Reply

    • Jonathan Appleyard says:

      03:09pm | 10/03/10

      Like it or not, cricket is a team game and having the vice captain leave a tour to attend to a celebrity girlfriend upset by the media circus she’s created around her is just not on.

      The article by Peter Roebuck (although probably not one of his better articles) pointed out that Border, Taylor, Waugh and now Ponting were all long term captains of Australia who also happened to have stable off field relationships. A fact of life for the modern cricketer is spending so long away from home so it’s fair to assume you need stable relationships for family life to surviove and also to perform as an international cricketer. Players can’t leave tours midway through to patch up bruised egos or mend strained relationships, especially if they’re captain.

      It’s also worth remembering that Michael Clarke was acting captain when he passed judgment on Andrew Symonds for missing a training session to go fishing. Clarke put the team ahead of personal considerations on that occassion so he should probably have practiced what he preached on this occassion.

      Symonds’ career never recovered from that humiliation so the double standards being shown by Clarke here won’t win him any supporters.

      Reply

    • Mark says:

      03:44pm | 10/03/10

      Put it on context. Symonds was drunk most of the time (yeh I exaggerated). It was not 1 fishing trip that cost him. It was a litany of bad behaviour. Fishing was merely the straw.

    • BTS says:

      04:03pm | 10/03/10

      It was neither the fishing trip nor the litany of behaviour that caused the rift between Clarke and Symonds…but they won’t let me print the real reason.

    • jamie says:

      07:14pm | 10/03/10

      I too could post the major reason for the clarke/ symonds fall out, but like BTS i’m not sure that i should given the circumstances. However,  Symonds drinking was not the major issue.

    • glen says:

      11:42pm | 10/03/10

      rumour has it that ‘the train wreck’ also had an affair with Symons. Could that be the basis of the bitterness Clark has toward Symins?

    • Sam says:

      08:37am | 11/03/10

      @glen, oh really? did she? well that changes everything for me. If that rumour is true and if I was Clarkie, I’d get her pregnant and then kick her out just before she gives birth. It’s one thing to make a mistake in judgement and publicise a nude photo, but if she’s one of these “I’ll do what I want - type of girl” - throw her to the curb and good riddance. Nobody needs scum like that in their life.

    • acker says:

      03:12pm | 10/03/10

      Tors- one minor criticism for you to take on board about your above article. You failed to mention the name Brendan Fevola in it, and he is the person who instigated all these events by his total lack of respect, decency, privacy and Bingles trust in the first place. Fev should be de-listed by the AFL.

      Reply

    • BTS says:

      03:42pm | 10/03/10

      Fevola wasn’t mentioned because you can’t yet prove (a) that he was in any way responsible for the release of the photo, (b) what occurred between two consenting adults was their business (c) you may find that Bingle through her new agent released the photo. 

    • acker says:

      03:55pm | 10/03/10

      @BTS - it seems to be pretty obvious that some how the photo was distributed from Fevola’s phone after it was taken. One would assume that Fev had control of his phone.

    • BTS says:

      04:10pm | 10/03/10

      If you believe early reports acker (manis??? - I knew it was you!), Fev wasn’t in control of the phone, it wasn’t in his possession.  What if Markson released the photo of the eve of his taking over as her Manager, signing up the magazine deal, pushing her around the networks for a reality show and flogging her off as going to be bigger than Ben Hur.

    • acker says:

      05:14pm | 10/03/10

      @BTS ...no fly’s on you einstien, I suppose it was a ridiculous notion I had that Fev could control something as tricky as his mobile phone, suppose at Carlton the players used to throw them together into the middle after a party rather than their keys…..I reckon #21 for the red white and blue will get 3-4 goals and about 20 possesions on Saturday night smile

    • Throw Erbackclarkey says:

      09:14pm | 10/03/10

      “Fevola’s..Total lack of Respect, decency, privacy and Bingles Trust”?
      Poor little Lara, how could this happen to this poster girl for high moral standards? Just ask Fevola’s former wife Alex about how much respect, decency, privacy and trust Lara showed toward her. It was out of respect for the wife and child of the guy she was bonking that she didn’t want her photo taken. Saying no to a photo would have been a hard thing for the Bing.

    • Macca says:

      03:12pm | 10/03/10

      Wow Tors, I don’t know that I entirely agree with you, but geez your article reads a whole lot better than the drivel that Roebuck spewed out this morning. He has got to be the most out of touch Journo since Janet Albrechtson

      Gentlemen (and ladies for that matter), let me put it to you this way, if your wife, partner, daughter etc. had unconsented photos of them naked plastered all over the media-sphere, and they asked you to come home early (be it from overseas / work / whatever), would you honestly say no?

      Reply

    • Phil says:

      06:39pm | 10/03/10

      Macca

      She was sleeping with him at the time they were taken. Maybe young but having lost my wedding ring 3 years ago the rim is still evident even today I doubt she was that silly.

      She was I imagine looking to sleep her way to being famous.

      As for photos taken of the leader of the senate or my kids, I dont think so.

      They would not allow themselves to be in this position in the first place.

    • C. Harper says:

      06:51pm | 10/03/10

      If she’s stupid enough to date some moronic bogan football player that was already married with children at the time and stupid enough not to demand that he immediately delete the photo and whining about her boobies were seen by other people when she’s probably flashed more on a beach for the public to see (not that you can really see much in the photo) and then she gets $200,000 out of the contrived “scandal”........

      ........then, NO, I wouldn’t come home to ‘support’ her. She brought it on herself and I have more important things to do - like my job as Vice Captain of Australia afer having a pretty poor summer with the bat.

    • Throw Erbackclarkey says:

      09:24pm | 10/03/10

      As soon as she mentioned the bit about she just scammed $200k for selling her story to Womens Day I’d be home faster than you could say
      “Max Marxon’.

      “What have you done for me lately Lara… HALF!!!!!”

    • pC says:

      09:44am | 11/03/10

      the splashing out of the photo PUBLICLY was done by the women’s weekly, not B Fevola. Acknowledging 1. he should never had an affair with her and 2. shouldn’t have lost his secret phone, WW’s should be sued for making the photo public not poor old Fev

    • bella starkey says:

      03:15pm | 10/03/10

      What freaks me out is that she is only 22. She looks about 30!

