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Rayner slams "gutless" trolls amid abuse crisis
SEN • April 23rd, 2025 7:58 pm
Lions star Cameron Rayner has echoed Lachie Neale’s sentiments on the keyboard warriors that set out to deliberately target AFL players saying the abuse is as bad as it’s ever been.
Two-time Brownlow Medallist Neale did not hold back when voicing his opinion on what the playing fraternity cop from faceless names on social media.
“People hiding behind keyboards to attack players are the biggest stain on society,” Neale wrote last week on Instagram.
“It’s getting beyond a joke now, the things I’ve seen sent are some of the most horrific messages I’ve ever seen.
“It’s a game of football, grow the f--k up. Cowards.
“Put your face and name to your words.”
In recent weeks, Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli was forced to suspend his social media accounts after being subjected to racist and homophobic abuse after he wrote a post referencing his hatred of Hawthorn.
The Rioli case is not an isolated incident with players subjected to online abuse too many times to recount.
Despite widespread condemnation of any form of hate speech, Rayner believs the crisis is worsening and says education alone will not resolve the issue.
“I think it was awesome what Lachie did and I think pretty much every other player in the AFL from all 18 clubs would be feeling the exact same way,” Rayner told SEN.
“I think it's really, really gutless and awful that people can think that way and that’s what they get satisfaction out of.
“We don’t necessarily call it out to name and shame people, but just to educate people on how damning it is and the impact you can have.
“It's not great and hopefully gets stamped out, but I feel like we need to take a really big step forward in doing that as well.”
As a former No 1 pick, Rayner is no stranger to fans having immediate and unrealistic expectations of him which have resulted in him being targeted.
“It’s definitely something that's popped up in my career which has been hard for me,” he said.
“It's (even) harder when you go to the people that support you and show them some messages or things that have been said to you and you can see the impact it has with them.
“It's got to the point now where it's just unacceptable. And I don't think there's any place for it, to be honest.”
Last week’s 52-point defeat to Collingwood was the first blemish in what has been an impressive start to the reigning Premiers’ season.
The face St Kilda this Saturday before hosting the Suns on May 4.
