Prev
Next

AFL scandal girl’s an idiot. Because she’s a teenager

Tory Shepherd

by Tory Shepherd

07 Mar 06:00am

Must Reads

Let’s be blunt about the country… - this is a caption

Let’s be blunt about the country…

50

Benji Marshall. Hero. Gentleman. Good guy - this is a caption

Benji Marshall. Hero. Gentleman. Good guy

81

AFL scandal girl’s an idiot. Because she’s a teenager - this is a caption

AFL scandal girl’s an idiot. Because she’s a teenager

250

Filed under: Afl, Afl Scandal, Dickyleaks, Football, Ricky Nixon, Society, Teenagers

250 comments

Teenagers are idiots, most of the time. They do incredibly stupid things. Hormones, drugs, alcohol, and a not-yet fully formed idea of their actions’ consequences means they screw up. A lot.

OMG it is totally about me!

So, there’s this 17-year-old girl with a lot to say about the AFL. About sex and older men and power and betrayal. She may have won Ricky Nixon’s scalp - there is speculation he is now stepping down after confessing to “inappropriate dealings” with her.

On paper, this is a great story of the little guy (girl) standing up to the big bully boy. In reality it’s a teenager. A teenager who has now outed herself – or been outed – on 60 Minutes. There are reports she was paid a five-figure sum. Which isn’t really that much, when you think about it.

So now anyone who has nothing better to watch on a Sunday night has joined the hordes of people online who know her name, and her face.

I missed a sizeable chunk of the show – as did much of the Adelaide audience after it was unceremoniously cut short. And for some reason – we’re in murky legal waters here, folks – it’s not online. Although Channel 9 insists they just had some technical difficulties, the NineMSN site says they can’t identify her for legal reasons.

But from what I did see, this is not some cold, calculating mastermind the AFL is up against.

She’s a teenager. Her Twitter feed is littered with smiley faces and too many exclamation marks.

Take this, from 11 days ago:

OMG. FUCKING YAY!!! *SCREAMS EXCITEDLY*

Then Twitter silence until last night, then this:

EXCLUSIVE: At last – My story. My life. All will be revealed tonight with @TheLiz Hayes on @60minutes_nine at 7.30pm.

She sounds optimistic, as though she’s found someone who’ll look after her.

And there was plenty of new stuff – admissions of lies, of a ‘weird connection’ and a love/hate relationship with Ricky Nixon. She said she felt stranded.

And probably thought 60 Minutes was there to help her. Maybe she feels better now. Maybe in 10 years’ time (or five years, or next year, or today) she won’t be sobbing into her gin about how she fucked up her life spectacularly and publicly.

Maybe she’ll become a textbook case of what happens when young people – who are by nature stupid in the ways of the world – are encouraged to make everything public.

Maybe in schools, along with the horror videos and pictures of car crashes, of the warnings of the evils of drugs and alcohol, teenagers will be taught that revenge in the online world is a dangerous game.
It won’t change their behaviour, of course. Nothing does. Teenagers are risk-takers and fools, self-obsessed and self important.

That’s why it’s up to adults – with their more developed brains and understanding that actions have consequences – to protect them, where possible.

In this case, they all failed and it is them, not this idiot girl, who should be the target of all your self-righteous outrage.

Most commented

472Smoking. Love it, hate it, ban it?
399COUNTERPUNCH: A carbon price is the answer
318The Turnbull longshot that could stop the nasty rhetoric
293Mardi Gras: A parade, a protest, a riotous party
291The carbon debate is getting murderous
270And the winner is... Malcolm Turnbull!
261Giddy Liberals need to get off the red cordial
250AFL scandal girl's an idiot. Because she's a teenager

250 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • john adams says:

      05:12am | 07/03/11

      So again, why did she publish the photos of Nick Riewoldt since now she admits she made up being pregnant? I think its disgusting that the media bandwagon has supported this person because they are under 18. I laugh at all the people on here who supported her ‘cos she was pregnant’ ?
      Please feel free to comment now and apologize to Nick and co. , the affair with Ricky Nixon to me personally is irrelevant , it is about the photos and shows the system can be exploited when feminists jump to defend any woman crying out in distress. I myself like everyone else cannot wait until she turns 18 because then she can disappear and do no more damage to peoples lives, thats right at 18 its called fair game. Then she can sleep with as many 45 year old men as she pleases.

      Reply

    • Helen says:

      08:21am | 07/03/11

      I was doubtful about the pregnancy, interesting to see it finally confirmed. The girl has a lot of issues with the amount of crap she has been making up. I just wish the media would stop pandering to her attention craving behaviour.

    • Catching up says:

      09:15am | 07/03/11

      I got some news, if the 45 year old men act as adults, not immature adolescents, there would be no media story.

      Immature adults who placed themselves in the position of breaking the laws, that are there to protect immature adolescents.  She maybe 17 years old, but this disaster began long before she turned 17.


      She might be safer when she turns 18, as she will not be sought out by adults idiots that have a taste for under aged minors.

    • Jordan says:

      09:21am | 07/03/11

      I can’t believe anyone - including the media - takes anything she says seriously. She obviously caught out Nixon with ye ole ‘honey trap’ strategy - Nixon was stupid enough for fall for that old trick. Such strategies were employed by the CIA and other intelligence agencies to blackmail or coerce diplomatic officials during the cold war. Now this 17 yr old has gotten ‘paid’ for manufacturing this whole thing. And it sends a message to other teenagers that this sort of behaviour is ok. This 17 yr old should be prosecuted for violating the relevant state listening devices act.

    • Tubesteak says:

      09:28am | 07/03/11

      @Catching Up
      16 is legal. Read the Crimes Act.

      Here’s a summary for the jurisdictions in Australia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_Oceania

      You’ll note that Victoria is 16 per s45 of the Crimes Act.

      If it’s legal then the guys have done nothing wrong. The only concern is whether Ricky whatshisface gave her alcohol etc

    • Kika says:

      09:45am | 07/03/11

      The adult in the situation has the higher duty of care. Ricky Nixon is a foolish man. I always find it interesting to see how grown men can find it totally acceptable, and then turn around and try to blame the Lolita temptress for their patheticness.

    • vince says:

      09:57am | 07/03/11

      17 is the legal age for sex kiddies.

    • Mike says:

      10:46am | 07/03/11

      @Tubesteak. “If it’s legal the guys have done nothing wrong”. Well you might think a guy in his mid 40s having sex with and bringing booze to a 16 year old is “nothing wrong”, but I’m sure there are at least one or two people who think Nixon should be taken out back and given a good belting, even if it doesn’t go to court.

    • Tubesteak says:

      12:44pm | 07/03/11

      Mike, I’m sure you never had a drink before you were 18…......but who cares anyway, it’s a matter for the police and the courts which they appear to be uninterested in.

      She’s 17. It’s perfectly legal to have sex with her. No problems there.

    • Doesnt like attention seekers says:

      03:11pm | 07/03/11

      She admitted she lied about being pregnant. She said she did it to basicly get back at them cause they just didnt want anything to do with her. She lied about the naked pictures. She said she didnt know what she was doing was wrong!Oh please. She sent a video of Ricky Nixon’s clothes and ID and a white substance to the news!Still she said she didnt know what she was doing was illeagle. Are people that STUPID as to buy into this are the MEDIA that fucking dumb that they dont think she could have manipulated any of these emails or text messages! EVERYONE needs to not encourage her and just let it slip under the rug. It seems she is only happy when she is getting attention. DONT pay her any and she will stop when she realises that what she is doing isnt working. WHO is it going to be next! Is she going to say that she was approahced by 60minutes and told what to say! What a load of crap. If this was my child I would MAKE her appoligise to everyone and send her to see a shrink. Seriously she has mental issues…

    • The Rooman says:

      04:08pm | 07/03/11

      As an involved father of 2 teenage girls, I can not understand where these girls have gotten this stupid belief that they are smarter and more “in the right” than their parents.  I am astounded at the amount of shit that they think they can get away with. A psychiatrist once said to me that all teenagers are mad, cause their personalities are still in the formative stage.  But this one is an example of what is happening in homes everywhere.

    • macca says:

      04:16pm | 07/03/11

      She lied about the pregnancy, she lied about taking the photo’s, she lied about the motivation for posting the photo’s on the website and now we are supposed to believe her when she says she had a sexual relationship with Nixon even though none of the footage shows in the same shot.
      It also seesm strange that Nixon is still texting her wanting to pursue a relationship “as long as the have hot sex twice a day”. This man isn’t an idiot, she has already gone to the media is he really going to put those things in writing?
      Basically she had a relationship (she can’t even say if they were boyfriend or girlfriend) and it ended so she decided to destroy other peoples lives and because she is a teenaged girl we are supposed to feel sorry for her, give me a break. Everything she has done has been calculated, remember she stole the photo’s before her relationship ended.

    • Horrified Mum says:

      03:44am | 08/03/11

      She’s not a woman, she’s a girl.

      Hang your head in shame.

    • HarlequinBeetle says:

      06:00am | 07/03/11

      My Q to the media:  knowing the young woman is a teenager…why give her all the notority, all the exposure, all the…..???  Yes, I understand that there was a story under the story, however….I believe you have failed in your duty of responsibility and care.  I cannot believe that everything is now up for grabs ....are no longer boundaries?

      Reply

    • Bel says:

      12:04pm | 07/03/11

      TUBESTEAK, 16 is only legal in Victoria if the other person is no more than two years older.  Regardless, he is a dirty old man who took advangage of a messed up adolescent.  There is nothing right about what he did.

    • tim says:

      12:44pm | 07/03/11

      @bel,
      you are not reading the laws correctly. 16 is legal. Is it the 10 years and over where the no more then 2 years older applies.

    • Janelle says:

      01:31pm | 07/03/11

      Hear hear…don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story!!

    • Zoe says:

      11:49pm | 07/03/11

      So at what age is it legal to give a 17 year old cocaine and alcohol? A few people missing the point here. Something has gone very wrong in the raising of this teen, but that doesnt give grown men the right to take advantage. Who picks up at a school coaching clinic? That was where it started. They knew her age then.  As for sex, go ask Rickys wife what she thinks the legal age is. He is a married man and a father who has just humiliated his family. Its HIS responsibility . HE is the one who is married. Dont let your resentment of this idiot girl cloud your judgement.

    • iansand says:

      06:05am | 07/03/11

      Advice to the press.  Put her down.  Walk away slowly.  Never mention her again.

      Or you can be part of her problem.

      Reply

    • Mahhrat says:

      07:05am | 07/03/11

      This is the thing, Ian.  Too much these days is “reported” <sic>, “In the Name of the Public Good.”

      It is not up to a journalist, any more than it’s up to me, to decide what the “public good” is.  That’s too much power to have in the hands of the unelected.

    • Reg says:

      07:45am | 07/03/11

      She’s just another indicator of why we need P plates. A teenager driving an over-powered body being pounced upon by ravenous petrol-heads in the form of hormone driven footballers with full tanks. Two bricks for the guys and thumbs-down to anyone who stayed with the program that used her.

    • ZSRenn says:

      03:27pm | 07/03/11

      @ ian i don’t agree with you on many things you say but on this one I agree 100%.(Not that you probably give a toss)

      The trouble with this type of publicity is that it creates a kind of child star mentality in the teenager. Then when she is no longer the focus she will either try to recreate it or end up like Danny Bonaduche living in a car park somewhere and he got a lot more out of his career than this girl has.

      I think it is too late. This is the 2nd time she has created a drama and will quickly start working on the third. She has the numbers now and knows the press will be there in a flash.

    • Retired Soldier says:

      06:42am | 07/03/11

      Well I have to say don’t like this kid much for much of what she has done and may continue to do in the future and I have no time for Ricky Nixon and even less for the club officials and players. There isn’t anything to like about any of it, is there ? You say she is an idiot and a teenager but did you notice that not once she prefixed a statement with “like” or finished one with “and that” . That surely is a sign that this kid is not one of the normal Y Generation teenage idiot; this one seems to be reasonable educated and can actually string some pretty good sentences together and has a mature voice for this age of teen. She has certainly done some stupid things in her young life but I can’t help but think she might have made a go of life if she hadn’t become involved with bloody footballers and their endless protection mechanisms. This kid has good communication skills, does not appear to be your normal airhead Gen Y clone and presents well. It is a shame she has to show these talents to the world through the lens of a tabloid TV show that was once renowned for professional and honest stories. It’s not hard to imagine where this kid will end up and considering her apparent ability and talent, she could have done well in life, not now though.