      Reply

    • SLF says:

      03:23pm | 10/03/10

      Don’t think anyoen says He should not supprot his family in times of trouble.

      The issues is whether this leatest episode in the Bingle Media Circus is a time of trouble, or just another ploy by an attention seeking media wannabe in an attempt to remain in the spotlight.

      If any sports player want to head home for the birth of a child, ill family members or even for relationship problems then fair enough. The problem in this case is that their life toghether is such a circus, we wait for the next installment to come along. Seriusly what will be next as (from an ill informed speculative position wink ) i reckon Lara Bingle has 20 crises a day ranging from forgetting who she is, to failing to open a jar to losing her Aston.

      Reply

    • representing women says:

      03:20pm | 10/03/10

      I am a woman and irrespective of cricket, a well known sporting identities,  circulated text snaps I actually find lara bringle offensive. I do not for one minute find her advocating for ‘womens rights’ as she says is . It seems she has engaged whole heartedly in sexualised sale techniques - seductive bikini modelling (which I find boring and more offensive to any feminist movement). What exactly is her loss? and what about the wife that has to be reminded about this stuff? A litte bit of grace on everyone’s behalf?? possible?? Finally, one hit wonders making our media - just when I thought there were more pressing issues.

      Reply

    • Bob H says:

      03:28pm | 10/03/10

      Cricket should be thanking her, she has raised the sports profile (I did not even know Australia were playing).  In fact put her on the team, the empty stands would certainly be less embarrassingly empty.

      Reply

    • James says:

      03:34pm | 10/03/10

      Yep, typical womans view.  What my question is to you is who let you out of the kitchen and near the computer?

      Reply

    • rave rave rant 'n' rave says:

      04:00pm | 10/03/10

      James your comment begs the question….. who let you out of the cage and near humans!!!

    • Tory Maguire

      Tory Maguire says:

      04:01pm | 10/03/10

      Shh, I snuck out. Don’t tell anyone.

    • H of SA says:

      03:32pm | 10/03/10

      Tory, who is the quote:

      “quiet, dignified supporting role.”

      attributed to?

      I couldn’t find it anywhere in the words of Waugh or Roebuck

      Reply
    • Tory Maguire

      Tory Maguire says:

      03:46pm | 10/03/10

      Sorry, it’s in Robert Craddock’s piece in The Telegraph today. I read it in the paper and couldn’t find it online.

    • H of SA says:

      03:47pm | 10/03/10

      cool thanks

    • julia says:

      03:33pm | 10/03/10

      Roebuck’s an idiot. Bingle isn’t beautiful. But the rest of what he said is about right.

      Reply

    • Island View says:

      03:37pm | 10/03/10

      Tors - you seemed to have changed your tune since your response to my comment on Colgo’s post late yesterday?

      Reply
    • Tory Maguire

      Tory Maguire says:

      03:47pm | 10/03/10

      I will confess to some shameless fence sitting yesterday… I was clearly undecided. But this post goes more to the reaction from the male cricket writers and commentators than Clarke’s actions. I guess they annoyed me into my current position.

    • BTS says:

      03:51pm | 10/03/10

      So Tory,

      You have been ‘annoyed into your current position’...emotions affecting your job?

      Wanna play cricket for Australia?

    • formersnag & tired of the male haters. says:

      03:54pm | 10/03/10

      I see that you did not reply to my comment either Tors.

    • Tory Maguire

      Tory Maguire says:

      04:02pm | 10/03/10

      Sorry Formersnag - I just had no idea what you were talking about

    • formersnag & tired of contradictive femanism. says:

      08:03am | 11/03/10

      Touche Tors, fauxmanista debating tactic #1, ignore a debate when there is no answer. # 2, attack the messenger, but with oblique/indirect sarcasm. # 3, make yourself appear innocent as well with implied, self deprecation by starting your sentence with “i don’t understand”, “sweet, little girlie me”. As Mr Burns would say, “excellent”.

      But seriously, 2 wrongs don’t make a right. People behaving badly, are people behaving badly, etc, etc, etc, the gender wars should not be brought into it.

    • RJB says:

      03:44pm | 10/03/10

      Clarke has not demonstrated what is needed to be an Australia test captain. Maybe it is time he took his brat and balls and bailed out.

      Reply

    • Matt Dee says:

      03:52pm | 10/03/10

      Quite frankly I’m completely over the game of cricket. I’ve gone from a cricket tragic to not having watched a ball bowled the last three seasons. The Australian cricket team have become whinges, sore losers and ungracious winners. We’ve got members of the team prancing around like they’re movie stars, dopes such as Mitchel Johnson head butting players and a captain who couldn’t lead a horse to water let alone a cricket team. Not to mention ADC (attention deficit cricket) 20/20 that is. Lawn bowls is looking good.

      Reply

    • Sam Chowder says:

      04:31pm | 10/03/10

      You may find lawn bowls too frantic after cricket, try golf first

    • peter warrington says:

      10:06pm | 10/03/10

      Matt, I think there’s some horseshit in that. Katich, Hussey, Hauritz and Hilf are normal blokes. Watson has had the odd pork-chop moment but he IS the new Keith Miller so I expect him to cal down when the shock wears off. The glass is either half-full or empty with Ponting; I say half-full - he’s not as bad or as grumpy as many say, gives a cracking concession speech for someone with such little practice etc. can’t captain for shit (supposedly) but only Ian Chappell has done better in a transitional epoch. North is completely inoffensive if he would shut his big mouth - with the media. he shouldn’t be in the team so should just hide and take the cheques. Clarke has the best left arm since John Inverarity. Can’t remember him stuffing up except the non-walk at the SCG. Haddin is a ripper sledger by all acounts but I love his off-driving. he’s no better or worse at the gab than Marsh, Healy or Gilly I would say. Siddle likes a chat but so did Lillee, Thommo, Lenny, Hoggy, Henry, Merv etc. It comes with the territory. and i’ve got a terrible crush on Mitchell, his headbutt was rank and unforgivable, but i forgive him anyway.

