Statement on the Thorburn/Essendon issue

Major Australian sporting clubs have to incorporate fundamental civil liberties principles of fairness, tolerance of difference views and freedom of speech while at the same time promoting important concepts of inclusivity around issues of homosexuality abortion and related topics.

QCCL Vice-President Terry O’Gorman said that the effective sacking of Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn last week over comments arising from a sermon given 9 years ago by a Pastor at Mr Thorburn’s Anglican Church aligned City on a Hill church raises troubling questions of the state of civil liberties in Australia.

“The 2013 sermon which still sits posted to Mr Thorburn’s church’s website that said same sex attraction was a sin has to be seen in the context of the current Catechism of the Catholic Church still states that based on scripture homosexual acts under no circumstances can be approved,”[1] Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O’Gorman posed the question does this mean that no practising Catholic can ever be a CEO of Essendon or any other football codes or clubs who have approved or have been silent on the circumstances of Mr Thorburn’s departure from Essendon.

Mr O’Gorman pointed out that in a speech being delivered in Melbourne today by Catholic theologian Father Frank Brennan SJ, the Rector of Newman College Melbourne and former CEO of Catholic Services Australia,  Father Brennan while referring to the above extract of the current Catholic Catechism said (referencing the 19th century philosopher John Newman) ‘The events in the Essendon Football Club and the response by civic leaders including the Victorian Premier would have you wondering about our ability to advocate without accusation, disagree without disrespect and see differences (of opinion) as places of encounter rather than exclusion’.[2]

Mr O’Gorman likened Thorburn’s fate to that of St George Illawarra Jack de Belin who suffered a highly punitive 3 year suspension from playing A grade football from 2018 to last year under the NRL’s no fault stand down policy.

“Preventing de Belin from playing football for 3 years in respect of a sexual assault charge for which he was eventually found not guilty and Thorburn’s effective dismissal from Essendon both demonstrate a poor commitment to fundamental civil liberties principles of the presumption of innocence and freedom of speech and religious belief by 2 of Australia’s major football codes,” Mr O’Gorman said.

Mr O’Gorman said that the threat to freedom of speech and thought and religious belief in Australia is coming more and more from big sporting clubs.

“This trend has to be confronted and corrected” Mr O’Gorman said.

[1] See Speech by Father Frank Brennan SJ referred to below

[2] See Homily for the College Founders and Benefactors of Newman College Melbourne 09/10/2022 by Father Frank Brennan SJ reported in today’s Catholic Outlook