      Reply

    • Geoff - Brisbane says:

      10:45am | 07/03/11

      She learned her skills of selfishness, greed and lies from the best of the best - Baby Boomers.

    • CD says:

      11:36am | 07/03/11

      @Geoff…who? Her grandparents? Miraculous birth I guess.

      You have as many issues as she does it seems. At least get the gen right you tool.

    • Dolt says:

      12:24pm | 07/03/11

      What are you talking about CD, Nixon is Boomer Gen, not GenX. Her parents could easily be boomers!

    • Inga says:

      12:43pm | 07/03/11

      Not true. She said UM a lot. The entire way through the interview every second word was UM. If that is not a teenager, not sure what is. Although it was probably because she was making it all up on the spot and had to give her brain time to catch up with the lies coming out of her mouth. The men are disgusting for having taken advantage of her, but she has nothing to run around and flaunt either. She should disappear and get herself an education and a job.

    • Neil says:

      01:14pm | 07/03/11

      Her parents are Gen X - (at least her father is) - FACT

    • christine says:

      03:30pm | 07/03/11

      get on youtube and watch her video…she sounds like a total try hard wanna be paris hilton.

      this girl is an idiot and regardless of people’s “concern over her welfare” aren’t they just rewarding her appalling behaviour by “looking after her”??

      as for nixon - gross

    • Jill says:

      03:30pm | 07/03/11

      Are you for real?? You said she is not your usual airhead, just have a look at some of the you tube videos she made. If they don’t shown this idiot up for what she really is,  then I don’t know what will… And wait… She made them herself.. No tabloid help there. Attention seeking weird and sick. Like someone else said .. Put her down and walk away slowly.. After her actions I think she should be made to wear a warning sign around her neck, oh wait she just made one of those by going on national television.

    • CJ says:

      04:53pm | 07/03/11

      UM i’m like UM you know i feel like UM….........What sentences were you listening too?Attention Seeking twit looking for her 5 min of glory !

    • WA says:

      05:06pm | 07/03/11

      She’s not gen Y. She’s the next batch. Thanks.

    • Barney says:

      06:44am | 07/03/11

      This girl is not very bright ,  but the worst part of this sorry saga is that she
      became involved with such a bunch of scumbags

      Reply

    • let it die says:

      08:24am | 07/03/11

      The media? They (including this peice of holier-than-thou excuse crud) are the only things keeping the embers going at the moment.

    • BrisMum says:

      10:23am | 07/03/11

      Just checked the AFL site for their policy on “respect & responsibility” - what a laugh! There should be a lot of the AFL leadership up on charges of “conduct unbecoming” when you read their own criteria:

      2. (a) Breach of code governing how individuals and clubs should respond to allegations of sexual assault
      It is a breach of this code for a club/club official or player to respond inappropriately, unfairly or unreasonably in response to an allegation of sexual assault against a player or official including:
      • Failing to report an allegation of sexual assault made against a player or official to the AFL.
      • Failing to reasonably co-operate with any police investigation.
      • Making inappropriate comments in the media in relation to an allegation of sexual assault against a player or official.
      • Vilifying the complainant publicly.
      • Making a payment to a victim by a player, official, agent, associate or club on his behalf, not ordered by a Court but being a payment representing compensation and not merely an amount for costs and/or nominal amount being paid to avoid the costs and inconvenience of litigation.
      http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/10321/Default.aspx

      The most appalling behaviour is the lack of leadership from the AFL.

    • Get some reality says:

      11:42am | 07/03/11

      BrisMum,

      Where was the sexual assault? this is what gets me, the footballers involved have done nothing wrong. The girl lied about her age, then (possibly when the truth came out) after the ride stopped she lied about pregnancyy, photos and bascially all aspects of her life. Then the footballers are savaged in the public arena because a girl lied about her age and had consensual sex!! The people that have behaved badly here are the girl herself and the media whores who have done everything possible to keep this story alive. Ricky Nixon’s unbalanced behaviour has nothing to do with the footballers or the AFL code that governs them.

    • BK says:

      01:44pm | 07/03/11

      @Brismum

      I don’t care what you think about casual sex, as long as it is consistent. If these blokes are deadbeats for having casual sex, then she should also be criticised.

    • Alex says:

      02:50pm | 07/03/11

      BrisMum: yes, it is adults’ fault. Her parents’. How come that little train-wreck is out on the tiles, instead of being at home?
      And apart from Ricky Nixon (who is married with children), the players who might have slept with her have done nothing wrong. If they’re scumbags, she’s a whore!

    • lola korrs says:

      04:22pm | 07/03/11

      but that’s all she deserves “scumbags”

    • Pleasure O'Reilly says:

      06:46am | 07/03/11

      Your comment:While many adults behave just as badly, Teenagers are surely notorious for their mixed up emotional behaviour. What incredible stupidity makes people well past their teenage years think they can get intimate (and more) with an unstable teen, and there be no consequence? She has every opportunity to get her life together and mature and learn from this regrettable episode, too bad the adults have yet to do so.

      Reply

    • Catching up says:

      10:10am | 07/03/11

      “their mixed up emotional behaviour. “

      This is often the result of a vulanable adolescents being abused by so mature adults.

    • grumpy old man says:

      06:52am | 07/03/11

      If its up to the adults, then why has the media made such a meal of it? and why are you commenting on the story?
      If its up to the adults, where are her parents?
      If its up to the adults, where’s her lawyer disappeared to? ( probably discovered there was no money in this !)
      If its left up to the so called adults in the media, she stands no chance, they will hound her to the ends of the earth in search of a story for the front page.
      Sorry, but its the adults that have caused this, and I would have no faith in any adults that have had any contact with this ‘child in an adults body ’ to do anything but take advantage of the situation for their own benefit.

      Reply

    • Kirby says:

      09:39am | 07/03/11

      In relation to the girl’s lawyers, its was DLA Phillips Fox who swooped in to try and gain some quick publicity off this.

      The girl clearly would not have had the coin to pay their fees (especially given the way firms like DLA charge like a wounded bull), so it would have been pro bono to cash in on the publicity.

      Not sure what has happened there, but DLA is a big corporate firm who was trying to play in the criminal field despite no real experience in such high profile matters.

      They probably bowed out on advice as it was a negligence claim waiting to happen.

    • deb says:

      06:52am | 07/03/11

      Liar ,liar pants need to be set on fire! Blaming the wonderful age of sixteen?COME ON.
      No doesnt wash with me,that brat is a comsumate liar.practice has made perfect in her case.
      She wanted to be the centre of attention and guess what? for good or bad thats where the bitch is.
      I was so angry watching her act last night.Angry for all the Normal teens out there .Agree with iansand,
      dont mention her in the press!that will hurt more than anything.

      Reply

    • bob walker says:

      03:17pm | 07/03/11

      agree…had enough sense to claim 19 when it suited her and 16 when it suited her…piece of sh**!
      Nixon…totally seperate issue…her should and hopefully will get what he deserves.

    • Aidan says:

      06:53am | 07/03/11

      Oh boy…...

      Let’s just change the topic right now shall we?

      So how was everyone’s weekend?

      Reply

    • Bitten says:

      08:24am | 07/03/11

      Pretty good and is anyone else noticing the slight cooling in the air - think we might have hit autumn…

    • Helen says:

      08:29am | 07/03/11

      I wish everyone would - I sometimes wonder whether I’m the only one who sees what she is doing for what it is….. attention seeking behaviour from a teenager.

    • Likes Joining Dots says:

      09:50am | 07/03/11

      Aiden, a good one here, thanks for asking.

      Watched a little football. Was disapointed that no commentators mentioned ‘role models’ and ‘scandals’ while covering the game, so I had to turn the TV off.

      Besides that, I tried making scones with our new oven. Uneven heat (yes I’m blaming the equipment) soon made itself apparent, so they were a bit of a disaster - but nothing that lashings of jam and cream would not fix though.

    • Graeme says:

      12:19pm | 07/03/11

      Great game of cricket last night between England and Sth Africa, made great viewing. The weather is cooling, and I worked most the weekend. I hope your weekend was pretty cruisy too, Aiden.

    • juzzy says:

      06:53am | 07/03/11

      Excellent, only four comments in and someone calls her a slut.
      Such quality analysis and insight there.

      Reply

    • Anna says:

      07:59am | 07/03/11

      Plus more than a little hatred of women and girls.  So the male adult exploiters are the exploited???  What an idiot article.

    • Tim says:

      08:07am | 07/03/11

      If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck - it must be a poor impressionable teenage victim who didn’t know what she was doing right?

    • Wagga Magpie says:

      09:01am | 07/03/11

      Didn’t catch the program juzzy? That was her qualifying statement to justify the interview - “so people don’t think I am a slut”.

      I think she failed.

    • AdamC says:

      09:47am | 07/03/11

      Juzzy, isn’t she? It might not be the most politically-correct term, but it’s not inaccurate in this instance, surely?

    • Oh the Irony says:

      10:35am | 07/03/11

      The news for all of you here who have teenage daughters, and have accused this lass of being a slut. In this day and age, most young girls (13 onwards) have experienced many sexual partners. It does not make them sluts, it simply means they are victims to peer pressure, advertising, media in general and digital social networking.
      Even Abbott’s daughters probably went through it, regardless of what they tell ‘daddy dearest’. These days virginity belongs only to the physically unattractive.
      This doesn’t make the individual any less worthwhile, they are still young and vulnerable to older predators, it simply reflects the changing tide of time, and the lessening of the catholic influence.

    • Bitten says:

      11:14am | 07/03/11

      OTI - official reference for that stat please - most young girls aged 13 and upwards have had many sexual partners??

      What’s that? You don’t have one, you just like to troll? Fair enough.

    • OTI says:

      12:14pm | 07/03/11

      To Bitten says:11:14am | 07/03/11
      Not sure if you doubt the ‘most’ or the ‘many’, you didn’t specify. The ‘most’ I quoted equates to more than 50%. The ‘many’ is more of a variable, it can range from 1 or 2 up to ‘most’ of the boys in the class/football team, for instance. You would be surprised what youngsters will relate to a school councellor, but would never dream of telling mom or dad.

      Not all relevations make it official record, for protection of the children.

    • kp says:

      12:40pm | 07/03/11

      And the footy players aren’t sluts.  Oh, pleeeeeease !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Louise says:

      01:36pm | 07/03/11

      OTI - having raised two daughters and been quite interested in their lives and those of their friends I do not agree that most 13 yo’s are sexually active.  Those that are have my deepest sympathy that they miss out on their time of being young girls without the complexity that comes with sex and relationships.  That can wait until they are old enough to cope with it emotionally.  And no, I did not expect my daughters to be virgins until marriage, but to see sex as a rewarding part of a mature and mutually respectful relationship - when they were ready.

    • vince says:

      01:37pm | 07/03/11

      Tim I actually chuckled at your post, thank you.

    • Robert Smissen, rural SA, God's own country says:

      02:36pm | 07/03/11

      I wouldn’t call her a slut, slag is closer to what I’d call her

    • Heather says:

      07:02am | 07/03/11

      Many teenagers have a reduced capacity to fully understand the consequences of their actions. It is a normal part of growing up for teenagers to test authority, to see how far they can push things. In a society that PC do-gooders have undermined discipline from parents and other authority figures, there are few consequences, only infamy. However, this gives some teenagers - perhaps attractive, slightly insecure and rebellious young girls - a pyschological boost. And the more a stubborn teenager is forced into a corner, the more they react and lash out with more extreme behaviour. I could see myself doing exactly the same thing at the same age. However, the difference between now and when I was a teenager in the 80s, is that the media is ubiquitous. HarlequinBeetle is correct, all the media is doing is pouring gasoline on to the fire. Some people roll over when cornered, and some fight back. She is probably a highly intelligent, spiritied and beautiful girl, and these don’t sit easily in the youth. She needs a strong woman, not to lecture her, but to mentor her, and give her direction, and ways to achieve, without infamy.

      Reply

    • HT says:

      10:16am | 07/03/11

      Thank you for being the voice of reason! Your comment has made my day.