      I thought they’d be unwatchable minus the compelling Warne and the genisu of McGrath. but Watson’s pure strokeplay is so 1970s I can’t cope. and wondering whether Mitchell or Bll Johnston will turn up is absorbing.

      certainly the team is less arrogant for the removal of Hayden, Symonds and Lee. and the self-worth of J Langer in his last couple of seasons.

      as for all of the media shit that started this blog, ignore it. watch the game, read cricinfo (especially the archive), love your cats. life remains a simple game.

      cheers
      pete

    • shane says:

      04:05pm | 10/03/10

      hi tory,you are way off the mark,bingle must like geting her face on the tv anyway she can and tell me tory if she was so upset with the photos why did she just sell them for $200,000 and gave a full interview!! she want the world to look at her but just as long as they are paying for it!!!!! she is a sad lonley girl!!! clarke should do the smart thing and dump her like a bad habbit!!! he may then get his mind on cricket instead of worrying about what else is going tocome out of the closet!!!!

      Reply

    • BTS says:

      04:19pm | 10/03/10

      With respect to the whole issue, Lara Bingle is only 22.  At just 22, you don’t make sound judgements when you are this young and if anything, people should take this into account when judging her.

      Reply

    • rave rave rant 'n' rave says:

      04:31pm | 10/03/10

      So you are a patient in a hospital and a nurse of 22 years of age is to care for you medicate and make decisions that are of a life and death issue directly affecting you…..“with respect to the whole issue”....don’t judge the typical 22 with Bingle….get it!!

    • BTS says:

      05:34pm | 10/03/10

      Rant,

      You should try going to a hospital that has Doctors who make these life and death decisions.

      I wasn’t judging ‘all’ 22 year olds, I am saying that it’s understandable she makes (gross) errors of judgement at her age…get it?

    • Horthy says:

      05:37pm | 10/03/10

      So, she shouldn’t be driving a car yet either?

    • rave rave rant 'n' rave says:

      05:57pm | 10/03/10

      Is that right so you are an expert on hospitals and the roles that WE nurses make…...perchance? let me assure you that is us who are there 24/7 with the patient not the doctor!!!!

    • rave rave rant 'n' rave says:

      06:02pm | 10/03/10

      BTS read your own post before you start frothing at the mouth!!  “At just 22, you don’t make sound judgements when you are this young” So endeth the lesson!!

    • Kate says:

      12:24pm | 11/03/10

      I’m 21 and I know it’s sleazy, disgusting and a crappy thing to do to sleep with a married man. At 22 she’s been an adult for four years now, and unless she has some kind of mental deficiency she should have some degree of common sense.

    • Shama says:

      04:23pm | 10/03/10

      God why is everyone going on about the Bingle manipulating the media…judging from the posts, sports fans seem to live with the illusion that the sports-industrial complex does not exist and everything is as gentlemanly and pristine as in some old pre pre WAG era. Which would have been the amateur era where people would have been praised for snucking off and attending to life instead of being paid obscene amounts to play, endorsing every product around and ensuring that sports fans get their daily fix.

      And yes, Peter Roebuck has been sounding derailed for a long time (remember all that Aus-India hoopla).

      Reply

    • Col says:

      04:21pm | 10/03/10

      Why don’t you ust bloody well shut up Tory? And get me a beer, too ...

      Reply

    • Davido says:

      04:25pm | 10/03/10

      I think you could apply Border’s comments to a lot of careers:

      ‘“If you want to go the long journey in cricket - football - law - music - corporate life….  you either have to have a smooth relationship or be single – anything in between is a nightmare.”

      So true of many things. A shame really.

      Reply

    • Phil says:

      06:52pm | 10/03/10

      Davido

      Very true.

      I often tell my wife that I need a supportive personal assistant to be more successful. If that makes me a male pig then so be it. WHen she does it our income grows substantially.

      I dont mean it in a demeaning way, and she gets the spoils when the cash comes in, but I will often bark commands many times a day which she happily does. She knows I love her and cannot do what i do without her help even though she does not know my job nor could do it, but the simply things make such a difference.

    • bec says:

      07:14am | 11/03/10

      Phil, you are on the money! I treat my fiance exactly the same as how you treat your wife. Does that make me a strong leader or a harridan? Keep me in the loop on this.

    • Sam says:

      04:27pm | 10/03/10

      A young woman is entitled to a few mistakes in judgement (choosing to sell her side of the story rather than escaping to New York/Paris/Milan - wherever is her favourite shopping hangout - for a couple of weeks until the story is dead). Her intentions are in the right place (ie. wanting to stand up to this type of humiliation). Even cashing in on its own isn’t always a bad idea. I think Clarkie should be here supporting her and the cricket can simply wait. If he’s “marriage material”, he needs to put his girl before his cricket, or she’ll find someone else who’ll be there when he’s not. A woman like Lara is bound to be a tad demanding and requires more attention than most, but who’s to say she isn’t worth it… It takes a fiesty girl to turn a boy into a man, but it takes a man with a big heart to tame the fiesty woman. If he cares more about his cricket, then he’s not a reliable man.

      The solution for Clarkie is to put one in the oven, that’ll get her mind off other matters. Good luck Clarkie, don’t be selfish when she needs your support. You’ve got to prove that your heart is big enough to handle her issues as well as yours without even raising a sweat, and even though she might have dealt with it better to begin with, it’s your role to “be on her side”.

      Obviously my wife has me wrapped around her little finger, can’t you tell. BTW - cricket? seriously - get a life.

      Reply

    • BTS says:

      05:36pm | 10/03/10

      You were typing as the Missus dictated, weren’t you Sam.

    • Sam says:

      08:03am | 11/03/10

      @BTS, yeah I realise it sounds like that, but it’s really more a case of a man who has learnt that people are entitled to make mistakes and if we care about them we should support them in their time of need rather than opportunistically get on our high horse. If he kicks her out, it’ll be a case of him being unable to handle the situation, and that’s no way to treat someone who you care about. Is his heart big enough? or is his brain preoccupied with ball games?

