Daughter in new Eagles row
17 April 2007 Herald-Sun
Bruce Matthews and Mark Robinson
EXPLOSIVE allegations of sledging by a West Coast star against the six-year-old daughter of his Fremantle rival will be dealt with by the AFL tribunal.
The Eagles' Adam Selwood allegedly called Des Headland's daughter a slut, sparking a heated clash on Saturday night.
The AFL last night charged Selwood with insulting language after its review.
It is alleged that Selwood made explicit sexual references about Headland's daughter, Madisan, whose likeness is tattooed on the Docker's left shoulder.
In papers filed by Fremantle with the AFL, the following exchange is alleged:
Selwood: "I f----- her last night."
Headland: "What the hell are you talking about? It's my six-year-old daughter."
Selwood: "Yeah, she's a slut."
The Australian Family Association last night said if the comments were proven Selwood should be sacked and also urged police to investigate whether criminal charges could be laid.
West Coast earlier had threatened legal action to clear the name of its 22-year-old star, formerly from Bendigo, before he was cited.
Selwood's father, Bryce, last night defended his son.
"I think there's two different stories to what was said and it will come out," he said.
However Headland's father, Des Sr, blasted Selwood.
"What Selwood (allegedly) said about my granddaughter is nothing short of a pedophile," he told Perth radio station 6PR last night.
"He should be hung and quartered for what he (allegedly) said about my granddaughter.
"We're talking about a six-year-old girl – you don't talk like that in normal life."
Headland Sr said he had been racially abused in his football days – and this was worse.
"Anyone would've lost their cool," he said.
"John Worsfold and the Eagles have got to get their players and educate them.
"I don't think the Dockers players would ever say that."
Immediately after Selwood's alleged comments, the pair clashed heatedly and the match review panel charged Headland with two striking offences.
He faces a total of six weeks' suspension and the panel has fined him $1200 for wrestling.
The Docker was furious for the rest of the game and lunged at Selwood again after the final siren.
It has also been alleged Headland told former West Coast player Drew Banfield, now a boundary rider for pay-TV network Foxtel, to inform Selwood he would "kill him" if he repeated the insult.
Headland is likely to take his two striking charges to the tribunal.
He faces a three-match ban for each incident, owing to his poor tribunal record.
The tit-for-tat confrontation continued yesterday when Fremantle onballer Josh Carr was hit with a two-game penalty for striking the Eagles' Daniel Chick.
The match review panel charged Carr after Chick complained to a field umpire in the first quarter.
The AFL will decide this morning whether the tribunal sits tonight or tomorrow night.
It will depend on whether Headland decides to fight the striking charges.
He is expected to use a defence of extreme provocation if he flies to Melbourne to challenge the penalties at the tribunal.
Dockers football manager Robert Shaw will consult with leading Perth lawyer John Prior, who acts as the club's player defence counsel, to make a decision before today's 11am Melbourne-time deadline.
Australian Family Association state president Angela Conway urged police to investigate whether criminal charges could be laid against Selwood over the allegations.
"This makes my stomach turn," Ms Conway said, adding children were not fair game for sledging.
"These people are paid to be in the public domain. It's extremely disturbing (if it is true) this guy thinks a six year-old girl is an appropriate target for this type of thing."
The showdown came as the AFL fined West Coast midfielder Michael Braun $5000 for his post-match comments on Saturday.
Braun urged his teammates to have a "f------ good year" in his acceptance speech to the crowd at Subiaco Oval after he was awarded the Ross Glendinning Medal for best afield.
His comments were heard live on television.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21570391%255E20322,00.htmlWhat's going on with West Coast? Adam Selwood's comments are just not acceptable. As a mother, I'd want to kill him if he made such comments about my daughter.
