(Murray Middleton is an acclaimed author, winner of The Age short story competition and BPL contributor.)

It is always interesting to note the language employed by AFL players and administrators.  In the past decade young draftees have received a wealth of media training.  The days of Tony Lockett hurling a crutch at Eddie McGuire are long gone.  Josh Fraser - the No.1 pick in the 1999 national draft - was one of the first youngsters to speak with poise and intelligence in front of the cameras.  Yet no matter how much guidance players receive, cracks always appear, sooner or later, in their armour.  Sometimes the truth can be revealed within these cracks.

The most sinister words to have been uttered on an AFL football field in 2011 belong to Justin Sherman.  In round 14, Sherman racially vilified the Gold Coast's Nigerian-born debutant Joel Wilkinson.  Sherman subsequently agreed to stand down for four matches and to donate $5,000 to a charity of the Suns' choice.  His punishment has generated much debate in the past fortnight.  It is almost impossible to quantify racism in sport.  Taking away what a sportsman loves is perceived to be a sufficient remedy.  But sometimes it isn't enough.

Two days after the Gold Coast match, Sherman fronted the cameras and read from a prepared statement.  He kept his head bowed and delivered what appeared to be a monotone, insincere apology.  It was difficult to gauge the true extent of his remorse.  Sherman's former team-mate, Jason Akermanis, was extremely critical of his apology.  However not everyone is as extroverted as Akermanis.  Speaking on the public record can be a daunting experience for certain players.  It requires an entirely different mode of intonation.  Fairly or unfairly, players are held accountable for every word they speak.

It was understandable why the Bulldogs wanted Sherman to read from a prepared statement.  Last October, in his first press conference since being traded from Brisbane, Sherman took a parting shot at his former club.  He justified his move by stating, "I wanted to make sure that I could continue to be a great footy player and that I needed to be in the right culture."  Not many pundits were aware that Sherman had ever been a ‘great' player.  He also seemed to overlook the fact that he, as an experienced player, had helped to shape the Lions' culture which he was condemning.

During his public apology, Sherman admitted: "I should have known better, especially given my close friendships with Nathan Djerrkura, Liam Jones and Josh Hill."  By naming his three indigenous teammates, Sherman seemed to be adhering to the archaic conviction that if he has indigenous friends, he is not a racist.  The fact that he claims to be friends with the aforementioned players arguably makes his act, or acts, even worse.  It is going to be difficult for Sherman to regain the trust of Nathan Djerrkura, Liam Jones and Josh Hill.

Sherman went on to say, "I want everyone to know that this is completely out of character and will never happen again".  It would be interesting to know what Wilkinson made of these sentiments.  Sherman didn't make one comment in the heat of the moment.  He repeatedly vilified Wilkinson.  To continually make derogatory remarks hints at pre-meditation, or worse; a prejudice which is ingrained in his psyche.  How can Sherman claim that it won't happen again?  Can anyone ever make that claim in any walk of life?

In the wake of the incident, AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson admitted, "It does beggar belief that a player in this day and age could racially vilify an opponent".  It is difficult to dispute this assertion.  Anderson then added, "There's no place for it (racism) in football any more".  His use of the words ‘any more' was interesting.  By employing the words - albeit rather innocuously - it seemed implicit that there was once a place for racism in the game.  Clearly this was not Anderson's intention.  Yet it was an interesting oversight.

Every punishment in life must also comprise the opportunity for redemption.  Redemption will be difficult for Sherman to attain, but not impossible.  Instead of spending the month with Williamstown, why couldn't he have spent the time training with St Mary's, the most successful club in the Northern Territory Football League?  St Mary's has produced some of the game's greatest indigenous players, including Michael Long and the late Maurice Rioli. 

Would St Mary's necessarily want Sherman around?  Possibly not, and they would be within their right.  Yet if they were willing, it would provide Sherman with a valuable chance to investigate, and hopefully understand, why those callous words escaped his lips.