    • Miche says:

      01:10pm | 11/03/10

      *giggle* You said ‘ball’.

      Just matching the puerile tenor of this whole debate.

      (I agree with you though)

    • Pablo says:

      05:24pm | 10/03/10

      Good on Michael Clark for being his own man, if he’s so in love with the young lady, that he needs to, or wants to be by her side, so what? it’s his call, It shows a lot of maturity, especially knowing the backlash this would bring, as far as I can see he was never going to please 100% of the people so he chose to please himself.
      PS. Michael Clarks error here is, that he’s young, well paid, good looking and on top of that has a equally good looking partner, HOW DARE HE!. Lets bring him down a notch..
      It’s that other favourite aussie pass time..

      Reply

    • me says:

      05:48pm | 10/03/10

      Well said Pablo.

      This article is nothing more than femi-nazi ranting.

      Reply

    • Simon the Pieman says:

      06:11pm | 10/03/10

      Is this Australia 2010 we are in? all this fuss over a couple of low res white pointers

      Reply

    • julia says:

      06:32pm | 10/03/10

      At the very least, this topic has made me laugh. Thanks. I needed it today.

      Reply

    • Madeleine says:

      06:45pm | 10/03/10

      Good article, Tory. Men really do seem to threatened, and women jealous, of Lara, as evidenced in the replies you got to this post. The way she’s being treated, you’d think that it was her that circulated the photo.

      Reply

    • Jake Roberts says:

      07:12pm | 10/03/10

      There is a distinct possibility that she, or people acting for her, supplied the photo to the magazine, with which she later negotiated a six-figure deal. The whole thing reeks of a well-orchestrated publicity stunt, designed to get her in the headlines and have people talking about her.

    • Grandma says:

      09:28pm | 10/03/10

      Jealous of Lara?  I’ve heard that a bit in this mess, and I don’t know any woman who’s jealous of Lara. Everything she does gets into the news, and the whole of Australia knows who she’s slept with.. who’d want that? And anyone who thinks other women are jealous because she’s young and very pretty…I really thought we’d evolved past judging any woman only by her looks.

    • Marto says:

      03:43pm | 11/04/10

      Madeleine, us men do not feel threatened by a dumb 22 y.o. star shagger, but thanks for the broad brush assessment.  People, male and female, detest this idiot because she is a self-absorbed, soulless skank who has banged half of the Eastern suburbs.  You want to know why he dumped her?  When he flew to NZ, she flew to QLD and hooked up with Taj Burrow, and he filmed the escapade.  As he is mates with Fevola, he sent the video to Fev and he forwarded it onto Clarke so he could finally see that she is the town bike.

      Dirty trollops like her deserve every bit of condemnation and scorn.  She chased the fame, but did nothing to deserve it and we are all seeing her for her true colours.

      Put your cigarette lighter and bra down, and open your eyes.

    • Melody says:

      07:00pm | 10/03/10

      “The smoothness of the relationship, however, seems to rest on the shoulders of the woman at home. The “dignified”, “supportive”, “low profile”, woman.”

      Bullshit.

      What about Lee Furlong?

      Reply

    • Helen says:

      07:07pm | 10/03/10

      People on this thread, how old are you? Yes, LB is a bimbo who is deeply unlikeable in her present incarnation, although a lot of us were a lot more egotistical and less likeable when we were only in our early twenties. She gives me the shits if the truth be known and I have no liking at all for homewreckers. However, most grownups are aware that some concepts, like CONSENT, do not depend on the person being likeable. LB’s photo was taken in the shower without her consent and it was circulated to the entire world without her consent. That is wrong, and whether or not you think she’s a silly animated Bratz doll has nothing to do with it.

      Reply

    • Dolly Fierce says:

      02:41pm | 11/03/10

      Helen, LB is no home wrecker. Mrs Fevola has had a string of affairs that are well known in some circles here in Melbourne. Its not publicised because no one cares.  However I agree with your point!

    • Helen says:

      07:21pm | 10/03/10

      often tell my wife that I need a supportive personal assistant to be more successful. If that makes me a male pig then so be it. WHen she does it our income grows substantially.
      I dont mean it in a demeaning way, and she gets the spoils when the cash comes in, but I will often bark commands many times a day which she happily does. She knows I love her and cannot do what i do without her help even though she does not know my job nor could do it, but the simply things make such a difference.[END QUOTE]

      She doesn’t “get the spoils”, she has fairly earned a share of your mutual earnings by her labour. And she doesn’t deserve to get barked at. You’re an abuser.

      Reply

    • Mrs K says:

      10:19pm | 10/03/10

      I think this debate somehow misses the key point. It’s not about the ‘quiet, stay at home’ part of the equation. Rather, it’s about dignity ... and class. If she had a public life like, say, oh that dignified & very classy lady Sarah Murdoch, no one would bat an eye. I’ll let everyone elses comments about her speak volumes for how she is perceived - it says enough without another adding to it.
      However, I sincerely hopes she learns from this; no doubt this will be a growth experience for her. And I hope, as a public, we will be kind to her when she does exhibit those key behaviours - she’s young and everyone deserves a second chance.

    • Alex says:

      05:39am | 11/03/10

      What the hell are you talking about?

    • Bob Jones says:

      08:17pm | 10/03/10

      I Just broke up with my fiance because I am a garbadge collector will some one pay me 200 grand to get my story out. From Bob the Garbo

      Reply

    • Brett L says:

      08:43pm | 10/03/10

      I think what this is really about is that Clarke had the final straw, and his team mates told him to go and do the deed (dump her). It woun’t look right to do it by text message or phone. So the guys probably said go and tell her face to face. That’s the honourable way, and cricket is honourable.

      Reply

    • peter warrington says:

      09:53pm | 10/03/10

      i reckon it’s all a smokescreen put up by North and his lackey, Hilditch. The equal worstest selection in my lifetime, up there with bringing Martyn back in ‘06. and bringing Dougie back to drop him 6 tests later in ‘81. and not taking a leggie to the Windies in 84. and taking Graeme Beard to england in ‘81. and not taking Graeme Watson to the Windies in 73.

