• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Extreme racism in Australian Football League club

Almost a third of Indigenous AFL athletes and players of colour experienced racism, survey finds

Player’s association says reports of vilification from within the industry are ‘concerning’


Almost a third of 92 AFL players who identified as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or a person of colour experienced racism while listed as a player, according to a new survey from the players’ union.

The survey also found less than one-fifth of AFL players who have experienced racism in the game felt their matter was sufficiently dealt with and showed “concerning” incidences of vilification from people in the industry.

The AFL Players’ Association’s first Insights and Impact Report, released on Thursday amid the disturbing allegations of the Hawthorn racism review, found that of the 92 players surveyed who identified as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or a person of colour, 29 had experienced racism while listed as an AFL player.

Of those, only 17% felt the incidents were dealt with entirely to their satisfaction while 21% felt they were “somewhat or partially” dealt with and 62% felt they were not dealt with at all.

“This disappointing response highlights an area of future focus for the industry,” the report said.

Fifteen of the 29 said they had experienced racism within the last 12 months.

The most common incidents of racism were reported to have occurred on social media (26), with spectators at games being the next most prevalent (13), followed by when playing at community level (10), publicly (10) and in the media (4).

However, what the AFLPA found “more concerning were reported incidences of vilification from people within the industry”. These included three inflicted by players or staff of other clubs, two by the AFL, two by teammates and one by staff at their own club.

Not all players surveyed provided the source of the racism.
Click to expand...
 
Given the UK reports I am astonished that only a third had been subject to racism. The Australian example seems to be unique in the application of the racism, the assumption that adults need to be treated like children.
 
Not sure how it works in sport, but racism isn't always flat out hatred and wanting them out. That's a very recent phenomenon. Historically it's always been more like just thinking they're less able in some way, from not being fit for the jobs "we" want dibs on, to the paternalistic attitude that they can't even care for themselves without us as their bosses.

And by "historically" I mean basically every point along the time axis between Aristotle (whose main argument for slavery was exactly that those barbarians are too unfit to even take care of themselves and we're doing them a favour by enslaving them) and the 19'th century "mission to civilize" and beyond, well into the 20'th century.

Outright hating them really mostly happened in the USA after they got freed and then the rights movement happened. As is always the case when some people lose their privileges, really. At least until very recently when some people elsewhere decided to hate refugees and whatnot too.
 
Darat said:
Given the UK reports I am astonished that only a third had been subject to racism. The Australian example seems to be unique in the application of the racism, the assumption that adults need to be treated like children.
Click to expand...

It may be that a significant proportion of the other two thirds have been subject to racism but either chose not to identify it as such* or were unaware that it was happening (because they were not privy to the decisions taken without their knowledge and the motivation behind it).

* - One of my friends is a Kenyan of Indian heritage who spent 20+ years in the Royal Navy from the mid-70s. He says he never experienced racism but the fact that he was called "Black Joe" by his fellow matelots because they couldn't be bothered to learn how to pronounce his name seems to contradict that
 
Not AFL, but football in Australia: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63114667

Pictures on social media showed some Sydney United supporters making Nazi salutes during the match...

The chanting and booing during the pre-match Welcome to Country - a practice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - will be considered as part of the FA investigation.
Click to expand...
 
I call it ethnic bigotry, and it's everywhere. Europeans became adept at sniffing out blood quanta long before Americans mastered the basics of black versus white.
 
If people want to discuss racism in Australia, why not start a thread? This one is about specific events (alleged) in one AFL club.
 
lionking said:
If people want to discuss racism in Australia, why not start a thread? This one is about specific events (alleged) in one AFL club.
Click to expand...

Srsly?

Racism doesn't exist in a vacuum, it exists in racist societies. The general racism in Aussie is entirely relevant, just as it would be whatever country you're talking about.

And starting a new thread for similar racism in a different football code would be silly. All Aussie sports are racist.

Cricket? Doesn't seem to have come far.

Take the words of Joe Williams:

I get asked this question all the time - does the NRL have a problem with racism, does the AFL have a problem with racism?

I believe Australia has a problem with racism. Sport is a by-product of a larger country.
Click to expand...

https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article...t-of-australia-says-former-nrl-star/9msud50we
 
Football (soccer)? Yep:

How the Sydney United 58 controversy highlights 'old soccer' tensions at heart of 'new football'

The rumbles started even before the opening whistle. According to multiple fans in attendance at Parramatta Stadium, as well as those watching the television broadcast, the traditional Welcome To Country ceremony and national anthem were drowned out by whistles, songs, and alleged boos from SU58 fans.