    • Rednut says:

      02:21pm | 07/03/11

      Valid comment Heather.  As a parent, if it were my daughter, I’d be at my wits end with this behavior. However teenagers rarely listen to parents and often have difficult relationships during these years (remembering what a thorough ratbag I was in the 80s - more cringe moments than a B grade movie). Mentors, however do get through.  I pity this girl.  If this sordid affair had not been played out in the media, she would have looked back on this in 10 years time and just cringed at her behavior.  It is much harder for her now to sweep this sort of bad judgment under the carpet and get on with life. I only pray the turning point for her now is in her favor.

    • Heather says:

      07:06am | 07/03/11

      And further to my previous comment; it is not the girl who is to blame, it is the media for fanning the flames, and the adults - particularly people like Ricky Nixon - who should be expected to behave appropriately, and not take advantage of a vulnerable young girl.

      Reply

    • hs says:

      10:44am | 07/03/11

      vulnerable young girls ...no one asked them to lie about their age and go on to ahve relationships with these AFL boys ...oh hang on did i missed quoting sex, drugs and party lifestyle which these teenagers are sttracted too .....

    • RM says:

      10:45am | 07/03/11

      Well said Heather. This girl was failed by her parents, footballers, managers, and the media - and now it looks like her lawyers who should have advised her not to go on 60 Minutes & have her face & name dragged through the mud. All adults surrounding her & she was only a few months past 16 when this all started. The 60 Minutes interview was a farce. For God’s sake media leave her alone now and allow her to recover from this horrible mess with hopefully someone who has her interests at heart.

    • NEFFA says:

      11:47am | 07/03/11

      hs, i’m sorry babe, but if ricky nixon and the likes had stayed at home with their families, none of this would have happened.

      Men have as much ability to “just say no” as women do and continuing this myth that men lack self control just belittles all the wonderful, beautiful men who are just staying home, raising their kids and being good role models for their community.

    • Tim says:

      12:32pm | 07/03/11

      NEFFA,
      and perpetuating this myth that women are all innocent victims even when freely admitting they are not, belittles all women who take responsibility for their own actions without the need to play the victim card.

    • BK says:

      02:15pm | 07/03/11

      @ NEFFA

      Ricky Nixon is different, but the footballers have just as much right to have sex as she does.

    • Zoe says:

      12:21am | 08/03/11

      @Tim, no one is saying all women are innocent victims, every case is different. I once worked with a woman in her 20s who was intellectually disabled. Not exactly attractive either but every weekend she was sleeping with married men who would then dump her. She fell for their lies everytime then would come to work all upset. It made the rest of us sick that so many men would take advantage of her.
      On the other hand I know women who have slept with men just to get pregnant and on the pension. Always drunk young guys with good jobs who then set up a home only to be kicked out and left with maintenance payments. It works both ways.

    • Josh says:

      09:08am | 08/03/11

      Lets keep in mind that we have only heard one side of the story.  We have ONLY ever heard one side.

    • Dolly Dunnit says:

      07:43am | 07/03/11

      So we have adults to blame for this? My belief is thAt she wouldn’t listen to her parents, she iSn’t listening to her solicitors, she’s not scared of or listening to court orders, but she does listen to dollars.

      She is a self confessed liar and regardless of whether you think she is a slut or not, she has done more damage than anyone else toward the next girl that comes along with a very real story of things done to her. No apologies from the media for their part in the coverage and coniving to get a story out of nothing!... no retractions, no apologies… you the media are to blame more than any adult in her life.

      Reply

    • Sam says:

      11:03am | 07/03/11

      To Dolly Dimwit. All teenagers lie, with very few exceptions [especially to their parents]. All teenagers have sex with their peers, with very few exceptions. Unfortunately, some are cohersed by older people who should know better, people like footballers and musicians are especially enticing.  In other instances, with pre-teens,  pedafile relatives and priests coherce the innocent, and condition them to a life of either promiscuity or real fear of relationships.
      Values have changed with time, and the words ‘slut’ and ‘whore’ aren’t nearly as relevant as they were when Grandma was a girl. In days of yore, it was shameful to ‘live in sin’, and especially to have a child ‘out of wedlock’. Nowadays, almost anything goes.

    • mary says:

      07:46am | 07/03/11

      Tory, I couldn’t agree more with your sentiments, we failed this girl. I would like to think that if any of us can learn any from the whole sorry saga it is to get a grip and some perspective before getting sucked into the scandal of it all.
      Thank you for setting the record straight; t’s up to adults to protect our teens.

      Reply

    • Tubesteak says:

      07:51am | 07/03/11

      Utter bollocks. She’s not an idiot for being 17, she’s an idiot because she’s an idiot.

      But she’s not alone. There’s millions of girls out there filling the streets every weekend all trying to live the Kim Kardashian lifestyle where they try to leech off people (usually men with money and status) because they don’t have the ability to earn it themselves.

      Who cares. Use them and lose them. If they’re too stupid to figure out their worth then there’s no point taking pity on them.

      Reply

    • Nat says:

      11:07am | 07/03/11

      Could not agree more. Too much thought going into the defence of this girl/AFL. Say it like it is and save the bulls&^*. If her parents did their job properly in the first place, she’d have better things to do. It’s girls like this that give the rest of us a bad name…...and you wonder why it only took 4 comments before the word “slut” was mentioned.

    • St. Michael says:

      11:37am | 07/03/11

      “Who cares. Use them and lose them. If they’re too stupid to figure out their worth then there’s no point taking pity on them.”

      Women generally, or just those under 18, Tubesteak?

    • xavierc says:

      07:52am | 07/03/11

      All summed up perfectly in that last sentence. From the AFL players and staff involved, to the media and the dumbed downed public - they are the ones who have the most to answer for

      Reply

    • Grumpy says:

      08:03am | 07/03/11

      Shes just a kid.

      Reply

    • Richard says:

      09:52am | 07/03/11

      +1.

      The real idiots are everyone involved with the AFL who caused this scandal and let it get out of control, and all the other poster on this page throwing sanctimonious vitriol around like outraged bogans defending their precious AFL.

    • Hamish says:

      11:33am | 07/03/11

      Richard, there aren’t many comments here defending the AFL. And guys she’s 17, she’s hardly ‘just a kid’. Sure she’s not an adult yet, but it’s not like she’s six years old or something. She has to take some responsibility for her actions.

    • Nesy says:

      08:03am | 07/03/11

      To all the feminists out there, how about you stop and think about the fact she admitted she lied about lots of things…she knew exactly what she was doing, so stop blaming men all the time.

      Reply

    • Warren says:

      08:40am | 07/03/11

      Nesy. How did the AFL, a multi million dollar organisation, with access to the media and its own team of Public Relations staff manage to get itself into such a pickle? Here is a hint. 47 year old married man shouldn’t be taking alcohol to 17 year old girls in hotel rooms then dropping their pants while being filmed. Whatever stupidities this girl may be guilty of, adults still need to behave like adults, not like dogs on heat.

    • Zoe says:

      12:40am | 08/03/11

      Its not a feminist thing. Having been a teenage girl many moons ago, I know first hand that teens lie. I now have teens, who I know lie too, both son and daughter, although I’m either the only parent who admits it or everyone elses kids are angels!
      I dont understand why everyone is taking sides so strongly. Her parents are obviously at fault, The girl herself is a very manipulative, self centred liar, the footballers are at fault for picking up at a school footy clinic. Obviously she was used and dumped to become so bitter.
      And Ricky Nixon seen leaving in the early hours from her room on cctv. A married man, providing alcohol. I seriously doubt they were making tiramisu!

    • Tim says:

      08:03am | 07/03/11

      *world’s tiniest violin playing for this girl*
      How about our anger be directed at the media who didn’t investigate any of the girl’s claims and just took everything she said as gospel truth?
      The media who used this girl to try and make news and entrap people?

      Tory,
      once again I will say it - To those who think that this girl is too young to be making these decisions, petition your government to change the age of consent. Until then all your windbaggery is simply sujective morality being placed upon others.

      Reply

    • Elphaba says:

      08:04am | 07/03/11

      She’s the reason that I like kids, but would probably give them back once they turned into teenagers.

      Wasn’t she estranged from her parents, or did that happen after she spilled her guts to the media?  That might explain a lot, but I agree with Jade - at 17, I would’ve known doing something like this was wrong, so why can’t she bear some responsibility?

      Teenagers. Blechh.

      Reply

    • Rev says:

      12:44pm | 07/03/11

      Off to boarding school with the lot of em!

      What concerns me about the ‘she’s only a teenager’ angle is that it attempts to explain away so seriously disturbing behaviour as something normal.

      Teenagers drinking, having sex, driving at speed and so on are now ‘normal’.  Whether one likes it or not, that is the case.  But suggesting it is reasonable for a 16-17 year old to behave in such a manner is beyond ridiculous.  I don’t think it is normal to respond to being dumped by posting nude photographs of other people on the internet.  Or falsely claim you were pregnant.

      But what really scares me, is that in less than 12 months, this girl will be able to vote.  If her behaviour is representative of her demographic, as some would have us believe, prepare yourself for Snooki as the next female PM.

    • Roger says:

      01:29pm | 07/03/11

      She was with her parents on holiday on the Gold Coast when the story first broke. They tried to stop her going any further with it and just delete the photos but she refused so they disowned her. She could see the dollar signs ahead and hasn’t stopped since then. She is no innocent child but then there are a lot of stupid old men who only think with their small head involved too.

    • LauraBoBaura says:

      03:36pm | 07/03/11

      I do agree with you - she is well & truly old enough to be responsible for her actions.
      But, that said, I do feel a little (very little) bit sorry for her when I see all the nasty things people say about her.. she obviously needs someone to give her a slap up the back of the head *cough* parents, I’m looking at you! *cough*..

    • St. Michael says:

      04:07pm | 07/03/11

      When is “Ladette to Lady” back on ...?

    • Cry in my Gin says:

      08:05am | 07/03/11

      And these children that you spit on
      As they try to change their worlds
      Are immune to your consultations
      They’re quite aware of what they’re going through

      D. Bowie

      Reply

    • Rossco says:

      09:17am | 07/03/11

      ch-ch-ch-changes, turn to face to strain, ch-ch-ch changes…

    • Markus says:

      08:10am | 07/03/11

      Funny, I don’t remember the media being so forgiving and understanding for Corey Worthington, and his actions didn’t even warrant criminal charges like this latest sympathy case.

      Reply

    • Mike says:

      08:16am | 07/03/11

      Uh Oh, feminists were wrong, remember how so many women blamed the St Kilda footballers and how they deserved it. Where are the apologies?

      Reply

    • Richard says:

      09:58am | 07/03/11

      I’m not a feminist, I actually hate feminism, but I strongly believe that the guilty party in this situation was the grown adult who had sex with a 16 year old school girl in the first place.

      You wail “but she lied”: so what, he wasn’t raped, he could refrain from having sex with women until he knows them a little bit better, in which case he would have found out for himself she was a 16 year old school girl.

      You splutter “16 is above the age of consent, its not illegal” well then perhaps its the law thats in the wrong here because this vulnerable little kid had no more wisdom than a 15 year old school girl would have had before she was sexually used and discarded by a fully grown professional athlete male who should be a role model and be mature enough to use some discretion when he chooses his sexual partners.

    • St. Michael says:

      04:06pm | 07/03/11

      @ Richard: Slightly different take on it: arguing “it’s legal” is to assert that the law matches perfectly what society regards as moral.  As we know, it doesn’t.  At best criminal law sets out the outermost limits of what is tolerable behaviour in our society.  What’s moral or inappropriate sometimes (often?) does not match that—otherwise, as an example, how could it be that James Hardie has not commited one crime against the laws of Australia despite knowing that their asbestos products were killing their own employees?

      “It’s legal” is a straw man.  It’s being used because “it’s moral” is not arguable.

    • AdamC says:

      08:25am | 07/03/11

      I still feel a little sympathy for this silly girl, whose petty acts of vengeance and chronic mendacity are clearly elements of a set course of self-destruction, abetted by our titillation-obsessed media and epically dumb AFL identities.

      Having said that, I got to thinking after I heard about her pregnancy lies: what if the shoe had been on the other foot? What if the girl had jilted her adult (yet still young and immature) footy player boyfriend and he had gone and leaked some embarrassing, explicit pictures of her friends (assuming the girl and her friends were somehow notable and someone cared, of course)? I suspect there would have been charges laid almost immediately, along with universal denunciations.