      Reply

    • Mat says:

      10:27pm | 10/03/10

      The cricket world is not threatened by a 22 year old, they are frustrated that an individual with an obsession for fame is generating unwanted attention on one of our national sporting teams. This is not a gender issue. This is not a sport issue either. They are people with a genuine interest in one aspect of life, and wanting a paid employee to perform at their best. If Liz Ellis had married an undignified, unsupportive drama-king and his behaviour caused her to quit the team mid tour, all the netball commentators would be frustrated by his impact on the team. If an accountant was not performing and had to rush home during tax time, his employers would be concerned.

      Success in our professional lives, whatever our pursuits, is significantly affected by the stability of our private lives, regardless of gender

      Reply

    • cam says:

      10:34pm | 10/03/10

      LB says, ” Honey, they’re being mean in the media to me, come home and support me, I need you”
      MC says, ” You said you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
      LB says, ” I was embarrassed and just wanted it to go away and I thought it had until that photo appeared, then Max said lets sell the story and you can defend yourself as well “
      MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
      LB says, ” I didn’t want a scandal and I love you and I can’t wait to marry you”
      MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
      LB says, ” If you really love me, you’ll come home and support me, there’s media outside our house and I feel lonely and scared, I need you “
      MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you, and YES, I’m coming home now”
      LB says, ” Thanks baby, I love you “

      MC thinks ,” my fiancee lied to me “

      This is about trust and honesty…not cricket.

      Reply

    • Kate says:

      10:49am | 11/03/10

      Umm, she said publically years ago that she did have an affair with him, so Clarke definitely knew about it. I think it’s cool that he’s putting his fiance above his career, even if that’s not ‘traditional’ for Aussie cricket. It was his decision and I think it was a good one. At first I thought ‘why didn’t she go there and get away from the media?’, but then I thought that having Lara Bingle in the stands while the media are in a frenzy back home would mean that all the coverage of the game just would have been on her instead.

      She claims she thought Fev was separated from his wife at the time. Or that she didn’t know he was married in the first place. Can’t remember which. If that was the case then she’s done nothing wrong, but who knows? From these comments most people don’t believe her, but maybe everyone here is just nasty. I’m not ready to assume that she’s a filthy cheater-enabler just because she’s a bimbo, one has nothing to do with the other. But no one’s looking very good out this!

      I do have to say that you can tell just from the picture that she didn’t want it to be taken. She says she was told it was deleted, and was she really going to check his phone to be sure? (Then of course she’d be invading his privacy and get trashed even more!) Either way, the photo thing was wrong. I kind of doubt she ‘released’ it herself though, no need since by all accounts it’s been available to the media for years.

    • cam says:

      10:37pm | 10/03/10

      LB says, ” Honey, they’re being mean in the media to me, come home and support me, I need you”
      MC says, ” You said you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
      LB says, ” I was embarrassed and just wanted it to go away and I thought it had until that photo appeared, then Max said lets sell the story and you can defend yourself as well “
      MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
      LB says, ” I didn’t want a scandal and I love you and I can’t wait to marry you”
      MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
      LB says, ” If you really love me, you’ll come home and support me, there’s media outside our house and I feel lonely and scared, I need you “
      MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you, and YES, I’m coming home now”
      LB says, ” Thanks baby, I love you “

      MC thinks ,” my fiancee lied to me “

      This is about trust and honesty…not cricket.

      Reply

    • Ben says:

      10:54pm | 10/03/10

      perpective people. he is a nice young man who can throw a bit of wood at a piece of leather engaged to a good sort who likes to make money out of taking her gear off and seems to have recruited a bad pr agency. not exactly what I would call heroes (both of them) ........or role models. and as for the commentators, are just describing what the common people think and that is popular opinion about sportspeople or scantily clad models. who cares? where are the real people in all of this?

      Reply

    • Adrian Kirkby says:

      11:19pm | 10/03/10

      2 points- 1st DAMN RIGHT!!!! 2nd- There are plenty of good cricketers in OZ, leave him & find another!!!!

      Reply

    • jed says:

      03:58am | 11/03/10

      when she makes boneheaded decisions to be managed by a turd like max markson, this is the outcome. no markson and they’d probably still be together.

      Reply

    • KS says:

      06:08am | 11/03/10

      I’ve always wondered what the price for total loss of credibility and utter stupidity was. APPARENTLY,... it’s $200,000 smile

      Reply

    • stiffy says:

      06:35am | 11/03/10

      Now that they have busted up it will be New Ideas turn to tell HER side of the story.$$$$ then it will be the mens magazine spread.$$$$. then the my new love with (insert leading sportsmans name )story$$$$$ then the “why I still love Michael” story$$$$ then the .............

      Reply

    • BTS says:

      06:46am | 11/03/10

      Less your agent’s fee…

      Reply

    • @BlokesLib says:

      07:36am | 11/03/10

      Ah Tory I think you got this one totally wrong. A part of any relationship is respect. Respect for your partner and in this case respect for the responsibilities he maintains within his job. Whether it’s cricket or the controller of a nuclear reactor it doesn’t matter. There are situations in this world where you can’t expect a partner to come running every time you throw a temper tantrum.
      From where I sit it appears that the absurd amount’s of money involved, the whole country telling her how amazingly hot she is, the endless supply of practically brain dead men turning to jelly in her presence has created a monster. A spoiled child most likely fits the illustration best.
      Lara’s activities and media stirring during the past few weeks has shown little regard to the commitment he has shown by building a relationship with her. It’s shown next to no consideration for the ramifications to his career. If you plan to be the future wife of the future cricket captain representing the country, then a certain level of decorum is expected. I’m not sure if the relationship should be disbanded but if nothing else it should be a wake-up call that life in public circles contains certain expectations and responsibilities.

      Reply

    • chas_in_aus says:

      08:08am | 11/03/10

      Looks like our overpaid lads in baggy green have egos which are more fragile than the pitches they play on plus they couple these with an outdated chauvanistic view of relationships (male domination).  One is an anchronism while the other a sad reflection on modern entertainment.

      Sport is more about entertainment and revenue than physical prowess and achievement these days.

