Martin Devlin: Let's help Zac club

opinion

By Martin Devlin

Published: 12:26PM Monday November 14, 2011 Source: ONE Sport

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Call me soft then. Well, softer than I usually am. Right now though I can't, and don't want, to dump on Zac Guildford.

In fact quite the opposite. If there's a "Let's help ZG get his act together club", then count me in.

More than enough people out there will be climbing onto their moralising high-horses about all this, I'm not one of them. (And when I say "people" of course I mean pontificating members of the failing print media).

Fight as I might against the urge not to empathise with this young man, my marshmallowness only surges to the fore again willing him to find whatever it is that will provide a long-term solution to his woe.

No I don't approve of what he did if the stories of assault and moral out-of-it-ness are true. Mind you, I don't disapprove to any extreme extent either.

I'm just simply refusing to heap even more poop onto his already mile-high pile.Plenty of righteously-minded will react with predictable glee at another "celebrity" getting his comeuppance - not me.

Pity all those who take joy in others misfortune. But at the same time let the sniping, nasty, key-board cowboys and talkback misfits vent their spleens.

We all know their high and mighty "I know better than you" attitude is nothing more than on-going bitterness at the perceived unfairness their own lives have dealt them.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Good on you Todd Blackadder for being the first to publicly support this guy. Not the first time Zac's found himself in post-alcohol trouble, in fact the third such reported incident in 18 months, apparently. NZRU Prof Services Manager said all the right things yesterday and, hopefully, with more care and guidance under the tutelage of people like Blackadder, the right help (if that's the right word) can and will be found.

But enough on all that.

Nothing more needs to be said about what needs to be done, does it?

I believe there's many more people, than not, who are would-be members of the "Let's help Zac Guildford club".

It'll be a better day when he joins up too.

What do you think? Comment below.

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  • Sullir said on 2011-11-16 @ 08:31 NZDT: Report abusive post

    Great thinking - agree that Todd Blackadder is exactly the man take Zac under his wing - he is a Cantab lad and has wonderful grandparents who love and uspport him. He has had a heap to deal with - after losing his Dad, being on the winning RWC team - combine an island resort, heat and liquor. a stag party and a bang on the head - not really a surprising outcome - But now he says he will give up the booze completely and he certainly needs to do that now and forever. Stand tall young Zac.

  • lily_b said on 2011-11-16 @ 07:05 NZDT: Report abusive post

    Give Zac Guildford a chance? Don't think so. If Zac has not learnt lessons from other rugby players' mistake of drunkenness and browl and rowdiness, guess he won't learn. About time that rugby managers and coaches make a sample of player/s that they cannot get away with such bad behaviour. Getting the public to sympathise with him, that's pathetic! It's bad image for rugby that these drunken players can hide behind the big names in rugby to protect them and stand by their bad behaviour.

  • heatherallan said on 2011-11-14 @ 16:13 NZDT: Report abusive post

    Yes the lad does need help BUT.. an option to be given that he shapes up or ships out of the All Blacks. The same message should be given to all pro. players. They represent their country and there is just too much booze being drunk after the games with fights and other unsavoury carry-ons. So.. a good dollop of Tough Love for Zac - together with help with the alcohol problem.

  • CPK said on 2011-11-14 @ 15:34 NZDT: Report abusive post

    Martin, I'm with you. Zac has a lot to deal with in losing his dad. He will need Grief counselling,as I am sure I do also. When you lose someone very close to you - it can throw your whole world out of sinc. To those back stabbers - shut up and leave him alone! You'll never be good enough to represent your region let alone your country, that's why you can't understand what this precious young man is going through.

  • mouthguard said on 2011-11-14 @ 15:24 NZDT: Report abusive post

    Martin, does any of this approach come from being under the media spotlight yourself recently? I imagine it isn't very nice, but it goes with the territory. Along with the money, fans and glory comes some responsibility and some consequences. I was appalled to hear you describe his actions as a 'legend night out' if it were a few years ago. Is this the sort of stuff what we want our kids to look up to? Anyone else would have been arrested.

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