The Guardian - AFL weight restrictions 'body shame women'

[MawkishTwaddle]

No, Guardian. AFL weight restrictions stop women being killed.

For fuck's sake.

unbelievable

It's nonsense anyway. The policy is clearly directed at transpeople who wish to play in the league other than that of their biological sex. It is not directed at women who wish to play women's football.

All through amateur football there are age categories to ensure that players compete in teams equivalent to their development. And to ensure the safety of players. Such restrictions are nothing new.

Other sports, such as boxing, have weight categories for similar reasons.

Ms Mouncey ostensibly weighs 110kg. Serena Williams, surely one of the most powerful female athletes competing currently weighs, according to the internet, somewhere between 70 - 85kgs, some 25kgs less than an average man.

It would be very unlikely that a female AFL player would be anywhere near the height and weight of Ms Mouncey.

It is so obviously an escuse to legitimately allow trans females ( ie males) a wider spectrum to play. The guardian doesn’t give a shit about women and neither does any trans women who’ll play in a female team.

Coopting Katie Brennan's bulimia is a really shit tactic. Stick to handball Hannah

See, if I had played a contact-sport with a load of people who were a lot physically weaker than me (say, children) and that had led to me causing one of them a very serious injury in the form of a broken leg, I would take a long hard look in the mirror and wonder what the fuck was wrong with me if I insisted on continuing to play the sport and was campaigning to remove protections in place to stop people getting injured.

What a twisted article. Always about Hannah and her demands and never a thought for women. Fascinating isn't it?

Poor old Hannah. Barely a day goes by when they don't have to remind us just how tough life is to be 16 stone with a male skeleton and lung capacity and what a huge disadvantage that is when competing in a strength related sport against 10 stone women. Why can't Hannah just be allowed to injure people? Why why why?

The overall size being a problem is the one factor Mouncey hasn't already been able to get the association to give ground on, so obvious that's the new focal point, because "no" will never be an acceptable response when Mouncey wants something.

If it wasn't in The Guardian, I'd have assumed that was a case of a 'give Hannah enough rope and she'll hang herself'* article, as it would peak trans the masses in any other paper.

• a well-known phase or saying, MNHQ. I wish Hannah no harm.

Just a shame Hannah doesn’t reciprocate and not wish women harm.

Co-opting loads of issues there to try to make an argument. Shocking

FFS, The New Zealand rugby union many years ago started to divide junior rugby by weight rather then by age group to counter the risk posed by the kids of Pacific island heritage who generally physically matured way quicker then non PI kids. Something had to be done because parents were strangely enough not so keen on seeing their 50kg kid get steam rolled by a 75kg ball of muscle and the smaller kids unsurprisingly stopped playing the game.

Comments aren’t open as usual on this subject.

I used to make sure I bought a copy of the guardian every week to support it. I don’t buy it any more.

Funny isn't it how they never open comments on pro-trans articles: so they'd get shown up for the load of bullshit they are.
Tbh I've noticed that the Guardian hardly allows comments on any of its opinion articles any more.

‘Massive Male-bodied person demands legal right to endanger women on grounds of equality’

For fucks sake. Why did we even bother separating sexes for sport in the first place?

Oh, because Male bodies are, on average, bigger, denser and stronger? Not because female athletes want pink uniforms?

There are sports that don’t have sexed categories, because there is no advantage for male bodies - equestrian sports.

Cut the crap, Guardian.

HM really is an arsehole.

What an appallingly whiny poor me article.

This ruling would be to stop you fucking injuring women you ignorant selfish dick.

Much like if I decided I fancied joining an under 8s rugby team, there’s a distinct possibility I would seriously injure someone.

Tbh I've noticed that the Guardian hardly allows comments on any of its opinion articles any more.

Definitely a vote of confidence that their opinion writers are generally sensible people who their readers will mostly agree with, that.

Ironic that it's called The Guardian.

Guarding male egos since at least that ridiculous article about Cologne!

Constant use of the cis word.

Always about Hannah and her demands and never a thought for women. Fascinating isn't it?

Isn't it.

Definitely a vote of confidence that their opinion writers are generally sensible people who their readers will mostly agree with, that.

When all the comment moderation in the world still doesn't result in your readership failing to notice that your opinion writers are talking absolute shite.

Tbh I've noticed that the Guardian hardly allows comments on any of its opinion articles any more.

Because they know that the many opinions that form their editorial line are becoming increasingly untenable so instead they try and distract their dwindling readership by opening comments on soft ball click bait articles instead.

Yes and the use of cis. FFS!

On the flip side, the weight categories actually could allow transwomen to play appropriately.

I’ve written about the horror of playing rugby against massive TW and the multiple injuries it caused. However, I also have a couple of trans students who are lighter and smaller framed than me. They could quite happily play women’s rugby and be of no advantage.
Rather than ban all TW, weight categories seems like an eminently sensible approach.
Re. NZ rugby: since weight categories were introduced, they have become the world’s best because the fat kid isn’t pigeon-holed as a prop from age 11. The big kids learn to play skilful positions. Equally, a late developer who is a talented but skinny runt aged 11 and then flourishes physically aged 17 is kept on rather than lost to injury/disappointment.