      Reply

    • Rob says:

      09:26am | 11/03/10

      Are you for real, mate? Today’s cricketer plays FAR MORE cricket than any other generation of cricketers. That is a solid-gold fact. And you sit there saying it’s LESS about physical prowess and achievement? Wow.

    • Average Joe says:

      08:18am | 11/03/10

      They’re both very rich young people, most likely not stressing over a mortgage, this quarter’s electricity bill or junior’s school fees, and are both sufficiently attractive to pull almost any member of the opposite sex that they would want to.
      They don’t really have a need - read that right….need…to be committed to one another. Maybe at some point there was a want, but that’s no longer there. So they move on and we should hope they each live happily ever after…...because at the end of the day these aren’t bad people who do harm to others or threaten the public.
      Can we now move on as well please?

      Reply

    • Jonno says:

      09:10am | 11/03/10

      @ Average Joe - That’s the most sensible thing said on this string. A lot of other peeps get so fired up here that they seem to have a lot of angst inside themselves. Enjoy life peeps and smile more - it’s too short to be angry

    • Passing Wind says:

      08:35am | 11/03/10

      Bingle is just a publicity seeking ‘celebrity’ who is milking the situation for all it is worth. How else could she manage front page exposure, etc. Woman’s magazines will be queueing up to buy her story and it might even lead to a job. Who knows?

      I’m quite sure she could afford a ticket to go and visit her boyfriend anywhere in the world rather than demand he drop his bat and run.  Doesn’t make sense, though, that he dropped his team, rushed home and then dropped his marriage plans. Sort of a lose, lose situation

      As for Clark? Not being a cricket nut I don’t care whether he burns his bat and enters a monastery, but he had a responsibility to his team and he blew it.

      Reply

    • George Grubar says:

      09:18am | 11/03/10

      Scared of Bingle?....lol…more like embarressed…..she’s clueless.  Women she be scared of her for portraying such a ditzy, self-aborbed attitude…...

      nice try

      Reply

    • Rob says:

      09:20am | 11/03/10

      Bingle is clearly a liability not because she’s not “plain, quiet, tolerant” to use Tori’s suggested ideal wife for a cricketer in this semi-feminist rant, but because she’s a nightmare in general. She’s famous for being famous. She associates with the wrong people, including “colourful Sydney nightclub identities”. She kept shopping herself around sportsmen until she found one that would have her. Here’s a wake-up call Tori—none of this is very endearing for ANY husband—it doesn’t matter whether you’re destined to me the next Aussie cricket captain, or just the bloke who lives around the corner. Pretty soon the dollybird image wears thin and you realise you’re left with very little real substance. I’m sure that’s what Clarkie’s just woken up to.

      Reply

    • Weary says:

      09:56am | 11/03/10

      What a stupid piece of garbage, dressed up like a prissy tart, and passed off as opinion.  Can’t tell if you’re upset because you burned your favourite bra or whether it just really really really bothers you that you can’t provoke the same kind of response from males?  Either way, no-one cares, you had your little rant, got paid, now go buy yourself something pretty.

      Reply

    • Jim says:

      10:18am | 11/03/10

      “Grown men threatened by a 22-year-old model”
      Says it all, doesn’t it. Move on sister! You feminists are a dime a dozen!

      Reply

    • Chris McKay says:

      10:29am | 11/03/10

      Bingle is a walking nightmare for any relationship.
      Rumours are constantly circled she ‘plays the market’ when Clarke was not around, she slept with a married man and continually coverts her time in the lime light and it has finally bitten her right where it hurts - the wallet.
      Bingle is concerend about two things in life - cash flow and status. Both of which are about to really take a hit.
      No one has sympathy for a spoilt princess who lives the high life and tries to play the victim.

      Reply

    • Leon says:

      11:04am | 11/03/10

      All I’m wondering is how this pointless ‘controversey’, coupled to the equally meaningless Fevola photo ‘scandal’ is going to make people think any less of her than they already do?

      Reply

    • Traxster says:

      11:30am | 11/03/10

      model ??
      model??
      more like Australia’s answer to Paris Hilton !!

      Reply

    • James says:

      11:54am | 11/03/10

      It’s funny how people can somehow find a way to turn any issue into an issue of feminism. This is not a case of misogyny, and is certainly not a case of grown men feeling threatened by a 22 year old model. The funny thing is if the roles were reversed and we were talking about a female sporting star and her boyfriend who was causing her all sorts of grief and humiliation, we’d have the same journalists demanding that she not give him the time of day and that she not let his indiscretions get in the way of her successful career, especially if she was aspiring to captain her national team. They also wouldn’t be defending him like they are defending Lara in this case, they would be screaming for the woman to leave him to show the world that she’s independant or whatever convenient bullshit spin they want to put on it.  At the end of the day, whether any of them want to admit it or not, it’s got a lot to do with the fact that some women desperately want to feel as if they are victimized by society. Not to mention insecurity and selfishness. Michael Clarke has done the right thing leaving her, for himself and his career.

      Reply

    • Uttrai says:

      11:56am | 11/03/10

      “I’ve been thinking for a while now that the Australian cricket team and the huge machinery around it contained a bunch of over-paid, under-developed, spoiled brats ...”

      Tory, You should think longer and harder before writing such a degrading remark about a group of men from such a distance.  You are not helping feminism causes by publishing such a poorly written article. In fact, you do more harm than good. Imagine the uproar if someone substitutes the “Australian cricket team” from the above quote with a one that denotes a group of women. Go equality.

      Reply

    • George says:

      12:05pm | 11/03/10

      I don’t think this concept is exclusive to cricket.
      Military wives, big business executives wives and a whole bunch of women in between are expected to put up with the indulgences of their husbands careers. When the wife/girl friends don’t behave they way they are expected to men move on. And just like Michale Clarke (will) they take a week off to sort it out and then its back to work. That is why there is a first wife club

      Reply

    • Gerry Sinclair says:

      12:25pm | 11/03/10

      Too much criticism of Lara’s behaviour not enough focus on Clarkes.
      Cant blame her for trying, can blame him for being weak as ...

