I was at the meeting and for what it's worth here's my take.
Few clips shown of different incidents at games, spectator coming on to the ground and belting a player, the aforementioned incident with the runner's team and the photo of the urination, all with the Integrity Officer re-iterating the message that clubs have to be better. Not too unreasonable I would have thought.
Picture of the bloke having a leak, memory serves me right was up against a cyclone fence, 6 or 7 others sitting in front, all in club shirts, and a female standing in the vicinity. Reserves coach sitting with them, assuming it has been investigated and that's why we know the coach was there. Integrity Officer saying it's not on, want to drink, drink in the club's licensed area. Again not unreasonable. Need to realise we are playing at public reserves, anyone can be walking around, including kids, and not a great look for a club. Point was made the coach was there has a higher level of responsibility than the players. Once again, fair enough, honestly don't know what the coaches at the bar would find funny about it.
The brawl with the runner, point was made the runner was pissed and caused the brawl. My eyes aren't what they used to be, and to be honest couldn't really make out what exactly was happening in the clip, the runner may very well have been trying to stop the fight, wasn't the point of the message though. If you're a club on ground official, don't be pissed. Once again, fair enough and common sense.
Point was made about goal umpires drinking. This is one where I think it is a bit harsh. Certainly don't encourage people to be on the slops all day, however lower grades, 3rd or 4th teams when its a struggle to get people to help out. Normal scenario I would have thought, brother, sister, mate comes down to watch, want to have a quite beer and get roped in to doing the goals. Don't want to see it in the higher grades, but again a bit of common sense needed.
As to the bus ban. Point was made re the A Grand Final and the fight that broke out, both teams had buses. Point from the floor re separating the clubs with separate bars, fair point, but fair rebuttal as well. Anyway, buses banned, point made drinking on them is illegal, and will be policed when something happens. So clubs have been forewarned, no doubt bus trips will still happen, and so they should, but I guess it will make club officials take a greater role in curbing some of the behaviours of the club members.
Nothing there that I thought was worthy of anyone walking out, I was sitting by one of the side doors, no one left through those particular doors. All common sense for mine. Integrity Officer is an ex cop and no doubt his presentation skills could improve, however maybe some in the crowd got smacked in the face with the realisation that times have changed and amateur clubs have to change with them.
