It seems the war is officially on. The war between the codes, that is. The recent controversies that have hit the AFL, and more particularly the West Coast Eagles, have given all my NRL-supporting “friends” an opportunity to stick the boot in.

It seems the AFL’s perceived soft stance on drugs, sledging, drink driving and general misbehaviour has more than tarnished the sport’s image.It has given all those NRL types a chance to go all superior.

One of my friends who has been an Eels supporter since before birth rang me to laugh about the AFL’s “softly softly” approach on all things negative and mentioned that at least the NRL came down hard on bad behaviour.

Or at least I think that is what he said. He was hard to hear over the sound of Willie Mason screaming at defenceless journalists, Craig Gower knocking women out in nightclubs and the Bulldogs breaking curfew.

Or maybe that was just the blood roaring in my head. I’m not excusing the AFL, Andrew Demetriou’s defence of the AFL’s atrocious stance on drugs, or any of the Eagles’ recent antics. But it’s a little like the pot calling the kettle black to say that the NRL knows how to handle its players.

It’s no secret that the NRL has had problems with players over the years, just as it’s no secret that the AFL has had some problems with players very recently.

Just as it is no secret that cricket has a problem with players, that soccer, sorry football, swimming, golf, tennis and any other sport you care to mention have had problems with players.

All that testosterone, combined with competitive natures, public adoration and a whole truck load of money was never going to end well for some.
But the recent highlighted problems in the AFL are not an excuse for NRL supporters to lord it over the rest of us.

Instead, I see it as an opportunity for all sports fans, regardless of code or team, to demand their sport’s administrators start coming down harder on bad behaviour – in any sport.

When the Broncos dropped two players for consistent off-field bad behaviour, it should have set a precedent for all clubs to follow. Instead, the lesson was quickly forgotten over the sound of dollar signs going off in the background.

What clubs should remember is those dollars come from fans who are rapidly becoming fed up with their players putting two-year-olds to shame for their tantrums, misbehaving and lack of sportsmanship. People in glass homes shouldn’t throw stones.

So instead of turning on each other, how about we all take a united stand and make it clear enough is enough? After all, at the end of the day, it’s only a game