Former AFL star Peter "Spida" Everitt has weighed into the Collingwood sex scandal, telling young women that when they go home with a guy at 3am after a few drinks "it's not for a cup of Milo".
Commenting via Twitter this morning, the football journeyman also suggested the woman making allegations about a serious sexual assault after Collingwood's grand final win was only doing so because she had woken up with a guilty conscience.
"Girls!! When will you learn! At 3am when you are blind drunk & you decide to go home with a guy ITS NOT FOR A CUP OF MILO! Allegedly,"
"Yet another alleged girl, making alleged allegations, after she awoke with an alleged hangover and I take it an alleged guilty conscience," he said in another message.
Victoria Police confirmed they were investigating an incident at a South Melbourne home in the hours after Saturday's grand final replay, but were yet to lay charges. The incident reportedly involved a group of men.
Everitt, a former St Kilda, Hawthorn and Sydney player who now hosts Foxtel travel show The Great Australian Doorstep from his mobile home, was widely criticised by other Twitter users.
"I hope Spida Everitt is not involved in mentoring young footballers (or anyone else)," commented Chafule.
"Seems the AFL respect for women programme did not quite make it to Spida," tweeted Cam3192.
"SpidaEveritt is being unfairly called out. As any footballer knows, having a vagina implies consent," said jaketheyak.
And AFL corporate affairs manager Brian Walsh said the league took "respect and responsibility towards women very seriously".
"One thing I can say with certainty is that Everitt doesn’t speak for the AFL and his views don’t represent the views of the AFL," Walsh said.
But Everitt did not resile from his tweets.
"Clearly a lot of u are not reading my tweets correctlym (sic)," he tweeted. "As my tweet states very clearly everything is alleged."
"I never said I support rape infact if u look I have never mentioned the word rape."
His views won't impress AFL House, which three weeks ago announced a partnership with the state government to promote a DVD condemning violence against women.
Narrated by former Demon Russell Robertson and featuring AFL stars Sam Mitchell, Harry O'Brien and Brad Johnson, the DVD is set to be released by the start of the next football season. The emphasis of that campaign is on family violence, but sexual violence is also targeted.
"Its time to grow up and get with the trend. Because what was acceptable ten, 15, 20 years ago is just not acceptable today. We've moved on," said AFL boss Andrew Demetriou in the footage.
The AFL made a similar interactive DVD in 2008 pertaining specifically to sexual matters. It was compulsory viewing for all league players, and included a multiple choice questionnaire.
At the time, the AFL's Respect and Responsibility program co-ordinator, Melanie Heenan, said the DVD aimed to "prompt (the players') confident decision-making in situations that can be quite complex."
The DVD also dealt with racial vilification, illicit drugs and responsible gambling.