      So, yes, while being a teenager, and female (we may as well be up front about that aspect as well), our pitiful, narcissistic ‘St Kilda girl’ is getting away with quite a lot that she wouldn’t were she not a teenage girl.

      Reply

    • Kathy says:

      10:37am | 07/03/11

      AdamC, your first paragraph sums up the situation perfectly ( I wish I had written it).  This girl needs psychiatric help, now.  Otherwise she will repeat this pattern of behavior over & over again.  And there will be precious little sympathy when she is in her 20s, 30s, 40s…

    • Hamish says:

      10:53am | 07/03/11

      AdamC, I think you’re giving both sides too much credit. Sure, this girl is a train wreck, but it’s not really like she has anyone else to blame. As much as she obviously hooked up with the wrong kind of dude(s), even the average school girl would know that hooking up with footballers is a pretty bad idea if you want to be taken seriously. And to be honest, I doubt Sam Gilbert is smart enough to be a sexual predator. He comes across is pretty dumb.

      Sure Nixon could fit into the category of a sexual predator, but this girl’s actions vis a vis Nixon could be viewed as predatory, selfish and calculated to say the very least. Nixon is clearly a complete moron and I have little sympathy for someone his age being so stupid.

      I say quit caring about either party and just enjoy the fact that finally, after so many ‘scandals’ which have been blown totally out of proportion, the AFL now has a really juicy scandal we can sink our teeth into.

    • AdamC says:

      12:19pm | 07/03/11

      Kathy, thanks, I aim to please.

      Hamish, I don’t have that much sympathy for her. Just a little bit. I am incline to ask that eternal question: “Where are the parents?” They need to reconcile with her and get her out of circulation. That used to be what nunneries were for.

      And the only person in this saga that has acted in a predatory manner is the girl. Comments along the lines that she is an automatic victim because she had sex with adults are just absurd.

    • Kate says:

      08:39am | 07/03/11

      I was a teenager not too long ago. I know my friends and I made some silly decisions.
      None of us, however, did the following:

      *Lied to men about our age
      *Lied to them about being pregnant
      *Published private photographs, illegally obtained, on the internet
      *Lied to the media about all of the above

      I have no sympathy for this girl any more. She is fully in control of her actions and is choosing time and time again to do the silliest and most irresponsible thing possible. Nobody’s denying that Ricky Nixon has been an idiot in his dealings with her, but she made the decision to get involved with him, a decision I believe was motivated purely by spite.

      Girls like this ruin it for the rest of us girls who turn up to training and chat to footy players for one reason only - we love footy. We’re not looking to get in a player’s pants or get a bit of fame, but when girls behave like the St Kilda girl has, it casts doubt on everyone else’s motives.

      Reply

    • Ted Jones says:

      10:29am | 07/03/11

      Thanks Kate,
      As a father and grandfather of a number of girls who I know have been fairly easy to understand from a male perspective, I thank you for speaking on behalf of the majority of young women, who maybe have had some issues with life, but got on with it.

    • Jade says:

      10:58am | 07/03/11

      I agree Kate, I would never of done this when I was a teen (I am only 23 now).  Its no excuse.

    • jane says:

      01:31pm | 07/03/11

      This girl is the type of girl most others don’t like ie vain, attention seeking, lacking in honesty and willing to do whatever it takes to get her own way. My friends and i also did dumb things but we never set out to gain attention by hurting others. I hate that people are trying to compare her to the whole female population, she is such a bad example.

    • Di says:

      04:01pm | 07/03/11

      Kate, you’ve summed it up well and I agree 100%.  She’s got problems and doesn’t help other females.

    • John Smythe says:

      08:41am | 07/03/11

      Another desperate act to milk a story so flogged to death you wouldn’t recognise it was a horse at all….

      To be honest, I can’t tell which is the more shameful…her and her lucrative plans, or the media and their lucrative plans.

      For Nixon, I think someone else said it…two bricks will fix that quickly.

      Reply

    • Gladys says:

      08:42am | 07/03/11

      Two thumbs up, Tory.

      Reply

    • me of adelaide says:

      08:44am | 07/03/11

      The troubles of the girl will haunt her forever,others will move on, but her family and her children? will be forever labelled. Its not at all fair teenagers should be be compared with the actions of one. There are many places that help counsel teenagers all she had to do was ask not tweet.

      Reply

    • Rick says:

      08:47am | 07/03/11

      “Teenagers are Idiots ” sounds like your speaking from experience.My teenage sons are sensible enough. Didnt see the show wouldnt have watched it. Why would anyone bother listening to a tart who cant keep her legs crossed and has obvious issuse of self disipline.The media are like bloodsucking leaches and as such need to ignored just like this little trollip.

      Reply

    • Rossco says:

      08:58am | 07/03/11

      She’s a loser and a liar with obvious mental problems and I wish the media would stop giving her attention.

      Reply

    • Heather says:

      09:09am | 07/03/11

      Our society worships “celebrity”. Ordinary people, who happen to have been born with the talent to kick a ball, play a guitar or act, are elevated to extraordinary heights. Some apparently become famous for nothing other than looking good, or making a fool of themselves on television. The media fans the flames of celebrity; the internet, magazines and television programs hypersaturate the society-sphere with images of the famous, instructions how to be just like them, how you too can become famous, and have your Warholesque 9 minutes of fame. No wonder that the allure of being associated with celebrity is so powerful…and no little wonder that a child, with little wisdom or life knowledge, has been suckered into this fantasy. Shame on the media for perpetuating this worship of vacuous celebrity. And shame on adults for taking advantage of children.

      Reply

    • undertow says:

      09:28am | 07/03/11

      Although an idiot might walk into a fire knowing they would get burned, I tend to think she’s been practising fire-walking, knew the risks when she took her first step and believes she can come out of it relatively unscathed.

      Her belief that she can come out unscathed may be the proof that she is an idiot, but she has so far shown herself to be a cunning idiot. Huzzah for the oxymoron!

      Reply

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      09:36am | 07/03/11

      Absolute rubbish. For starters, in different periods of history, the age of 17 was considered an adult. In those times she would already be married and settled down, raising kids. Of course life expectancy was shorter, so there was no time to muck around. The second thing is that she has done some unlawful activities including obtaining digital images from another’s computer without consent and illegally recording private activity without consent. It is time that people start treating her like an adult and make her realise that there are consequences for unlawful behavior. Charge her.

      Reply

    • old girl says:

      09:37am | 07/03/11

      this girl needs to be stopped ruining people lives she knows what she is doing and is enjoying it her parents are inbaresst and hurting but no she keeps hurting people charge her as she is up to no good and sixty minutes gave her what she wanted plenty of money to set up and lie a bit more and money for drugs kick her out of the motel and stop treating her like a film star she knows what she is doing i was married at 17 and have been for 48 years so she is old enough to know right from wrong

      Reply

    • mmmickyg says:

      11:43am | 07/03/11

      Inbarrest??????? try “embarrassed” old girl. smile

    • Gary says:

      02:38pm | 07/03/11

      Old girl, are you saying she knows what she is doing because you married at 17?.  Consider all the arranged marriages in places like Pakistan, some brides are 12 or younger, and there are the good ole boys of the morman church in south west USA, they like a particularly young bride or 3. Do they all know what they are doing?

    • Matt says:

      09:50am | 07/03/11

      Maybe 3 months from now no one will even remember any of this, unless she keeps trying to have it splashed across the media for a few quick dollars?

      Reply

    • Gary says:

      02:55pm | 07/03/11

      Of course, the media could act responsibly and ignore the issue…  oh wait, like that will ever happen

    • Steve of Cornubia says:

      09:52am | 07/03/11

      This girl is messed up, but I agree we have to cut her some slack at just 17yo.

      It seems to me that many females get burnt when they get too close to footy players. Surely there can’t be a single girl/woman out there who doesn’t know this by now? Have we reached the point yet where we can say, “Well she knew what she was getting herself into?” (not this girl - the hundreds of others who associate with these overpaid neanderthals and then appear shocked when things don’t end in a fairytale).

      I’m not excusing the behaviour of any of the guys involved, far from it, I just wish more women would give them a wide berth.

      Reply

    • GB says:

      10:53am | 07/03/11

      Lying about being pregnant is OK because she’s only 17? Sheesh.

    • Steve of Cornubia says:

      12:25pm | 07/03/11

      @GB: Where did I say that?

    • richo says:

      09:55am | 07/03/11

      I watched 60 minutes last night and have followed the story for sometime (I don’t know why). But what I can’t believe is that out of the AFL players, the schoolgirl, Demetriou and Nixon, somehow, somehow, Ricky Nixon comes out looking as the most normal one amongst them.

      The players have always been womanising morons, the girl has clear issues, Demetriou is delusional (even with the benefit of hindsight he still thinks it was a good idea to leave her in the care of Nixon). Ricky just looks like a man stuck in a mid-life crisis with possible drug problems, as I said, is the most normal out of the lot of them.

      Ricky Nixon with all his issues, who in amongst any other group of Australian citizens would look bizarre, looks like a well adjusted member of society amongst that lot. Unbelievable.

      Reply

    • Bron says:

      10:44am | 07/03/11

      +1 well said!

    • The Bleeding Obvious says:

      09:56am | 07/03/11

      This should be mandatory watching at football clubs for their new recruits, to show the danger of “bunny boilers” like her. It is also a timely reminder to anyone who is looking to seduce (or be seduced) by an unstable, malicious, attention seeking young woman. The lies about her age to get some credibiliy, the lies about her pregnancy to get committment from Sam Gilbert when he had enough of her, the publishing of private photos of Nick Reiwoldt and Nick Del Santo, and the recent setting up of Ricky Nixon shows her to be the little vixen she truly is. Hell has not fury like a woman scorned. All this crap about children, this lump of a girl by her own admission told the footballers she was 19 and looks in her 20s. It all goes pear shaped and it is always someone elses fault. To Quote Pink: “Stupid girl, stupid girls, stupid girls, maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back”  What a Mental Pygmy.

      Reply

    • Allan says:

      09:57am | 07/03/11

      She is getting money from deception and obviously from wrong doing but has out smarted so very intelligent people and you call her stupid. Not sure what diploma in writing you have but rethink it because not even the police have laid a charge yet.
      Idiot

      Reply

    • dee says:

      10:03am | 07/03/11

      The girl is certainly troubled. I don’t think anyone, no matter how scathing of her, could deny that. On top of that, she may or may not also be a nasty piece of goods. (It’s possible to be troubled and a rotten person at the same time).

      The adults in this situation, however, are undoubtedly evil, exploitative people. Decent married adult males do not have sex with barely-legal schoolgirls showing signs of immaturity and distress, and they do not take controlled substances with her, and they do not threaten said girl after the fact.

      So we have a range of people in this tawdry situation, only one of whom has any real reason to receive the benefit of the doubt. She, too, *may* be a rotten person but at least there is the possibility (and every sign) that she is simply extremely troubled, or that the situation is being exacerbated by being troubled.

      Someone needs to sweep this girl up and have her mental health assessed. She may not be physically dangerous to herself or others, but she is dangerous to herself in any practical understanding of the term. Parents, where are you?

      Reply

    • Appalled says:

      10:04am | 07/03/11

      THe biggest problem with this girl is that she is not alone. It is a very common attitude with girls today that if something doesnt go your way then you can just say whatever you like and people believe it. The men/boys are the real victims in alot of these stories.

      Reply

    • David says:

      10:29am | 07/03/11

      Finally someone speaks some sense!!

    • Warren says:

      10:51am | 07/03/11

      Boo hoo, poor men/boys. They were “forced” to drop their pants by a teenage girl. Poor delicate things.

    • Cry in my Gin says:

      03:05pm | 07/03/11

      @ Warren, they paid a hefty price for doing nothing wrong. It was consensual so therefore not immoral. The girl was of legal age, thus no law was broken. Yet the footballers, who have women throw themselves at them all the time, are dragged out and made to look evil because this petty little princess wanted some attention. She wanted notoriety, now she has it. New show coming soon, “Australias sluttiest footy fan!!”.

    • St. Michael says:

      04:00pm | 07/03/11

      @ Cry in my Gin: “It was consensual so therefore not immoral.”

