Footy was imagined to be Aurora’s* protected haven.
Swept up in a crowd rendition of Take Me Residence, Nation Roads, or one other Harris Andrews defensive masterclass, Brisbane residence video games took her thoughts off the years of ache she endured in an abusive relationship.
2024 marked two years because the Lions’ member had filed a home violence order (DVO) in opposition to her ex, who had threatened to kill her on a number of events.
That order granted Aurora what she describes as two years of “freedom” to take pleasure in footy on the Gabba, till she got here head to head with him working 10m from her reserved seat.
Household and home violence assist companies:
If you happen to need assistance instantly, name emergency companies on triple-0.
“I freaked out utterly,” she says.
“He was leaning on the surface of the stall together with his arms crossed, proper on the high of the steps.
“I do not understand how lengthy he was working there earlier than that, however it was like he was displaying himself to me, as a result of I hadn’t seen him.
“It is such a shock to be discovered while you assume you are protected, and when he had threatened to seek out and kill me.”
Aurora was conscious that her ex labored for a contractor on the Gabba, however he had beforehand labored at completely different areas across the floor on a weekly foundation.
This season, nonetheless, her ex was not moved. From that day ahead, Aurora noticed him on the identical location proper close to her seat, at every residence recreation.
“I could not do something, did not inform anybody, as a result of I simply could not assume, “she says.
“I used to be like a deer within the headlights.”
As she got here to phrases with being discovered, one element stored bothering her: “How did he discover me? How was that potential? I knew it wasn’t a coincidence.”
Aurora racked her mind, forcing herself to assume like her abuser, earlier than it dawned on her: maybe he had merely known as the membership staff, and requested for her particulars.
Aurora mentioned she used a faux title to name membership companies, the place she was in a position to entry details about her reserved seat on the Gabba.
Following by means of on her principle, Aurora known as the Lions’ membership division, pretending to be a pal who wished to sit down along with her at residence video games.
To her alarm, the workers member on the telephone readily revealed her seat quantity and site.
Every week later, Aurora repeated the experiment. This time, she posed as her youthful sister, and was as soon as once more given her figuring out particulars.
“It actually shocked me how simple it was to get my data, as a result of I consider that is how he discovered me,” she says.
“If it was that simple for me to fake I used to be two completely different folks and get the identical data per week aside, he may simply have finished the identical factor.”
Perpetrators observe victims to incite concern
As acknowledged within the Brisbane Lions’ privateness coverage, members’ private data should be protected, with the membership topic to compliance with the Privateness Act 1988.
The coverage states that below sure circumstances, member data could also be shared with third events (eg for promotional functions), however the AFL and its golf equipment “don’t in any other case disclose private data with out your permission”.
CEO of Ladies’s Authorized Centre within the ACT Elena Rosenman.
Elena Rosenman, CEO of Ladies’s Authorized Centre within the ACT, argues it will be important that organisations perceive the accountability they’ve in terms of knowledge privateness and knowledge disclosure, notably in instances of violence in opposition to girls.
“Home and household violence is a sample of abuse that incites concern in victims, and folks use quite a lot of strategies to create that concern,” she mentioned.
“A type of strategies is a very eager consciousness of the place girls are, so principally monitoring their areas on an ongoing, day-to-day foundation, and utilizing that data to incite concern.”
Whereas not desirous to touch upon Aurora’s particular case, Rosenman mentioned disclosure of non-public data can put victims in danger in one in every of two key methods:
“To begin with, if we’re sharing data with out their consent, it means we’re making choices on their behalf that would mirror their experiences [of violence],” she mentioned.
“However simply on a practical, sensible degree, we’re additionally doubtlessly sharing data with the individual they’re afraid of, and that they are in danger from.”
Aurora: Ladies’s security must be prioritised
In Aurora’s case, a part of the shock of seeing her abuser was the assumption that she was protected by the DVO she had in opposition to him.
She had made an assumption — which proved inaccurate — that the DVO, initially filed by a police officer, included a distance clause to make sure he couldn’t come inside a sure distance of her.
When she found that was not the case, she returned to court docket with a solicitor in Might 2025, and was profitable in her utility to make sure he was unable to work inside 100m from her.
Aurora mentioned whereas she was relieved her ex companion was not working close to her, she was uncomfortable with him being on the Gabba in any respect. (Getty Photographs)
However after receiving a verbal message from her ex (through one another’s attorneys) — she found that he was nonetheless working on the Gabba for a contractor on the opposite facet of the bottom.
Whereas this gave Aurora some aid, she says she would ideally like him to be eliminated utterly.
“The truth that he has been moved is big for me,” she says.
“It means I do not see him so I do not get triggered … however I nonetheless do dwell in concern that he could kill me. He could not know the place I dwell, however he is aware of the place I sit on the soccer.
“There needs to be a degree of security for girls to have the ability to take pleasure in our lives.
“At a base degree, I would like to have the ability to go to the soccer, be protected, watch my staff and never get stabbed.”
‘Gutted’: Aurora bemoans lack of follow-up from membership
In August, Aurora reached out to the Lions, the AFL and the contractor using her ex to request an viewers to debate her considerations.
She had included the Lions within the authentic correspondence along with her ex’s employer in Might, however didn’t obtain any follow-up from the membership.
This time the Lions replied, and Aurora met with a consultant from the membership’s authorized and membership departments.
There, she detailed a sequence of requests, together with a evaluate of Brisbane’s privateness coverage, that they agitate for her ex to be faraway from the Gabba, and advocate for an AFL-wide home violence spherical.
She says the latter was notably well-received, whereas she was instructed her considerations could be raised at subsequent membership management conferences.
Aurora mentioned she had met with the Lions however was “gutted” there had been eight weeks ready for additional contact.
Aurora additionally requested for a duplicate of the assembly minutes, however over two months after that assembly, has not obtained them.
She has additionally not had any follow-up about her different requests, other than a handful of texts from a membership lawyer to inform Aurora she was out of the workplace, and had not forgotten about her.
On September 15, ABC Sport contacted the identical member of the Lions’ authorized staff to lift a few of Aurora’s considerations, however didn’t obtain a response.
“It has been eight irritating and painful weeks of ready for nothing, simply bread crumbs,”
Aurora mentioned.
“Truthfully, I am gutted”.
The ABC reached out to the Brisbane Lions for remark, who mentioned “all calls are logged, and no seating particulars are offered to 3rd events”, and despatched the next assertion from a membership spokesperson.
Household and home violence assist companies:
If you happen to need assistance instantly, name emergency companies on triple-0.
“The Brisbane Lions take member security and wellbeing extraordinarily significantly,” it mentioned.
“The issues raised have been referred by means of our inside processes and have concerned ongoing engagement with the member, these discussions stay ongoing.
“We’ve got reviewed the considerations raised internally, and liaised with The Gabba as venue operator, together with communication with their contractor. Workers coaching and escalation protocols have been bolstered as a part of that course of.
“Given the matter stays ongoing, we’re unable to remark additional.
“The membership continues to assist group initiatives addressing home and household violence, together with our annual consciousness spherical in partnership with Past DV and different activations by means of the yr. It is a partnership we have now supported for a few years.
*A pseudonym has been used to guard Aurora’s security.
