ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
The AFL community’s ironclad opinion that the NRL’s State of Origin is a foreign, grotesque sideshow in the nation’s sporting calendar is under threat this week as a stunning linguistic breakthrough has been established.
Earlier this week, largely-forgotten Blues player Aaron ‘Sharon’ Woods remarked that Queenland Maroons coach Billy Slater was a ‘grub’ for dropping Daly Cherry-Evans for tonights match and that he ‘played like a grub’ back in the day.
The term ‘grub’ is widely used in rugby league circles. Depending on context, it can be used in an endearing way. However, in this context, the use of ‘grub’ is being used to defile the character of one of Queensland’s proudest sons.
The term ‘flog’ is often used in Aussie Rules circles. It’s interchangeable and the meaning changes somewhat with the help of context and expression. For example, popular Fremantle great Hayden Ballantyne could be called a ‘flog’ because he was the ultimate pest and honestly deserved a good smack in the mouth every time he pulled a guernsey on. Off the field, Ballantyne is a gentleman and therefore loses flog status.
Much like how great of the game Adam Goodes could be called a ‘flog’ by a small business owner from Bendigo, where it would be used in place of a racial slur. It is that context in which most outsiders to the game view the usage of the term ‘flog’ – a politically-correct word used interchangeably for a racial slur. Another example being Port Adelaide fans thrown bananas at black players because they’re ‘flogs’.
However, an important facet of the term ‘grub’ is that it isn’t used as a placeholder for a racial slur. There isn’t a context in rugby league in which the term ‘grub’ can be used in that way. To use the term ‘grub’ in an AFL context, you could say Barry Hall punching Brent Staker’s chin off in a cowardly surprise attack was a ‘grub’ act. That being said, it wouldn’t make proper sense for Collingwood fans to label Nicky Winmar a ‘flog’ for calling them out for being a pack of inbred racist ‘flogs’ back in 1993.
This new understanding has one pure-blood Victorian turned Betoota local nodding along this afternoon.
“I think I understand now,” said Tom James, a Demons fan formerly of Glen Waverley in Melbourne’s expansive and flat eastern suburbs.
“Flog equals grub, but only in the right context? Ok. So the term ‘grub’ in rugby circles. Sorry, league circles. It more about someone’s behaviour, demeanour, sportsmanship and attitude? OK, gotcha.”
Tom said the long-used fishing analogy helped him understand exactly the correct use for the term ‘grub’.
“I get it now. You might take a ‘grub’ fishing with you because they might be funny and have good chat, you know, they might be a weapon on the piss and know how to reverse a boat trailer? But they’re still a ‘grub’ but a good ‘grub’? Yeah righto. Whereas, you’d never take a ‘flog’ fishing. I can’t imagine being stuck in a tinny with Barry Hall all day. It would be torture,” he added.
“I’m still not going to watch Origin, though. Fuck that.”
More to come.