      See, right there your argument falls to bits.  And your following line, “The girl was of legal age, thus no law was broken.” illustrates where you got the error from: the idea that the law prescribes appropriate behaviour as opposed to the outer limits of tolerable behaviour.

      Sex being consensual does not make it inherently moral sex.  You yourself are calling her “Australia’s sluttiest footy fan”, which is you making a moral judgment about her having more than one sexual partner.  Bit hypocritical to do that, don’t you think? By that definition, Ricky Nixon is also a slut, since he had another sexual partner—his wife—at the time he was “courting” the girl.

      As it is, even the law recognises that consent garnered by coercion, fraud, or alcohol is not real consent—sexual assault still takes place.  I’m not saying that’s what happened here—it’s merely to make the point that most people with half a brain recognise that popular status and age disparity in some cases warp young girls’ sense of what’s appropriate, right, or dumb in the circumstances.

      Footballers have considerable status attaching to them by virtue of the fact we all seem to worship the AFL more than God in this country going by attendance rates at churches as opposed to football fields.

      Footballers having women throw themselves at them all the time should surely make them even more aware of the risks, not more reckless—as they have been.  Screaming the AFL equivalent of “leave britney alone!” on their behalf does not change that fact.  As it is, the footballers have the excuse of being young, stupid, and lacking any real senior role models for not thinking about where to insert their convexities.  Nixon does not, apart from maybe just being plain stupid.

    • Dave says:

      10:05am | 07/03/11

      When a girl lies about her age, then steels private information on someones elses PC, then publishes them, cries foul when she cant get her way, estranged from her parents, goes on 60 minutes, more then likely got paid for the interview, has no remorse and the men she has been involved with wow has built their careers some for a lifetime has all been soiled and distroyed, what happens to her, nothing at all, in this country they promote sleeze, and trash, drugs and drunks, thuuggery, not morals duties, ethics, and obligations towards a better sound sociaty, end results look at out streets now the young are literally out of control. Wake Up Australia before its all too late…

      Reply

    • Andrew Credit says:

      10:05am | 07/03/11

      Why would she want sex with an old 45 year old guy in the first place? Only to grab media attention is probably the answer. This kid is an idiot but then so is Nixon who is probably Australias biggest idiot in history just for going to her hotel let alone anything else he might have done. A teen would not normally want sex with such an old guy unless there was something in it for her which just shows that people having sex are not always having sex for fun or pleasure but rather for somthing else which kind of puts them in the same league as someone who has sex for money.  Why has this angle not been raised by the media yet? Surely its an important question to be asking especially given the girls age.

      Reply

    • Chris says:

      10:06am | 07/03/11

      How about we stop treating footballers like rock stars and gods!! Teenage girls hang around them hoping to get noticed and mayby ‘date’ or sleep with one of them with the hope of being famous and brag to their friends. I am sick of seeing all the crap in the media about footballers - surely there is more interesting things to write about during winter !!

      Reply

    • roy bird says:

      10:15am | 07/03/11

      A 17 year old Teen ??
      come on pull the other one.

      Reply

    • RAMROD says:

      10:22am | 07/03/11

      It has become so easy for women to prey on men of any age with respect to sexual allegations that it’s pathetic. In our educated and fair judicial system we claim that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, except in the case of a man being innapropriate to a woman. This sort of accusation leads to instant public condemation of the male. My friend was accused of touching a female a few years ago. He lost his wife, his children, his house and most of all his life when at the 11th hour the accusing female broke down and admitted it had all been a big story and an act of revenge for being rejected. Unfortunately too much had changed for him to go back to the way it was so he committed suicide. This is all based on the same situation as this young girl has created.
      Will she be punished? No, she will be paid handsomely for her story while the men she accused continue to live under this dark cloud for many years to come - their names have been cleared but their reputations have been tarnished. String her up I say and make an example of her to deter other spoilt attention seeking brats.

      Reply

    • Gandalf says:

      10:26am | 07/03/11

      I wonder if she’s kept a copy of the 60 minutes story to show her grandchildren?

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      10:28am | 07/03/11

      Lsts summarise the comments thus far in one easy sentence.

      “Young girl was a slut for leading innoncent men to ruin with her seductive ways”

      Hey wow, that sounds like we need a Taliban style policy to save our young men from themselves.

      Reply

    • BK says:

      02:09pm | 07/03/11

      You are the one criticising blokes for having sex with her. You are the one who believes that sex involving people under 18 is wrong. Are you sure that you aren’t in the taliban?

    • Paul says:

      10:31am | 07/03/11

      What would have happened if a 45 year old man lured a 17 yr old girl to his Hotel room and then recorded her without her knowledge on video, then distributed it to different media outlets, I wonder, Oh and stole her credit card as well.  The media have had a large hand in ruining this girls life, along with herself. She will carry this with her for a long long time.

      Reply

    • fitter says:

      10:33am | 07/03/11

      After watching this story last night on 60 minutes, its confirmed what I already new that this girl is a total idiot. Teenager or not, I remember how I was at that age, and sorry folks, but she’s a manipulative, lying little tramp. Where’s the apology to Nick Reiwoldt ? Where is the scandal? Everything she claimed to have had perpetrated against her was a lie. NO pregnancy, that was a lie. No photo with Reiwoldt, the pic was stolen, again a lie. No underage sex, again, she lied about her age, claimed she ws 19. Seriously, why does anyone have any sympathy for this girl. She represents the worst of the female species, all wrapped up with a Gen Y addiction to social media, and me me attitude regardless of the cost, her parents must be just so proud.

      Reply

    • Sandra Blackmore says:

      11:18am | 07/03/11

      No-one is feeling sorry for the young AFL footballer who was used by this young (NOT under age) self centred, unbalanced female from clearly a family who taught her how to speak properly and dress attractively. In other words, she is hardly a homeless orphan child.
      I DO feel sorry for the young AFL footballer. How is he to ever understand women after this experience? Who is going to teach him to trust and respect women?
      It is time that women (of whom I am one) start taking responsibility for their actions, and not blaming men for everything that goes wrong in their lives. It is time that the public stop expecting elite sports people to behave to a higher standard than our population generally does, including politicians, priests, etc. Why do we accept sexually predatory behaviour from the latter but expect sexual perfection from elite sports people?
      Why do we think elite sports people owe the community something? Who they owe, are their clubs, their parents and occasionally their coaches. They don’t owe my daughters anything - or your daughters anything.
      We, the public, owe them respect and privacy - unlike our “celebrities”, i.e., chefs, TV actors, radio jocks, etc who continually chase our focus, most elite sports people keep their attention on the field or court or pool, where they display the results of their focus and our admiration. That is all they should have to do. Trying to make them into some unreal version of 2011 young males, is clearly designed for disappointment and failure. But it is not their failure but our stupid society (sports administrators, coaches, media, politicians, etc)  which are trying to use these elite athletes for their own egotistical goals and power.
      The main villain in this piece is the revolting player manager who I wouldn’t want advising my son (if I had a son) and who shouldn’t be within a bulls roar of anyone else’s son. Don’t tell me his lack of morale judgement has only now become apparent? Perhaps there should be a Register of Sports managers and accreditation required.

    • Aitch says:

      10:40am | 07/03/11

      It’s 5am in The Punch offices and the brains trust is wondering what to lead with:

      Sharwood: “How about a piece about Benji Marshall, Todd Carney, the betting scandal and everything else that’s sullying the great game of rugby league?”

      Shepherd: “Nah, it’s kinda old news. Scandal in the NRL is so commonplace it’s boring. Besides, it alienates the female readers. What we need is something new, something fresh. I know! The St Kilda Schoolgirl was on 60 Minutes last night! I’ll write something about her!”

      Sharwood: “But doesn’t that fail the same test? I mean, aren’t people tired of this story? Besides, I reckon we in the media look like idiots for faithfully reporting everything this girl has said as the gospel truth. Turns out she wasn’t even pregnant.

      Shepherd: “Well, I think SHE’S the idiot.”

      Sharwood: “Why’s that?”

      Sheprherd: “Because she’s 17.”

      Sharwood: “Did you even watch 60 Minutes?”

      Shepherd: “Umm, some of it.”

      Sharwood: “So, you didn’t even watch the whole interview and your angle is that she’s an idiot?”

      Shepherd: “Yep.”

      Sharwood: “That’s it?”

      Shepherd: “Yeah, and I’ll also mention the fact she’s won Ricky Nixon’s scalp. The Herald Sun says he’s stepping down.”

      Sharwood: “Tory, that claim was refuted in The Age this morning.”

      Shepherd: “Refuted in the what?”

      Sharwood: “Look, I’m not sure about this. I reckon some of the people who comment on this site are going to vilify this girl. You just watch how many people call her a slut and a lying bitch. Perpetuating this story surely can’t be in the best interests of the 17 year old girl. It’s up to adults – with their more developed brains and understanding that actions have consequences – to protect her, where possible.”

      Shepherd: “Hey, that’s a great line! Mind if I use it?”

      Reply

    • AB~DC says:

      10:46am | 07/03/11

      On the ball as usual Tory, our next Judge Judy…Maybe you could offer Mr Sheen (the half of two and a half) some timely insight!

      Reply

    • Ruben says:

      10:51am | 07/03/11

      What a ridiculous generalisation of young people..

      Reply

    • GB says:

      10:52am | 07/03/11

      I’m failing to see why we should cut her some slack because she’s a teenager. There are plenty of women in their 20s and 30s who still exhibit this kind of questionable behaviour. Not everyone grows up and the girl being rewarded with money and media attention will do nothing to make her grow up and be responsible.

      Reply

    • LauraBoBaura says:

      03:12pm | 07/03/11

      Well because she obviously has some mental issues & her parents are either unable or unwilling to give her the support and guidance she needs… that’s sad, no matter what your opinions of her are.
      I’m not saying that she isn’t responsible for her actions, but kinda irks me a little all the vitriol that people come out with….

    • Paul says:

      10:54am | 07/03/11

      So the girl who sailed around the world solo is a hero at 16, which shows what teenagers can do. We can send young men and now women to war to possibly come home dead fighting for there Country? well sort off, teenagers can drive a car, hold down a job. But when they get involved in this sort of stuff it’s not there fault because they are 17. Well most 17 year olds would not be doing this but some yes some are very smart, it’s called street smart, she knew exactly what she was doing. Nixon is a d_ckhead for getting involved the Saints and the AFL are d_ckheads for pandering to her and the media is just after a story, no matter who’s life or career they may damage. Nixon will go to re-hab and come back fixed of his demons next footy season the AFL and the media will get on with there life and this girls is now damaged goods for the rest of her life…!

      Reply

    • St. Michael says:

      11:32am | 07/03/11

      To be fair, a lot of people thought Jessica Watson going on a round-the-world solo trip was a pretty stupid thing to do, too.  (As it is, the double standard on that sort of rich-kid adventuring is appalling: Tony Bullimore was a round-the-world solo sailor, too.  He got into trouble, had to be rescued by the Australian Navy, and people were baying for his blood, or at least their taxes spent in rescuing him.  Jessica Watson sails through Sydney Heads and she’s feted as if she won the VC.  Wonder what the opinion would have been had she wound up the same as Tony Bullimore? For all their preparation, both were simply rolling the chambers in Russian Roulette.)

      I also don’t think the army sends 16 or 17 year old kids overseas to shoot people anymore, either.  That particular policy was needed back when we’d already gotten most of our able-bodied men killed for dear old mother England and had to start sending our kids to war to replace them.

      Street smart is not the same as “balanced”, “in her right mind”, or “not needing help.”

    • Nadia says:

      10:57am | 07/03/11

      I am 36 and I was hit on the other night by what looked to be a very young man.  I asked to see his ID and then sent him on his way.  You see ive no interest in taking advantage of anyone and I am fully aware of age appropriate relationships.

      The difference here is these footballers first met this girl in school, they didn’t necessarily need to see her ID because they knew what age bracket she fell into.

      When I was a teen we had rugby league players come to our school but it was only harmless flirting back then.  The horror this case has uncovered is the complete erosion of men’s attitudes towards girls/women over the last decade.  Just look at the comments on here.  The females seem more protective yet the males just consider her fair game.  It’s utterly disgusting and we’re going to have to breed our young women tough to survive in this society we’re creating.