      Interesting though how many of the fairer sex think it is wonderful that a man would consider destroying his career just for them, shades of the chauvinist Knight in white shining armour thing I presume, and I thought you girls said you were all over that!
      Wonder what the situation would be if the roles were reversed?
      Actually I dont wonder I know exactly what the respnse would be and it would not be Clarkes.

      Bob Dylan summed it up decades ago “gave her my heart, but she wanted my soul!”

      Bottom line to me is that Clarke has shown that he is indeed just a “pup” and is not mature enough to handle an adult relationship or the Captaincy of the Australian Cricket team
      Re the latter there have been other instances providing evidence of that for anyone who is observant or cared to look - the removal of Australia’s most exciting cricketer Andrew Symonds as mentioned by some, merely being one of them, the Simon Katich episode another but there are more.

      Reply

    • Andy says:

      12:31pm | 11/03/10

      This ‘story’ (garbage) highlights the following

      1) Australians are far too obsessed with Sport (and don’t get me wrong, I love my Cricket and footy, but I only care with what happens ON the field)
      2) Australia is such a small and isolated country that we have a Z-grade celebrity get more than a week’s worth of publicity for essentially doing nothing.
      3) Australians is becoming more and more like America everyday - Trash.
      4) Too many stereotypes still exist in our society… there are 22 year olds that are a lot more mature than a fair few 55 year olds in society (don’t get me wrong… Bingle is white trash and has the maturity of a 12 year old, but there are a lot of successful 22 or younger aged people that are doing great jobs/things in our community that no one ever really hears about)
      5) Most Celebrity’s and Sportspeople have no real concept of the real world.

      Reply

    • Bogart says:

      12:42pm | 11/03/10

      I stopped following cricket 7-8 years ago, the Australian team are a bunch of exclusive ‘mates’ who whinge like the POM, play dirty like the Italians then cry foul.

      But in this respect, they are professional sportsmen, and have responsibilities.  Lara should of known what she was getting into. 

      A partner being ‘“dignified”, “supportive”, “low profile”, goes for both sex.

      Otherwise you’re just hurting/hindering your partner.  If you can’t do that, then you shouldnt be together,

      Reply

    • Carl says:

      12:49pm | 11/03/10

      You’ve gotta be kidding me.

      This whole article is built on your one sentence of presumption, “According to Peter Roebuck, Robert Craddock, Mark Waugh, and just about every other bloke with an opinion on this”. Well EVERYONE doesn’t include me and I think Michael Clarke was pretty sure he knew what he was getting in to.

      I don’t think Lara ‘ex-mistress to brendan fevola’ Bingle was ever giving off any rays of sunshine that Michael was confused by.

      Get a grip Tory!

      You think Michael is scared???

      Maybe think about this… how about making a decision not to write about topics that should be left to the privacy of someones relationship. A journo doing that… Now THAT is scary!

      Reply

    • Bryan says:

      12:50pm | 11/03/10

      Tory, age and experience, whilst not always the governing factors - play a great part in being able to look at (relationship) situations - sometimes in hindsight - and deduce that some will work and some will not. There are some women that are voodoo for some men and there are some men that are voodoo for some women. Also, there are some men and women that are voodoo for everyone. Maturity allows you to work out which men and women fit where.

      Reply

    • QLDer says:

      12:53pm | 11/03/10

      While I do think there are some over-the-top expectations of the type of life which should be embraced by the partners of sportsman, I think that holding Lara Bingle up as a shining beacon of wronged womanhood and a champion of the feminist cause is a terrible mistake. Thus far she’s made a career (YES, career) out of removing her clothes, adhering herself to famous men and then crying victim. Let’s just stop and ask ourselves when these pictures were taken….............okay so have we remembered? Oh that’s right, it was in the course of a relationship with a married man. But I didn’t KNOW he was married, cries the poor wronged little miss, despite the fact a 2 second google search would have told her otherwise. So here we have case number one of her being the naked, celeb velcro, victim. Then, she hooks up with Clarke, pics of her are released which show her scantily clad that were taken for a magazine (which she posed for!) and she wants to take them to court for violating her - naked, celeb velcro, victim case two. THEN after she is forgotten (again), upstaged and outclassed….out come the years old pics of her starkers in the shower taken by the afforementioned married man and lo and behold she’s realeased a statement within a blink of an eye saying she’ll take him to court for violating her privacy and betraying her.Really honey, he’s a married man….we’re you expecting a lifetime of fidelity and flowers? Go ask his wife about betrayal. So there’s the NCVV case three. But wait….how did these pics come to light now? Presumably Fevola hasn’t held onto them for this long and suddenly sent them around. Coincidence that they come to light just as we’ve slipped into a Bingle-free existance. I doubt it.

      Stoic and conventional she may have been, but at least Jane McGrath never spent her time working hard to be a victim, despite the hurdles life threw at her. I doubt anyone expects the man to choose a staid and martyr like wife, but surely a little decency isn’t much to ask for?

      As for it’s effect on his career, if Shane Warne still has a career despite his carry on, I think the bland and self-promoting Clarke will survive. Not our loss if he doesn’t.

      Reply

    • Jamers Hunter says:

      01:18pm | 11/03/10

      If the press stayed out of their hair this would be unimportant and everyone could get on with life.
      who in the media is going to step up to the plate? (sorry crease) cant see that happening,

      Reply

    • Sydney Dude says:

      01:40pm | 11/03/10

      I take issue with the sardonic nature of your third last paragraph “not the way things are meant to happen”.You dont get out of you claims that easily.Couples who are far apart for a long time can have problems trying to maintain relationships.Your hideous and disgraceful lasooing of Brett Lee’ and his former wife’s personal trevails has no place here, you are so far out of line to be less a journalist , more a pimp.Finally, I take issue with your comments in the last paragraph that if Clarke wants to be Captain of Australia he needs ” a nice plain, quiet, tolerant girl son – if you want to captain your country”. Regardless of the complex mix of personalities ( and character) that make for relationships you so disdainfully simplify by your comments, to stupify men, what Clarke has done is end a relationship.This, clearly was not the relationship that would last. Dont try and make out because of the way it fell apart it is more than that or some beacon for the tired rant of Cricket vs the wives or Men vs. Women.

      How about just being honest enough to recognise in your spiel that Clarke no longer loves Bingle enough to MARRY the woman.Is this personal relationship really worthy of your and Roebuck’s faux hypothesising any more than the next bunch of prominent Australian’s?.What is less interesting to you is that two people have ended a relationship, but that the sleaze you feed is grist for the mill.

      They seem like nice people and all the best to them in life.

      Reply

    • Sydney Dude says:

      01:50pm | 11/03/10

      I really thing some of the comments about Lara Bingle are just completely out of order.

      Cowards the lot of you.

      I hope you have a happy life Lara and meet the right bloke wherever he is from.Bunker down with your oldest and best friends, get away and come back stronger.

      Reply

    • Andrew says:

      04:17pm | 11/03/10

      I know a bloke she could bunker down with .. Tiger Woods. Now that’s a story!

      Isn’t 15 minutes up on this yet?

    • Stevo says:

      07:01pm | 11/03/10

      Who says she has not already. Hasn’t everyone?

    • Julie Coker-Godson says:

      02:06pm | 11/03/10

      @SHH! Clueless women says:08:13pm | 10/03/10:  I did not compare Lara Bingle with the Princess of Wales.  I did, however, ask if anyone remembered the “resultant outcome” of her relationship with the Media i.e. being chased by media on bikes and being killed in the process.  Please read carefully before hitting the keypad.  The fact is that there are times when the media start frothing at the mouth so much over a story that they will do anything to get a “scoop”.  Frothing at the mouth over a couple’s private lives is appalling in my view and has nothing to do with feminism.  The cricketing fraternity *is* patronising towards women:  love them on the red carpet but stay home and keep quiet otherwise.  I love cricket but have lost respect for some within its ranks regardless of whether they are past or present players. And to answer another Puncher’s question, yes I would consider losing interest in watching, due to a lack of respect for the prevalent attitudes towards women.  I am no feminist, believe me, but I find this hard to take.  This constant media bashing of this young woman is in my humble opinion the equivalent of bullying.

      Reply

    • Julie Coker-Godson says:

      07:28pm | 11/03/10

      http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/clarke-and-bingles-high-speed-drama/story-e6freuy9-1225839680773
      Please click onto this link and read the story.  This is what I was concerned about.  Will someone get killed because the paparazzi want a story?  Is it not enough that this couple may have separated because of all this?  Like I said in my earlier post, “does anyone remember the Princess of Wales v. the Media and the resultant outcome?”.Shame, shame, shame.

    • S.L says:

      04:24pm | 11/03/10

      Now we see Michael Clarke selected in the test team against New Zealand when his heart and energy is concentrating on something else and players like Dave Warner, who only has to walk out to the pitch to get the crowd shaking in expectation for what is about to happen don’t get a look in. Sink or swim, crash and burn or belt the ball everywhere bar the next suburb, he’s the only Aussie cricketer this season I’ve seen that stirs a crowd like Warnie, Dougie Walters or Lillee and Thommo from days gone by.
      The life of a touring cricketer isn’t fair on a partner in my view but no one holds a gun to their heads!

      Reply

    • Old Bert says:

      04:39pm | 11/03/10

      Michael Clarke ought not desert this beautiful creature sent from heaven, not take his bat and ball and go home, after all, he should remember Lara’s theme,
      ” You’ll come to me out of the long-ago
      Warm as the wind, soft as the kiss of snow
      Till then, my sweet, think of me now and then
      Godspeed, my love, till you are mine again”.

      Ah, the joys and agony’s of young love.

      Reply

    • isis says:

      06:29pm | 11/03/10

      Lara sold a story about a nude photo and set up with Max Markson. You can’t go much lower.

      Reply

    • sha says:

      06:45pm | 11/03/10

      Poor Lara..she will never win.Not pretty enough.Not smart enough.Not sensible enough.Not tall enough. As a mum it breaks my heart to read the sheer nastiness today.Then again, I haven’t watched cricket since the first day night match whatever year that was.The cricketers today are all business men.No personality,no larrakin…. no anything really…..as cold as last nights custard.Now ...Lara makes me laugh ....as i watch her making fools of all of you.smile

      Reply

    • Mike says:

      07:45pm | 11/03/10

      I think you’ve got it wrong, Tory. I’m a strongly feminist male but I really think it’s not too much to expect for one partner to keep things together while the other goes away for 5 or 6 weeks on business. What ever personal crisis Bingle has endured in the last week is nothing compared to the damage that has now been done to Clarke’s career. Although I do feel he is culpable too - he should have been stronger.

      And you have used the Border quote in a ridiculously out of context way. The quote could easily read “get your house in order or don’t bother coming”. Professional women struggle to maintain long distance, irregular relationships too due to the same kind of problems.

      Please spare us the dogma. Let’s just laugh at the twitty pseudo-celebs getting it all wrong in public!

      Reply

    • Bob H says:

      08:52pm | 11/03/10

      @Old Bert - I don’t think flowery prose is the way to access her charms, try fame and a leased BMW. 
      152 comments in a cricket story - Cricket needs her

      Reply

    • Old Bert says:

      06:33am | 13/03/10

      So Bob, I’m assuming your lease has run out? Any luck with the fame? Cheers.

    • Sol says:

      03:32am | 12/03/10

      I liked Alan Border’s opinion because I think he would have said the same thing in any occupation. Great headline too.

      It seems very unprofessional to drop out of any game just to prove something, especially while a whole country is watching. This is a young guy judging from the photo; I would forgive his moment of naivety and hope he returns to doing what he does, having learned something from his actions.

      As for Lara Bingle, she has an interesting story now and her agent must be over the moon. Where could her career go from here? I think she is becoming very famous from this incident.

      Reply

    • shere khan says:

      07:55am | 24/03/10

      So much time playing Cricket denies a man “facial savvy”.  He is so used to seeing only THE BALL.
      Lara’s bottom lip would have warned a “savvy Bloke”.

      Reply
 
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