Party on Tom

[zimeric]

Seen on the Piss with a bunch of Zimbo's on Friday Night with his rather young but pretty girlfriend.... I have it on good authority that the party was fully Sick..... no literally

i think there are some facebook pics somewhere...

[fulvio sammut]

I'll bite. Who's Tom?

[Darren]

Given this is in the Tom Hockings forum ....

[fulvio sammut]

Is it? No indication of that under "new posts".

[fulvio sammut]

Oops, oh yes there is. As you were....

[Darren]

Still a bit bleary on a Monday morning eh, Fulvio?

[.X.]

Is this news?

Has TWF become part of tabloid journalism?

How long before this report here becomes the back page news of the west?

[Thequeerone]

Just wondering which Sick party Fulvio was at - now that's one for the tabloids

Ex got to admit to feeling happy that Tom has a life here in Perth - more chance of him staying a while

[Happy]

feeling who now?

[Darren]

ah... that joke never gets old

[zimeric]

Is this news?

Has TWF become part of tabloid journalism?

How long before this report here becomes the back page news of the west?

who cares.. I know I for one wouldnt give a toss what he did with his downtime, in fact im quite glad he is able to live a normal existance and i guess that was the point of my posting... good on him, as long as he keeps it clean and no drinking & driving!!

[.X.]

who cares.. I know I for one wouldnt give a toss what he did with his downtime, in fact im quite glad he is able to live a normal existance and i guess that was the point of my posting... good on him, as long as he keeps it clean and no drinking & driving!!

OK good answer -

so here is a question for you

why post it in the first place?

Yes its awesome that our players have a life outside of Rugby here in Perth. Don't they have a right to be able to go out have a quite drink or even a million rowdy drinks without worrying about whether their drinking exploits make the paper or TWF?

[Darren]

I agree on some level, Exile, and I personally probably would not have posted it (not that I think there is anything wrong with Zim doing so) but in this instance there's nothing untoward being reported - Tom's doing what anyone else his age is doing and I doubt any reasonable person would begrudge him that.

Everyone else who is associated with TWF has had their public drinking exploits splashed across TWF, including yourself, why not Tom?

[.X.]

why not Tom?

Coach I appreciate your comments and opinion.

To answer your question I would like to put it this way.

As a professional sportsman in Perth representing a Western Australian based team in a National Competition, Tom is, rightly or wrongly, held to a higher standard than us mere mortals.

Now I would be certain that Mr Hocking like all other members of the Emirates Western Force playing squad have been instructed by RugbyWA Management in no uncertain terms that any nocturnal activities involving the consumption of alcohol that they are to act in a conduct becoming a representative of us.

Whilst it is certain that I would be unable to achieve the standards expected of RugbyWA. It is unlikely that I would make the headlines of one of the many Western Australian Newspapers should I feel a little under the weather and make an indiscretion or 4.

The following in italic is a fictional account to be used as an example. I, Exile, wish to point out that Tom Hocking nor any other member of the Emirates Western Force did what I have described below.

Tom unfortunately doesn't have what I have, anonymity. Lets say Tom - after a quiet night on the sauce with family and friends, on his way back to his car - ably driven home by his sober mate gets caught short. Unable to find a public toilet Tom has no choice but to water a tree from his own natural resource. Then lets say a Western Force fan on his or her way home catches Tom and takes a picture on his mobile camera phone, This picture gets MMS'd from mate to mate and ends up on the phone of Mr Dave Hughes - Senior Rugby Journalist for the West Australian.

The next thing we know Tom has been suspended by RugbyWA for a crime that the majority of us have committed. Some more then once.

OK - yes this is long winded but my point is this. As fans of the Emirates Western Force and all of their players, I would like to give our players, our Boys in Western Force Blue that have given us so much to be happy about - and I am not afraid to admit it, shed a tear when Cam slotted that Conversion for our first home win. And I was sitting in my loungeroom in Sydney. Cant we, the fans, give our players some privacy, some space, some leeway to go a little crazy.

Its difficult for us to repay our team for what they give us. Why not some anonymity once and a while?

[Darren]

No one reported him taking a whizz in public. He was spotted out and about. The name of the establishment was not mentioned, his rather limited privacy as a young professional sportsperson is pretty much intact. He is in the public eye, he knows this.

If he is spotted out having good time on the town - what better place to report it than a fan site without conjecture or embellishment - or would waiting for commmercially driven print media to publish their take on it be a better option?

Perhaps we should not talk about the players at all? Even better - should they stay at home and drink. Or is it OK for them to have a few beers sometimes such as the Western Force Awards Night (we even have photos of players drinking there!) but not if it's on their day off?

TWF is a supporters site for all things Force, and whether we like it or not, there'll also be a good serving of gossip and speculation thrown in.

Whilst you may have your anonymity - there are many others here that do not. Professional members of the Western Australian community who have their name associated with "getting on the piss" on the pages of TWF. Should we stop mentioning them also? Get off the high horse - we're all grown ups here (except perhaps, NeoGirl & Beaver - but they have good parents to guide them)