ADVERTISER.COM.AU WEDNESDAY JANUARY 20 2016 NEWS 03

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SOUTH Australian chiroprac-tors are claiming they cantreat children’s asthma,ADHD and bed-wetting – de-spite no evidence.

A range of websites alsoclaim they can treat colic, earinfections, scoliosis, and sleep-ing problems. Top clinic Chiro-practic Wellness hints it cantreat asthma and a wide rangeof other health issues, and whenThe Advertiser asked if theycould cure asthma in children,the reply was “absolutely”.

But owner Andrew Timbs –the immediate past president ofSA’s Chiropractic Associationof Australia – said chiropractorsnever “treat” anything.

“We see a lot of kids withasthma and those types ofthings and absolutely there’snext to no kids that don’t im-prove from chiropractic,” hesaid. “But we never specifi-cally treat someone for a spe-cific condition, we adjust thespinal nervous system so thebody can heal itself.”

There is growing criticism ofthe Chiropractic Board and theAustralian Health PractitionerRegulation Agency amid pres-sure to stamp out “false andmisleading” claims in the indus-try. Dr Ken Harvey, from Mo-nash University’s departmentof epidemiology and preventivemedicine, says change is need-ed because false claims leadpeople away from proper treat-ments. “It’s also detrimental toyour bank balance,” he said.

AHPRA and the Chiroprac-tic Board said they were “work-ing with other regulators to acton concerns about potentiallyfalse or misleading advertisingby a small number of chiro-practors”. Some have been re-ferred to the ACCC, whileothers may be taken to court.

“The vast majority of practi-tioners have responded to thefirst AHPRA warning letterand amended their advertising,eliminating the need for andcost of further regulator ac-tion,” they said in a statement.PAGE 13: SHOW SOME BACKBONE

DANIELA ABBRACCIAVENTOPORTSIDE MESSENGER

MARKITA Bond is a womanwho was once a man, coachingwomen to play what was onceconsidered a man’s game. And,already, she says proudly, she’sone of the girls.

In a first for her club, andpossibly the state, Bond is blaz-ing a trail as a transgenderfootball coach.

Port Adelaide Women’sFootball Club has appointedBond as its division one coachin this year’s South AustralianWomen’s Football League.

Bond, 50, was an assistantcoach with the Magpies in 2015and was promoted after formercoach Michael Coburn left theclub.

SA Community FootballLeague manager MatthewDuldig, who oversees all grass-roots competitions across thestate, believes Bond is SouthAustralia’s first transgenderfootball coach.

However, amateur leaguechief executive John Kerna-han, who administers theSAWFL, believes there hasbeen one in the past but couldnot provide further details.

A first or not, the passionatesportswoman hopes to be arole model for others in thetransgender community.

She says she was “absol-utely shocked” to be offeredthe job.

“I am blessed to be thecoach of the Port AdelaideWomen’s Club and (possibly)the first transgender coach inSouth Australia,” Bond said.

“I see myself active withinthe community, but maybelater on down the track for

anybody who has had trans-gender issues, they can comeup and talk to me.”

Bond has received nothingbut positivity from the squadand everyone at the club.

“I couldn’t ask for a betterbunch of girls,” she said.

“I was taken aback at howeasy it was and I was one of thegirls straight away.

“I would be more deter-mined to show that it doesn’tmatter who you are, you can bea coach, as well as have theskills to teach the next gener-ation.”

Bond’s goal is to develop astrong football program at theclub to help players gain selec-tion for a team, ahead of nextyear’s launch of an AFL na-tional women’s league.

Port Adelaide Women’sFootball Club, which has noformal links with Port Adel-aide Football Club, finishedfourth in the SAWFL’s opendivision two last year.

The Ethelton-based Mag-pies will enter this season indivision one.

“I am bringing in the threeDs: desire, discipline and deter-mination,” Bond said.

“Desire for the guernseyand to play for the club, deter-mination we will use for thefooty oval and making surethey have a focused mind.

“With the AFL implement-ing their (league) in 2017, wewould love to have some play-ers getting a look at.”

Bond hopes to one day be-come an AFL coach.

“It would be a big step,” shesaid.

“My dream was to be anAFL coach and to show myskills and talents.”

Chiros warned on ad claimsTORY SHEPHERD

STEPPING UP: Markita Bond, who was born a man but identifies herself as a woman, will coach Port Adelaide Women’s Football club’s division one side this year. Picture: MARK BRAKE

Transgender woman blazes a trail

Coach gets kick out of breaking down barriers

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