As the game unfolded, these "anti-social" behaviours, as Football Australia labelled them afterwards, continued.

Several SU58 fans were captured on broadcast cameras performing Nazi salutes or holding banners with ultranationalist symbols, while the larger supporter group across multiple bays repeatedly sang "Za Dom – spremni!" ("For homeland – ready!"): a chant associated with the far-right Croatian Ustaše movement that collaborated with fascist regimes in Italy and Germany to commit war crimes, including genocide, during World War II.
Click to expand...
 
The Atheist said:
Srsly?

Racism doesn't exist in a vacuum, it exists in racist societies. The general racism in Aussie is entirely relevant, just as it would be whatever country you're talking about.

And starting a new thread for similar racism in a different football code would be silly. All Aussie sports are racist.

Cricket? Doesn't seem to have come far.

Take the words of Joe Williams:



https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article...t-of-australia-says-former-nrl-star/9msud50we
Click to expand...

This is the Sport section. In my view comments about racism in other Australian sporting codes (as you did) are fair enough. If I wanted to start a thread about racism in Australia in general I would have opened it in another section of the forum.
 
Considering this is in social issues, we have a real interesting development with another AFL club. Essendon on Monday appointed a new CEO, Andrew Thorburn, former CEO of the National Australian Bank (my son was one of five interviewed for the the CEO job). Anyway this guy was sacked by the NAB and the bank had to repay $1.1b to customers because of his actions.

But this wasn’t what caused him problems. He is also the Chair of a fundy Christian church which holds that being gay and having abortions are abominations. He resigned within a day when he decided to stay with the church after he was given an ultimatum. Essendon is probably the most diversity supporting club in the AFL.

So this code now has two scandals. One where abortion is encouraged, and one where it is prohibited. Hopefully both clubs will come to their senses. It seems like Essendon already has.
 
Last edited:
It’s no surprise that this whole thing has dragged on with no sight of resolution. The accused had demanded a heap of personal documents from the indigenous players and families who raised the whole matter. They (Clarkson and Fagan) knew they would not be provided and have refused to appear before the inquiry. The AFL just wants the whole thing to go away.

Clarkson has now stood down from coaching. His team has just lost, badly, six games in a row, so I’ll bet that is an issue, but he is blaming the inquiry.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/a...e/news-story/9ec6c2bf09ba9823b5b652423070188e

“
Effective immediately, North Melbourne Football Club senior coach Alastair Clarkson will step away from the club to focus on his physical and emotional wellbeing,” the statement read.
Click to expand...

I’m more concerned about the indigenous players who are just hung out to dry.
 
lionking said:
It’s no surprise that this whole thing has dragged on with no sight of resolution. The accused had demanded a heap of personal documents from the indigenous players and families who raised the whole matter. They (Clarkson and Fagan) knew they would not be provided and have refused to appear before the inquiry. The AFL just wants the whole thing to go away.

Clarkson has now stood down from coaching. His team has just lost, badly, six games in a row, so I’ll bet that is an issue, but he is blaming the inquiry.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/a...e/news-story/9ec6c2bf09ba9823b5b652423070188e

“

I’m more concerned about the indigenous players who are just hung out to dry.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. North Melbourne - that's the Kangaroos, right? They have there fair share of scandals don't they? I seem, to recall something a few years ago about one of their players (the captain IIRC) caught banging one of his team-mate's wives.
 
smartcooky said:
Hmmm. North Melbourne - that's the Kangaroos, right? They have there fair share of scandals don't they? I seem, to recall something a few years ago about one of their players (the captain IIRC) caught banging one of his team-mate's wives.
Click to expand...

Yes indeed, but it’s more like 20 years ago. What has characterised the team over the past couple of decades is abject mediocrity. “Supercoach” Clarkson was meant to remedy this, but he is not up to the job.

Still I hope the inquiry still moves forward. There are a lot of questions he needs to answer.
 
smartcooky said:
Hmmm. North Melbourne - that's the Kangaroos, right? They have there fair share of scandals don't they? I seem, to recall something a few years ago about one of their players (the captain IIRC) caught banging one of his team-mate's wives.
Click to expand...

Leading to the famous joke:

What's the difference between Wayne Carey and Skippy?

Skippy can bang anyone he wants and still gets to be a kangaroo...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom