Cyclist Jobe Dajka believed to have passed away

[Squawk]

News reports are tonight suggesting that cyclist Jobe Dajka has been found deceased, aged 27.

A sad end to a promising yet tragic story.

Today I have been trying to reconcile why a footy player has to be caught with a positive drug test 3 times before being named, yet Bock and others who are in police trouble get no chance of confidentiality. Which is worse?

Public harm vs self harm; violence against others vs self-impact.

However, I just wonder if the media profiling in the last 24 hrs of both Nathan Bock and Nick D'Arcy may have been a contributing factor to Jobe's passing. Very sad.

[spell_check]

Remember around the time when Simon Goodwin was named and shamed by the AFL for gambling issues? That Kieren Jack (who had not even played an AFL game yet) was also named and shamed for having two $5 bets not involving his team?

Why does the drugs issue have to be kept hushed, but everything else is stuck everywhere like fairy floss?

[Squawk]

Why does the drugs issue have to be kept hushed, but everything else is stuck everywhere like fairy floss?

Exactly.

And why do media consistently shy away from naming their own when they get in to similar trouble?

eg a high profile sportsreader was heavily fined recently when an employee of his private company had a finger severed in an accident in an unsafe workplace; two other high profile sportsreaders on two different channels own or endorse a business which was directly linked to the SAJC inquiry; and, a high profile current affairs presenter in SA who has had defamation judgements made against them. And if you think I have over-used the term "high profile", I haven't.

Back on sportspeople, what about the high profile soccer player who appeared in the Holden Hill Magistrates Court in the last fortnight? Unreported.

However, as I mentioned above, I do wonder if the Bock and D'arcy matters may have contributed to Dajka's unfortunate passing.

[spell_check]

Well, that's pretty obvious why those matters go unreported. But it is still public record once it goes through the courts.

[JAS]

As this is a breaking news story please bear in mind the possiblilty that family/friends could view any comments made here and also remember that we have to be careful about any potential legal problems concerning allegations made.

We don't want to have to take down any thread but will if we think anyone has gone too far.

Thank you
Condolences to the family
Regards
JAS

[Q.]

Completely swept aside by Cycling Australia, who just wanted to wipe their hands clean of Dajka. And now Swimming Australia is doing it with D'Arcy. Shame for not providing the support for our turbulent, but still young, athletes.

[Ronnie]

Completely swept aside by Cycling Australia, who just wanted to wipe their hands clean of Dajka. And now Swimming Australia is doing it with D'Arcy. Shame for not providing the support for our turbulent, but still young, athletes.

People are meant to be responsible for their own actions, adults at least. The governing bodies can't stand back and watch criminal behaviour go unsactioned if they have any credibility.
But i would certainly question the role of the media in these events, the spotlight is on but they shy away from their own.

[Q.]

Completely swept aside by Cycling Australia, who just wanted to wipe their hands clean of Dajka. And now Swimming Australia is doing it with D'Arcy. Shame for not providing the support for our turbulent, but still young, athletes.

People are meant to be responsible for their own actions, adults at least. The governing bodies can't stand back and watch criminal behaviour go unsactioned if they have any credibility.
But i would certainly question the role of the media in these events, the spotlight is on but they shy away from their own.

I'm not absolving anyone of responsibility, just suggesting that these institutions are neglecting those that have strayed from their desired 'cookie-cutter' image. These are (or were) young people subject to enormous pressures who should not be cast aside forever because of a little turbulence.

[Ronnie]

Completely swept aside by Cycling Australia, who just wanted to wipe their hands clean of Dajka. And now Swimming Australia is doing it with D'Arcy. Shame for not providing the support for our turbulent, but still young, athletes.

People are meant to be responsible for their own actions, adults at least. The governing bodies can't stand back and watch criminal behaviour go unsactioned if they have any credibility.
But i would certainly question the role of the media in these events, the spotlight is on but they shy away from their own.

I'm not absolving anyone of responsibility, just suggesting that these institutions are neglecting those that have strayed from their desired 'cookie-cutter' image. These are (or were) young people subject to enormous pressures who should not be cast aside forever because of a little turbulence.

You make it sound like just some petty incident. In the case of D'arcy he engaged in serious criminal assault and if your in any doubt read about the victim's injuries. He can only be neglected if he is owed something and i would say the only thing he is owed is jail time. After seeing him on Australian story i doubt very much he really grasps the gravity of what he did. Hopefully we won't be seeing him again.

[Q.]

There's two other threads to discuss the D'Arcy incident. Much of which has been said in them I agree with and that is that he has served his punishment. Now Swimming Australia want nothing to do with him, much like Cycling Australia wanted nothing to do with Dajka. Quite happy to heap the pressure on our young stars but when cracks appear, c'ya later...

[TEX07]

There's two other threads to discuss the D'Arcy incident. Much of which has been said in them I agree with and that is that he has served his punishment. Now Swimming Australia want nothing to do with him, much like Cycling Australia wanted nothing to do with Dajka. Quite happy to heap the pressure on our young stars but when cracks appear, c'ya later...

I agree Quichey we tend to hang our sporting stars out to dry when something like this can happen! Very similar to the D'Arcy situation here, these guys train extremely hard for one event and both denied this event due to indiscretions. Not saying that they were worthy of going at all but supporting them and standing by them is what i would have liked to see. Having said this i have heard stories that Dajka had plenty of support early on when cracks started to appear and was given plenty of chances to pull his head in. Really shows me how low a person can get when they suffer from depression and how important mates are at that time. Really sad end to what seemed to be a really troubled life.

[interested observer]

There's two other threads to discuss the D'Arcy incident. Much of which has been said in them I agree with and that is that he has served his punishment. Now Swimming Australia want nothing to do with him, much like Cycling Australia wanted nothing to do with Dajka. Quite happy to heap the pressure on our young stars but when cracks appear, c'ya later...

I agree Quichey we tend to hang our sporting stars out to dry when something like this can happen! Very similar to the D'Arcy situation here, these guys train extremely hard for one event and both denied this event due to indiscretions. Not saying that they were worthy of going at all but supporting them and standing by them is what i would have liked to see. Having said this i have heard stories that Dajka had plenty of support early on when cracks started to appear and was given plenty of chances to pull his head in. Really shows me how low a person can get when they suffer from depression and how important mates are at that time. Really sad end to what seemed to be a really troubled life.

Let's all hope Darcy does not go down similar path..
Unfortunately a strong possibility with people so competitive and detest failure...
Swimming Australia " Disgraceful "

[Psyber]

There's two other threads to discuss the D'Arcy incident. Much of which has been said in them I agree with and that is that he has served his punishment. Now Swimming Australia want nothing to do with him, much like Cycling Australia wanted nothing to do with Dajka. Quite happy to heap the pressure on our young stars but when cracks appear, c'ya later...

I agree Quichey we tend to hang our sporting stars out to dry when something like this can happen! Very similar to the D'Arcy situation here, these guys train extremely hard for one event and both denied this event due to indiscretions. Not saying that they were worthy of going at all but supporting them and standing by them is what i would have liked to see. Having said this i have heard stories that Dajka had plenty of support early on when cracks started to appear and was given plenty of chances to pull his head in. Really shows me how low a person can get when they suffer from depression and how important mates are at that time. Really sad end to what seemed to be a really troubled life.

"Indiscretions"???
I think that term is playing what they did down a bit too much.

[TEX07]

Does not matter which word i chose, my point is what both have done isnt the end of the world. Nobody killed anyone, i know in the D'Arcy incident Cowly was hurt, but from what i have heard he wasnt entirely innocent in the situation either. Not saying he deserved it at all, i just have heard he played his part in it to. You can use whatever word you so desire to describe what each guy did, indescretion is my opinion of the seriousness, understand its not everyones, just mine.

[Psyber]

I'd go with "serious criminal assault". The law measures self-defence by the application of equal force.
If he'd just clipped Cowley around the ear with force equal to that he received it would have been fair retaliation.
Better still would have been to call the cops and lay an assault charge, if Cowley did hit him first.
I don't really believe that story of being fearful of being hit again.

You know the rules of the association when you take up the sport, or certainly do once you've been there a while.
You break the rules and the association quite reasonably dumps you.
If you decide to take up professional sport you are volunteering for the pressure involved, and you own responsibility for it, as well as your own behaviour.

The problem is, "I can do whatever I like 'cos I'm a star and they need me!"

[TEX07]

I'd go with "serious criminal assault". The law measures self-defence by the application of equal force.
If he'd just clipped Cowley around the ear with force equal to that he received it would have been fair retaliation.
Better still would have been to call the cops and lay an assault charge, if Cowley did hit him first.
I don't really believe that story of being fearful of being hit again.

You know the rules of the association when you take up the sport, or certainly do once you've been there a while.
You break the rules and the association quite reasonably dumps you.
If you decide to take up professional sport you are volunteering for the pressure involved, and you own responsibility for it, as well as your own behaviour.

The problem is, "I can do whatever I like 'cos I'm a star and they need me!"

Fair call, i would have to agree that there are planty of these sprots stars who have that mentality. I would say more so in our modern day footballers to be honest, i feel these guys are fairly well compensated for being in the public spotlight and having to behave. If you paid me $150k + each year to do something i do for free, no pay to do, and ask me not to drink and to behave i would adhere. When it comes to these sports like cycling and swimming the pressure has only really been on these guys after they offended, before these offences personally i had never heard of either of them.

I realise that both guys broke the law and i dont know the ins and outs like you do, but i do believe that each person involved in an incident has a part to play. Ill give you an example of what i mean. My wife got punched in the face by another woman at the shops about 12 months back, short story, wife was in car about to moveout of park, woman decided to stop behind in the roadway and pack shopping, wife tooted car horn to let her know she was leaving, woman did not move, wife again tooted, woman looked up at her and wife said are you going to move bitch? Now the women then came down and abused wife and wife apologised for calling her that but woman lent into car and punched her and drove off. When she got home i was concerned that she had been hit but i still say if she hadnt called her that she would not have been hit, woman has been charged with assault. If Cowly had not stuck his nose into something that didnt concern him he would have not been hit. Again no one in both situations deserved it, it just happens. This woman had a brain fade and admits wrong doing and if Mrs Tex had injures like Cowlys perhaps i would see it differently but she was fine.