Three days ago, Mark Harvey, head coach of Fremantle AFL football club, attended a breakfast at which the topic was his plans for next year’s attempt to win the flag.

Nobody said to him, before today is out you will be sacked.

But that is what happened.

Harvey still had a year to run on his contract.

Fremantle’s performance has been described variously as “treachery”, a “mercenary act” etc.

Harvey’s replacement, Ross Lyon – who the previous week had negotiated a 4-year contract with St Kilda — pretty much overnight ditching the Saints and knifing a fellow-coach in the back.

When questioned about this perceived lack of loyalty, Lyon said he wasn’t interested in “emotive terms”.

Mark Harvey’s comment?

He simply said, “That’s footy . . . .”

* * *

If loyalty is merely an “emotive term”, then we have become, literally, a race of psychopaths.

If Mark Harvey is right that “that’s footy . . . .”

Then “footy” is something we would be a lot better off without.

Unfortunately, most professional sport seems to be no better.

* * *

Once upon a time, Ron Clarke tripped and fell during the1500 metres final of the Australian National Athletic Championships preceding Melbourne’s 1956 Olympic Games.

Fellow runner, John Landy, stopped and doubled back to check that Clarke was OK.

Clarke got up and they both started running again.

Too late, of course — neither managed a place.

But the attitude of sportsmanship shown has won a place in the hearts and admiration of many Australians.

That was a different century and a different world.