      Reply

    • Bilby says:

      11:57am | 07/03/11

      Two questions:

      1. What is the cause of this erosion? Do you think that women themselves have contributed to this at all? It wasn’t that long ago that a woman certainly wouldn’t respond to some drunken yob yelling “show us your tits” by actually doing so! It would seem to be a complete capitulation.

      2. Who has been the driving force behind most of the changes to society for the past 40 odd years? Yes it was capitalists, but who has generally taken the credit and none of the blame?

      Please consider.

    • Wen says:

      01:00pm | 07/03/11

      Wrong Nadia.  The footballers did not have contact with her at the school.  She was one of the audience listening to their talk.  She travelled to Sydney when the team was playing there and made contact with the players.

    • Cynic says:

      02:26pm | 07/03/11

      Ha! So who is this great “authority” on age “appropriateness”?

      Legal age of consent last time I looked was 16 and after that the girl can go out and form a relationship with almost anyone she likes. This one was 17 and is obviously far more world wise and advanced in her scheming than many 36 year olds, despite her cool and purposefully constructed, seemingly inarticulate rants on Facebook.

      The New Age myth of age appropriateness was invented by over the hill feminists who didn’t get any, simply because they’ve become too boring, controlling, self centred and difficult to get along with. Their teeth gnash when they see that guys can easily adapt to relationships with younger women, but women simply are not successful, and that’s not for lack of them rying. The stats reflect that. Many younger, more intelligent women prefer the wisdom and security of older men, especially once they’ve been bitten by their mum’s same age myth when in their early 20’s.

      It’s not the age, it’s the compatible mental maturity or immaturity which makes it or breaks it.  So younger women with older guys is historically and perfectly ok, and works. Term “Inappropriate” seems only to reflect the insecurity and jealousy of some wimmin in our PC society who are missing out.

    • NSW says:

      02:37pm | 07/03/11

      I see someone has already informed you that you are wrong but thanks for telling everyone a ‘very young man’ hit on you the other night. I’ll sleep better tonight knowing that you ID’d the guy you were probably eyeing off in the first place. Good to know our 30 somethings are “fully aware of age appropriate relationships” - no need to anonymously inform that younger guys still may find you attractive despite your age, Nadia.

      As someone mentioned above - everyone involved in this laughable situation was of legal age so who cares. I only feel sorry for anyone that has been within five metres of that money-grubbing tart.

    • Pete the gibberer says:

      11:10am | 07/03/11

      Well, at least the AFL is now in the clear.

      Reply

    • Cynic says:

      11:11am | 07/03/11

      Some teenagers do and some don’t. Just like adults. Let’s stop justifying a person’s actions be they 17 or 70 if these were premeditated to cause injury or pain. Many 17 yo are far smarter and world wise than those at 70 these days. She knew what she was up to. There’s no sudden huge leap of maturity between a 17 yo teenager and 18 yo adult and no sudden accelerated learning curve. At 17 she’s old enough to distinguish between honesty, integrity, genuine feelings and relationships and a quick reprehensible scam to gain from personal notoriety and publicity.

      Reply

    • Ricardo Jones says:

      11:11am | 07/03/11

      Alright she looks like a liar, but the players still took photo’s of each other masturbating, the AFL still look inept, St Kilda still look dodgy and Nixon still looks like a dirty old man. So what exactly has changed? She looks bad and so do they. Who exactly is the winner out of this? Anyone who suggests they weren’t happy to take advantage of this girl is an idiot, if they couldn’t recognise her problems after spending more then 5 minutes with her that’s their fault.  The players own stupidity helped a lot in this situation.

      Reply

    • Jack says:

      11:23am | 07/03/11

      Where are all the sexist feminists now? Kate Langbroek, your silence is deafening. Calling the girl a legend two weeks ago has come back to smack you in your stupid ill-informed face.

      Reply

    • Placebo says:

      11:27am | 07/03/11

      We all were teenagers once. Surprisingly, none of us featured on stupid shows like 60 minutes or have our name splashed in the headlines of every newspaper in the country. Do we feel sad, left out or having missed something? I dont think so.
      There is a saying which essentially means bad publicity is after all publicity. At 17, I knew what is good for me. Teenage angst? I dont think so. As someone said, there are girls who want to lead a Kardashian lifestyle, without having to work for it.
      All I would say to this girl and everyone else involved in this stupid scandal…“Get a life, move on…!!!”

      Reply

    • Marty says:

      11:40am | 07/03/11

      I just want to know why her face was plasted all over network TV last night yet every other time she has her face blurred out ... what’s that about?

      Reply

    • Troy Balmer says:

      11:42am | 07/03/11

      Hmmm… now sounds a ripe case of slander / defamation.  Hope the Saints sues her for everything she has.  This sort of extortion warrants a hefty prison sentence, not only mucking around with the careers of now innocent peoples but also their own lives and that of their families.

      Reply

    • laura says:

      11:43am | 07/03/11

      I think it’s funny that everyone has jumped on Nixon without any actual hard evidence. this girl has lied several times about key points in her sordid story. do we not think she is capable of lying about nixon? she’s clearly tech capable enough to steal the photos from Sam and post them online and twitter. i wouldnt put it past her to have gotten footage of someone who looks like him, or of him staying in another room, or anything else. at the very least, she definitely entrapped him. and i hate how people presume guilty first without any testing of the video at all.

      Reply

    • nick says:

      12:49pm | 07/03/11

      Given it’s obvious she was out to “get him”, you have to ask why she didn’t manage to obtain more incriminating footage? She’s lied enough to be extremely skeptical of anything she says.

    • nelson says:

      11:43am | 07/03/11

      i am afraid you are mistaken about teenagers being idiots.
      in some cases yes, they are… and in some cases adults are also idiots. for eg. the people who are wrapped up in this ‘scandle’... and yourself Ms Shephards Pie.

      Reply

    • John says:

      11:44am | 07/03/11

      They’re all children, in the worst sense of the word…the girl, the players, the agent, the media.  If it’s true that people’s brains don’t develop fully until 25, maybe the girl and some of the players still have some hope.  But I wouldn’t hold my breath, because it seems most of the “adults” who prepared them for “grown-up” life didn’t have much between the ears either.

      Reply

    • Glenn says:

      11:45am | 07/03/11

      She’s an idiot and it’s a shame the media are only too happy to exploit her

      Reply

    • lorraine says:

      12:36pm | 07/03/11

      Yep she may be a idiot but the bloke is a bigger one, didnt he realise she was a mouth. he is the most gross man out. How could some one his age even think of having sex with some one so young, he in my eyes is boader line pedophile. I hope his family are so proud of this creep.

    • Markus says:

      02:48pm | 07/03/11

      “he in my eyes is boader line pedophile”
      Perhaps learning the definition of the word might help you look at the situation with a fresh set of eyes.
      Last I checked there wasn’t a whole lot of pre-pubescent 17 year olds. This girl definitely isn’t.

    • Robert Smissen, rural SA, God's own country says:

      11:45am | 07/03/11

      Much Ado About Nothing, she was above the age of consent, personally I feel sorry for her victims

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      12:33pm | 07/03/11

      Her “victims” met her as a school girl.  Any normal young man over 18 should see a school uniform as a stop sign - except our cretins who play football.
      Thats what we should be teaching these young footballers.  Play with girls that dont have to be dropped off at the school gate after a night of rumpy pumpy.

    • missyj says:

      12:43pm | 07/03/11

      Robert, comments like yours make me sick in the stomach.  You should be ashamed to post that sort of thing. Very sad.

    • Robert Smissen, rural SA, God's own country says:

      02:34pm | 07/03/11

      Missyj, idiots like you make me sick to my stomach, you are being emotive over a very calculating manipulative strunpet, whilst she can’t vote she is deemed to of an age that she can legally hump who she wants, that the media & people like you give her any credence beggars belief. I will say it again, I feel sorry for her victims. As for Stephen, mate what rock have you been living under? ? Lots of girls her age live with their boyfriends with their mothers blessing

    • kp says:

      04:47pm | 07/03/11

      Robert Smissen, I agree with Missyj.  You are a sicko !!!!!!!  I hope I NEVER meet your type walking down the street.

    • Cynic says:

      04:54pm | 07/03/11

      Summed it up nicely Rob.

      Absurd why anyone should have to walk on eggshells for anyone who is so calculating, is a liar, a manipulator, and who is obviously a plain nasty piece of work… even if she is a female.

      I’m all for non-discrimination between the genders. No reason at all why bad pieces of work should be protected, excused or exalted.

    • JulesG says:

      11:47am | 07/03/11

      This girl is still a minor and how come she was in such a compromising situation to get pregnant or steal pictures from a laptop? Why are the police not pursuing her? Where are her parents?

      She was there with some kind of expectation and iconoclastic idolatry that never came to fruition and that is why she is scorned and hell hath no fury like a woman (in this case girl) scorned. She has her nose out of joint and her own culpability is manifestly her own responsibility. She was playing with fire and got burnt!

      It’s her own fault and she should never have even been there. Her own presence, in this situation, as a minor, was illegal anyway. What was she doing there and why?

      Reply

    • JRM says:

      11:51am | 07/03/11

      Funny - same women who have exploited this story in the press now get a big slap in the face. They have backed a liar.

      The fact that she lied about a pregnancy - eptomises women. Scheming, faking , lying species.  She has just trashed her gender.

      What if Sam Gilbert had hung himself because of the pregnancy claim ? A lie.  She is nothing but dangerous.

      And how hypocritical is Caroline Wilson - Nixon in underwear is fair game for publishing. But not Wilson’s mannequin on the footy show.

      Adn all these media outlets paying her and her rooms for a week - and saying they are “looking after her”.  Ghouls.

      Reply

    • Bob says:

      12:36pm | 07/03/11

      What a shame that you have such a low opinion of women. Whatever one or some of them might have done to you in life, you’d do well to remember that you have only encountered a small percentage of them, and should not judge all women by this “scheming, faking lying” individual (who is actually a child, not even a woman). Just as there are plenty of sheming, faking, lying men out there, there are plenty of good women, who would never behave like this silly little girl.

    • everydoghasitsday says:

      12:37pm | 07/03/11

      Absolutely agree - this girl is dangerous. She clearly stated last night that she was angry and wanted revenge….. She has got it but at what price? To fake a pregnancy is the lowest of the low, but anyone that saw her on 60 mins last night would be under no illusion how old she really is. Her maturity is one of a teen, but her cunning is stand-out.
      Unfortunately there are no winners - she has trashed peoples reputations and her own with humiliating classlessness.

    • JRM says:

      03:16pm | 07/03/11

      Yes Bob - you want to know ? At 18 years of age i went home with a 27 year old woman one night after work drinks.

      Had a great time we did. A week later at work I found out she was spreading a rumour I’d raped her. Later I found out she was engaged and was using the rape claim aginst ne -  to defend herself with the fiance

      My reputation got trashed amongst colleagues. Ended up loisng my job and found it hard to date a woman properly again for about 10 years.

      So I stand by my comment on women - as a basic lying scheming species.  There are a FEW exceptions.

    • jen says:

      12:12pm | 07/03/11

      I’m surprised its taken this long for a scandal like this to blow up.  I’ve been hearing stories of the mistreatment of young girls and the AFL for 20 odd years.  Young girls who think their lives would be so much more exciting and glamorous if they only have a footballer on their arm and are then taken advantage of by the footballers who dont know how to handle the attention of all these girls throwing themselves at their feet.

      Reply

    • Squeeze the Middle says:

      12:14pm | 07/03/11

      “That’s why it’s up to adults – with their more developed brains and understanding that actions have consequences – to protect them, where possible.”

      And how do propose we do that Tory?

      Reply

    • Sally says:

      12:26pm | 07/03/11

      Don;t forget the adult policeman who is currently facing court action for his inappropriate relationship he had with her. This whole tale is horrible. This poor kid - and yes she is one - needs some positive adult role models in her life. Not parasites trying to get some money out of her, or fame. Now that Channel Nine has ‘outed’ her and the massive damage to her name is done, they don’t care. And that paltry five figure sum won’t be enough for her to live on.

      She needs help.

      Reply

    • Rev says:

      12:51pm | 07/03/11

      Paltry five figure sum?
      It’s five figures bigger than it should’ve been.

    • Gary says:

      01:45pm | 07/03/11

      You have got to be joking. ‘this poor kid’???????????????? Wake up and smell the roses Sally.

    • kp says:

      12:36pm | 07/03/11

      What a well written article !!  I totally agree.  I cannot believe that grown up men conduct themselves in the ways that they have. And what makes it worse is that there are so many people on the AFL’s side. Now that IS SCARY.  I am walking past people in the street who support Nixon.  WTF.  I can understand a 17 year old girl doing what she did, because she is an inexperienced young idiot who will have many regrets when she is older, but not an adult in his/her late twenties/thirties and forties.  That is something to be questioned ! They should no better, “should” being the important word here.

      Reply

    • Anna says:

      12:37pm | 07/03/11

      Shame on the media for encouraging a clearly disturbed girl to have more than her 15 minutes of fame. What lessons will she learn from this? Lie about lots of things, including pregancies and still births, stick naked pics of people she has no personal connection to on Facebook and have sex with someone to set them up….and get paid LOTS of money. Media are the adults who gave this seedy saga it’s life

      Reply

    • jason says:

      12:38pm | 07/03/11

      There is an engineering construction failure assessment tool called a “Root cause analysis” to identified what caused the failure.

      In this case a Root cause analysis will surely show that 23 year and 8 month old footballers should not have sex with 16 year and 6 month old school girls!!!!!

      Reply

    • go figure says:

      03:09pm | 07/03/11

      Most footballers simply think a root is a root.

    • St. Michael says:

      04:09pm | 07/03/11

      I often wonder what they make of Alex Hailey’s novel “Roots”.

    • a mum of teens says:

      12:38pm | 07/03/11

      This girl admits she wants attention. 60 minutes and others are feeding her addiction. This child needs help not rewards for her actions. Instead she is paid large sums of money, put up in a hotel and gets all the attention she wants. No wonder she doesn’t want to return home. When did it become a good thing to make up stories, sleep around and blackmail people? News is not news when it some made up story and continual lies. Enough is enough

      Reply

    • Bleeding Heart says:

      12:39pm | 07/03/11

      Feel the misogynist rage! My goodness.

      Sure you can call her an idiot or misguided or delusional but there’s surely no need to call her a slut or any of the other insults flying around on here.

      Disturbing to see such hatred of women so abundant amongst society. Shameful.

      Reply

    • John says:

      03:09pm | 07/03/11

      “Misogynist” - the only 4 syllabled word most feminists can trot out to make it seem like they have half a brain.

      Was wondering when I would see it.

    • Women aren't perpetual victims says:

      03:56pm | 07/03/11

      Given that anything a female says is taken as gospel by the media, and that fo rthe the past teen years or so all males have automatically been portrayed by the media as “guilty”, then the nger is understandable.
      Try being a normal, working, white straight male these days and see how much fun it is! It is the only demographic that is considered fair game by the media, and quie frankly I’m sick of being preached to about how I oppress females just by my very existence. There are people that treat others badly, but for males the onus these days is to prove your innocence. We have all spent months listening to the social commentators spit their venom at men in general based on this story which turned out to be entirely fabricated - again, the rage is understandable.

    • not so inocent says:

      12:41pm | 07/03/11

      just go back to the start of this girls history, she went to Sydney as a 16 year old to chase these players which she admitted to & then lied about her age & and had sex with several of them ( 2 saints & 1 collingwood player). then lied about being pregnant. if there was anything to most of it why werent the players charged with carnal knolage (sex with an under age person ). too many people have failed here. but the girl even only being 16 at the time, could let thing go after her pregnancy claim failed, yet she still gets put up in hotels by the press & seemingly everyone else.

      Reply

    • nick says:

      12:43pm | 07/03/11

      Stop making excuses for this stupid girls unethical behavior. There’s a difference between youthful stupidity and deliberately setting out to ruin other peoples lives because of your own pathetic need for attention.

      Reply

    • narelles says:

      03:21pm | 07/03/11

      Absolutely right!!! To quote the person above “she has trashed peoples reputations and her own with humiliating classlessness”.

    • J9 says:

      12:44pm | 07/03/11

      I must admit the only thing I have thought this girl is good at is lying, nothing she’s claimed so far has been true so why should we believe her so called story about Ricky Nixon?  She’s brought this on herself & I say she deserves everything she gets - she’s just an immature troublemaker who thought perhaps she’d make herself famous or rich with her lies, well I hope they backfire & she gets her karma…..

      Reply

    • Jay says:

      12:59pm | 07/03/11

      “That’s why it’s up to adults – with their more developed brains and understanding that actions have consequences – to protect them, where possible.” Adults like Charlie Shene and Nixon perhaps? I know of plenty irresponsible adults…

      Reply

    • Australo-Pithy-Cuss says:

      01:06pm | 07/03/11

      Teenagers are idiots?  Well this ‘idiot’ is now richer by a ‘five-figure sum’ paid by Channel 9 according to the Herald-Sun.  Sounds pretty ‘clever’ for an idiot.  No doubt Ricky Nixon is an idiot also - he’d HAVE to be to have allowed himself to get caught up in this debacle - but where are the charges of blackmail and extortion against a 17-year old who’s clearly set out to purposefully damage other people’s lives and has not received substantial financial reward as a result?  Not that I have experience in that field, but I suspect even high-class whores don’t get paid THAT much for sex.
      But of course she’s a teenager so she must automatically be the ‘victim’, no matter how cold, calculating and vindictive her actions.  One can only hope Karma is the ultimate bitch in this case…

      Reply

    • BK says:

      01:50pm | 07/03/11

      Lets see how long she keeps her money. My bet is that she is broke by easter. A fool and their money…

    • Gary says:

      02:08pm | 07/03/11

      I think if this ‘idiot’ was so clever, she would have held out for 6 figures.5 figures might be as low as $10,000 and that is not a great deal nowadays, especially when you go on tv and expose yourself to all the abuse she has copped. Nobody ‘clever’ would do that.

      The real ‘idiots’ here, are the footballer who gave her access to naked photos of his friends, and Nixon who visited her armed with alcochol in her hotel room. Colour me cynical, but he wasn’t there for a bible reading.
      Hands up all of you who have naked pics of your friends? Maybe the club should persue this question.

    • Vic says:

      01:19pm | 07/03/11

      Don’t know this girl but I guess when she turns 18 we will see her in Ralph or one of those other mags with her only assets on display. The media are creating this monster by continuing to cover her. She addmitted to lying and just that fact makes me wonder how much of what she now has to say is true

      Reply

    • Jon says:

      01:45pm | 07/03/11

      I’m Sorry Ms. Tory Shepherd, I don’t understand what you are suggesting in your article. Are we suppost to take the side of a person who lies and has now been rewarded for her lies by 60 Minutes?

      And am I to further understand that it is not her fault but the education system that should have furthered her understanding of the consequences of lying?

      I thought that was pretty well covered by the grade 1 cirriculum…

      A 16 year old is perfectly aware of what is right and wrong. That is why they are allowed to pick their own VCE subjets to work towards their carrers. Hell, some states even allow 16 year olds to learn to drive, and Germany even allows drinking at that age.

      Please stop trying to drum up interest in your articles by trying to take the opposite side of public opinion without a reasonable basis.

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      02:08pm | 07/03/11

      hmmm…two posts of mine that criticise today’s ‘tabloid journalism’ can’t get through moderation today…...and I didn’t even swear this time…

      Reply

    • Mike says:

      02:15pm | 07/03/11

      Here in Sydney the NRL commentators have been having a great time reporting this, thus taking away the attention from the NRL match fixing and now assault charge for Benji Marshall. I wonder if these guys are going to apologise on air for some of the stuff they have been saying. I doubt it.
      I liked the girls reason for doing the interview. She didn’t want to be thought of as a skank she said. Well ya know “if it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck….it’s a duck.”

      Reply

    • FJ says:

      02:18pm | 07/03/11

      So for months there have been two pictures of her allegedly pregnant yet not one person has come forward and proven they were photoshopped.
      Is it just me who seems to think it’s awfully convenient for the AFL that she says she lied as they’re negotiating a new TV deal and nobody asks her to explain the pictures and how they were faked?
      I don’t believe she was telling the truth last night. Not untill some PC whiz can easily explain the pictures.

      Reply

    • CurlyHeadedSheila says:

      02:25pm | 07/03/11

      All those who are talking about being sympathetic towards this girl… she put it perfectly herself when she showed up at a St Kilda training session earlier in the year - she was there to keep her story in the news because she has a “tell-all” book coming out.

      She’s an attention seeker, and although I wish the media would dump the story, that’s not going to happen as long as she keeps crying wolf and then admitting she lied.

      I hate to say it but I always thought the pregnancy and miscarriage were a little suss.  Now that she’s proved it, someone needs to intervene and get her out of her narcissitic limelight.  Her parents might be a good option, they are rather neglectful in my eyes.  My mother never would have let me do this when I was 16 (9 yrs ago, and I didn’t do anything like this!) nor would she let me do it now at 25.

      Reply

    • hahapauli says:

      02:30pm | 07/03/11

      HOW dare you try to write this girl’s disturbed beghaviour off as teenager stupidity…she’s a complete lying manipulative bitch…who has set out…with the eager help of media vultures such as yourself…to destroy the lives of ‘‘anyone’’ who crosses’’ her path….she’s long enstranged from her family for good reason…they can’t understand and accept what she’s done…and nor should you.

      Reply

    • Fred says:

      02:31pm | 07/03/11

      Oxygen thief

      Reply

    • Yawn says:

      02:48pm | 07/03/11

      Even she admits she was a stupid 16 year old.. therefore why the hell is she still in the news? Oh hang on a sec it’s because people like us (including me) read these crappy stories then comment on it.

      From now I on I plan to ignore - This girl will do anything to get attention. She is the 2011 version of Corey Worthington and Claire Werbeloff, all made famous for not doing much but still getting into the media.

      Reply

    • Rogered says:

      02:54pm | 07/03/11

      Chk chk boom!

      NEXT!

      Reply

    • Jason Mc says:

      03:05pm | 07/03/11

      Who has had a girl falsely claim she is pregant to them ?  And how does it feel.

      Women just don’t know the anguish it can cause.

      Is Nixon allowed to also simply say he is “sorry” and we all let it go ??  Or can we just say he was “silly old bugger”?  No - every feminist writer has had a cheap shot at him - plus a few “noble” Female footy directors.

      Reply

    • TJ says:

      03:05pm | 07/03/11

      She is a total slapper, deserves nothing (including media time and/or space) and should just crawl off into the hole she came from.  Not worthy of any further discussion.

      Reply

    • Fi says:

      03:13pm | 07/03/11

      My 16 year old daughter is currently in the process of ripping our family apart. We have begged for help from social workers, counselors. police and the school. Nobody cares, and nobody knows how to help. She is promiscuous, drinks, smokes marijuana and is generally a menace to society at the moment.
      How do I know all of this? I merely have to read her Face Book. Thanks to the internet they all are so much into self promotion. We have bought up a generation of kids that feel so self important that they need to tell the cyber world about their every move.  We were told them to believe in themselves and they do, they think they are right all of the time, and have no respect for authority. They think everybody gives a damn about what they are up to, and keep pushing the boundaries to keep their “ausience” entertained. We were told to teach them about self love, again we did it too well, now they only love themselves.
      This young lady is living out the fantasy of thousands of these “me, me, me” girls. This must the be the ultimate “look at me” for her.
      I only thank God that nobody is offering to stick a camera and microphone at my daughter at the moment, cause she would be in like Flynn!
      And for people asking where her mother is - she is probably brokenhearted and defeated wondering how the hell it all came to this.

      Reply

    • Bob Walker says:

      03:24pm | 07/03/11

      Sam Gilbert trusted her enough to leave her alone in his house…how did she repay that?

      Reply

    • JL says:

      03:30pm | 07/03/11

      Hey - Gillard lied about the carbon tax - perhaps this girl is just following her role model and lying about pregnancies.

      Strange - both happen to be female. And both see nothing wrong with lying. Hmmmmmmmmmm

      So all you media people - attack Julia.  How dare she portray herself as PM. She should resign immediatley and be discredited.

      Reply

    • Jay says:

      03:35pm | 07/03/11

      Good on the lass. She was picked up at a school training session by a couple of players who thought she would be another conquest and they could then use her and dump her. She fought back and turned the football world on its head and has shown how grubby footballers and their managers can become.The AFL continues to stick its head in the sand with regards to drugs.Ricky Nixon seduces a 17 y.o, snorts drugs with her and then denies it. This is the same guy who lectures 16 & 17 year old boys about how to behave and laughingly treat women. Please, revoke his license, and get rid of this three strikes rubbish. The AFL is a glorified boys club and continues to treat women like whores.They forget that a lot of women watch AFL and mothers have a lot of input as to which sport young boys play.No wonder kids are leaving Aussie rules in their droves and choosing soccer.

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      03:46pm | 07/03/11

      @Jay,
      what fantasy world do you live in?
      This kind of attitude is what allows girls like this to do whatever they want with no consequences and still have apologists like you defend her.

    • gobsmacked at the ignorance says:

      04:11pm | 07/03/11

      What drugs are you takiing Jay? She admitted she never met them a the school football clinic you goose!! She heard them speaking and then wet to a game to try and (successfully) get to meet them.
      She lied about every single aspect because and yet the footballer treated her badly!! hell of a perspective you’ve got….

    • Burn yourbra says:

      03:42pm | 07/03/11

      Lying for fame and financial gain. If this she were a male she’d be called a con man instead the feminists run riot against the AFL in the name of “equality”

      Reply

    • Jack the Splat says:

      04:40pm | 07/03/11

      The women shoud forget their misogynist claims and look up the word MISANDRY - this girl and most of the writers on this in her favour - are guilty of it.

    • Mata Hari says:

      03:43pm | 07/03/11

      Serves these middle aged sleaze bag wankers right. 
      Honestly what do they expect? They exploit “pretty young things” and expect no repercussions?
      Time to grow up men.  Treat women with respect, date your own age and you’ll be less likely looking like a twat!

      Reply

    • Shelly says:

      03:51pm | 07/03/11

      So, are these so called ‘adults’ who are giving her air time, sleeping with her and a pleather of other teenagers not idiots? What about the squillion of so called adults in the NRL who get drunk, get naked, rape, pillage, take and sell drugs and cause havoc on whatever bar or town their in?

      Who the fuck are you to call her an idiot when all the other people surrounding this scandal are fully grown adults and are acting just as stupidly.

      Reply

    • Peter says:

      03:57pm | 07/03/11

      Just a few things which might need some clarification, i cannot speak for the writer of this article or indeed the girl who is the subject; however this piece of ‘journalism’ is representative of society’s perpetuation of the utter myth that teenagers are “idiots”.  This is in fact the antithesis of reality and represents a grave and very real boundary which prevents many young people from achieving highly in their respective fields due to the dogmatic views of the wider public towards that group who they perceive to do nothing other than wrap themselves around power poles, grunt, drink irresponsibly, and “wagg school”.  Why should young individuals in Australian society bother to break with this stereotype if it is constantly perpetuated and extended in such a public and myopic forum as this? If you have not guessed, i am a teenager myself and believe that there only continues to be problems with my age group, which includes drinking and behavioural problems, as long as there continues to be this dogmatic perception of teenagers perpetuated in this fashion.  It should be noted also that this perception is damaging to society as a hole as it is these issues which are carried into the wider community with age.

      Reply

    • Rita says:

      04:00pm | 07/03/11

      Enough with the celebrity status… please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more making this very worldly and sexually active “idiot” feel like an important celebrity. Most 17-year-old girls have self-respect and tend to stimulate their brain. This one disgusts me.

      Reply

    • jeninvic says:

      04:06pm | 07/03/11

      Why is the media still giving this serial pest the time of day? Obviously to me this girl is really messed up, and obviously grown men cant seem to keep away from her. This is all so grubby on both fronts, I cant see any winners, just continual drama, with awful fallout for many caught in the crossfire.

      Reply

    • Rossco says:

      04:06pm | 07/03/11

      I want to hear from Erick on this issue.

      Reply

    • Greg J says:

      04:06pm | 07/03/11

      Oh come on .  Grow up Shelly.  Rape ?????

      Even our St Kilda super slamming slut knows you don’t go back to hotel rooms for a ” cup of milo” ? But hang on - she may have had ovaltine - and lied.

      It only seems to end up “rape” when the girl doesn’t get the 2nd date.  And the shame of her pursuing a one night stand seeps in.

      Reply

    • Matthew says:

      04:09pm | 07/03/11

      This is so stupid. She lies about her age, goes to a party in a hotel room, and then this happens. What did she expect would happen when she tells them she’s 19 and then goes to a hotel room? Seriously… I had more sense than this when I was 10.

      Reply

    • cher says:

      04:31pm | 07/03/11

      they’re both sick and screwed up - the blind leading the blind - so….. they both fall into the pit… isn’t it obvious you go with your kind? so which of them wl act the part of the grown-up? neither.

      Reply

    • Geoff says:

      04:42pm | 07/03/11

      It’s because of females like this little slapper that so many men are choosing the other side of the fence. Only a man knows what a man wants.

      Reply

    • Rodney says:

      04:47pm | 07/03/11

      Now she’s gunna get done for writing fake emails and text messages (seen last night on 60 minutes). No way Nixon wrote them!!!!!!!!!!!! Silly girl, all for money and a bit of fame.

      Reply

    • Belinda says:

      05:01pm | 07/03/11

      She has shown us what a sleezy industry the AFL is.

      Reply

    • Jack says:

      05:09pm | 07/03/11

      That is why Nixon wnet away. Smart move. he knows for her to get he limelight he has to be aorund and retrting aginst her claims. With him gone she had to run her own show. And failed.

      Soon you will hear her admit she made up the texts and the phone was tampered with by her. And that they never had sex.

      Maybe Nixon was just her schoolgirl teacher fantasy. Sting sang about it.

      Reply

    • Christina says:

      09:10pm | 07/03/11

      Basically it sounds like a modern day version of Fatal Attraction. God help the bunny!

      Reply

    • Anne says:

      10:02pm | 07/03/11

      Well said. This girl has done some idiotic and unethical things. That’s to be expected. She was 16 when this saga began and is still only 17 years old, and has obviously been caught in the thrall of a salacious media who seem to care more about ratings than the well-being of a child. The adult men who took advanatage of this girl, who broke their own code of conduct in doing so, who seem to have had innapropriate dealings with the police to protect their image and who apparently made threats to her have no such excuse. Why are we making excuses for grown adults at the expense of naive, immature young girls?

      Reply

    • Maree says:

      11:18pm | 07/03/11

      Who’s paying her hotel bills now? She said she took up with Nixon because she missed the attention. Someone is paying for her now. She’s just a teen whore who wants to be a Corry but has to use sex to do it. She says she wants to be a journalist. This silly cow has no credibility and there is no way she will be taken seriously as a reporter.
      However, having said that, the footballers and their handlers are scum. They get into these top teams and think they can just do whatever they want. They think girls like this are a just a perk. I am glad this scandal has happened. Australia might finally wake up to so-called spoiled celebrity bull that the players/handlers and the girl are practising… Their disgusting drug culture is only exacerbating it (I am not a wowser, just someone who doesn’t understand the need to stuff cocaine, etc, up my nose in order to have a good time)

      Reply

    • Kym says:

      11:50pm | 07/03/11

      i wonder if anyone was actually surprised that it turns out she was lying

      Reply

    • Ed van Dijk says:

      05:09am | 08/03/11

      More to the point, ‘we are shown again and again footballers are idiots, most of the time. They do incredibly stupid things. Hormones, drugs, alcohol, and a no-idea mentality of their actions or consequences. They screw up. A lot.’

      Reply

    • Grandad says:

      07:42am | 08/03/11

      How many 47 year old men if given the chance would say no to an easy 17 year old slut.

      Reply

    • Anon says:

      08:30am | 08/03/11

      I’m sorry but really, who cares?  This girl is obviously an idiot and the public is just giving her what she wants - let’s focus on something which is actually worth while

      Reply

    • Ian says:

      08:36am | 08/03/11

      Now she has a five figure payout, will those who have been wrongly implicated and suffered enormous damage to their reputations be supported should they choose to claim reparations from her for the defamatory nature of her media usage?  If it was myself embroiled in a scandalous untruth by a teen, I would be livid and seek court action to rectify the wrong and remedy the pain.  Hopefully she will be liberated of her “proceeds of crime”.

      Reply

    • Greg says:

      08:52am | 08/03/11

      For a guy who actually doesn’t play, and hasn’t for 15 years or more - the media seem to love chasing this Nixon story. One involved sounds like a sex maniac attention seeking liar. The other a coke fuelled has been.

      Sounds to me as if a few media writers have a personal grudge though - it really is no longer that newsworthy. And its become impossible to know the truth anyway.

      Reply

    • David Lindsay says:

      08:56am | 08/03/11

      Because she is a woman, she cant be a bad person apparently. Her conduct has no defence. This girl is psychopathic and a bad person.

      Reply

    • Shaun of the (brain) dead says:

      09:04am | 08/03/11

      Teenagers are not mad or mixed up hormone fuelled nut buckets as you all seem to think.
      This girl’s actions are the result of bad judgement, poor morals and probably worse parenting.
      I’m not saying her parents didn’t try, maybe they did.  If they did do their best, it obviously wasn’t good enough and they should have had SIGNIFICANTLY more parenting training before they where ever allowed to breed.
      This unfortunate girl has a narcissistic personality and her parents are responsible for creating it.
      With 7000000000 people on this planet, we really dont need more idiots like this.
      Yet again more good argument for removing the “right” to procreate.

      Reply

    • Martin says:

      09:13am | 08/03/11

      Of course someone else should be to blame, Tori. After all, personal responsibility is no longer advocated. Why should you, when you can blame someone else for the trouble you caused? I find your argument vile.

      Reply
 
Comment

Facebook Recommendations

Read all about it

Punch live

Up to the minute Twitter chatter

Malcolm Farr

farrm51 08 Mar 11 10:38AM

The decision to go tough on carbon price w/o back-up of policy detail means JG is PM in name only.The Punch today: ithhttp://bit.ly/gQbdIt

David Penberthy

penbo 08 Mar 11 10:20AM

@jasonlangenauer the jewish labor mp michael danby suggested you just paint the star of david on offending businesses. Take that on board.

Lucy Kippist

lucyjk 08 Mar 11 07:23AM

Domestic violence is never "just" a dispute says @KateEllisMP It's International Women's Day on The Punch: http://bit.ly/7g2OK

ToryShepherd

ToryShepherd 07 Mar 11 11:16PM

RT @PhillipMHudson: Newspoll: Do you support price on carbon: in favour 42, against 53

See all tweets

Recent posts

The latest and greatest

Gillard is now Prime Minister in name only

by Malcolm Farr

65

Gillard is now Prime Minister in name only

Julia Gillard is engaged in the most prized foreign assignment for an Australian Prime Minister - the…

There’s no such thing as “just” a domestic dispute

by Kate Ellis

54

There’s no such thing as “just” a domestic dispute

The nation was stunned by the gruesome triple homicide in Kapunda last year. A husband, wife and their…

Don’t address the concern, shoot the critic

by Sophie Mirabella

93

Don’t address the concern, shoot the critic

It’s a strategy that President Obama’s spin team employed when he was neck-deep in political…

Nosebleed Section

choice ringside rantings

From: Women’s rights mean the right to choose

Carz says:

Amy it is precisely the ability to choose that feminists fought for. I think we, as women, have come to see that our mothers and grandmothers, those who were a part of the second wave of feminism, had great ideas but the implementing of them may have been a little flawed. Back then it was seen as a choice… [read more]

From: Slicing up that ol’ disability pie

Lauren says:

so true. My brother has cerebral palsy, is blind and is intellectually disabled. He is also a gold medalist paralympian, He is retired from that now and works every day selling the big issue in Melbourne. For all he has put into society, he gets very little back. He has to live in a rooming house with… [read more]

Light weight

Gentle jabs to the ribs

Welcome, Nigerian Facebook friends. Please send money.

Welcome, Nigerian Facebook friends. Please send money.

Readers, as we’re sure you’re well aware, The Punch is Nigeria’s main national newspaper.… Read more

25 comments

Newsletter

Read all about it

Sign up to the free daily Punch newsletter

Subscribe to The Punch RSS feed