MFC player racially abused on social media - club statement

[Grapeviney 8,815]

It's happened again - this time to one of our players, on social media following last night's game.

The club has just released this statement.

There is no room for racism, ever.

The hurt and trauma caused by racism has sadly, once again been at the forefront of our game in recent times. Despite the best efforts of many, we continue to see people subjected to racial abuse on the football field, in the stands and increasingly, on social media.

We have heard so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people talk about the pain, the hurt, the exhaustion and the anger inflicted by racism. This is not okay; we must do better.

This week Eddie Betts said, “no matter who you are or what you do, when it comes to racism, everyone should be held accountable.”

It is not enough to simply condemn racism when it occurs, we must work as a club, an industry and as individuals to be anti-racist, and to educate those around us on how they too can play a proactive role in stamping out racism.

We may not be able to silence every person who hides behind their keyboard or a fake profile, but we can utilise our own voices and platforms to proactively and consistently, educate people on and celebrate Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander culture.

This week and beyond we ask you to join us in being an active ally for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through education, the amplification of Indigenous voices and in calling out racism whenever you may witness it.

As part of the club’s commitment to ongoing education and allyship, our coaches, players and staff will sit down together this week and watch ‘The Ripple Effect’.  A powerful documentary primarily centred around St Kilda legend and proud Noongar Nicky Winmar's generation-defining stand against racism at Victoria Park in 1993.

We encourage people to join us in watching the documentary here.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Grapeviney

[Guest]

After the preceding week, reading this is like a punch in the guts.

I have faith that people at their core are good and that justice will win, but sometimes that premise can be tested. 

I hope the club is getting around the player and supporting them as best they can.

The AFL is yet again at the figurative fork in the road. I pray that they head in the right direction this time.

In the meantime, let’s all be sure to look out for our fellow human beings, identify prejudice where we see it, and do our utmost to eliminate it. ✊🏻

Edited August 10, 2021 by Colin B. Flaubert

[Half forward flank 1,022]

Hear, hear, get on board or get .......

[rjay 23,888]

Some people must lead a very sad existence...

[Nasher 33,047]

It’s so disheartening that every time we lift the lid on racism, scumbags start coming out of the woodwork. We have such a long way to go.

[Pates 9,536]

Extremely sad to hear, I hope no one publishes or retweets or gives this oxygen thief the pleasure of it getting any coverage other than to be very clearly told it's not on. 

[Older demon 2,166]

Hard to believe that in a week where Tex walker is called out for racial abuse and the distress and hurt it causes that some troll would still think it is ok to racially abuse a player.. Absolutely disgusting.

[drdrake 3,037]

28 minutes ago, rjay said:

Some people must lead a very sad existence...

They are happy to cheer on their Aboriginal players that win games for their club but they make stupid racial based comments against others.  

[The Third Eye 212]

Regrettably, many social media platforms have degenerated into a cesspit of hate speech and other abusive language that is rarely moderated properly. There are too many people out there who have been given the licence to stretch boundaries. This has to be stopped.

[WalkingCivilWar 31,372]

Super-proud of our club at all times but especially at times such as this. ❤️💙

[Gorgoroth 12,308]

People need to watch Eddie Betts on 360 tonight. See the hurt these flogs do each and every time they open their idiotic mouths without engaging their Neanderthal brains.

As sad as it is I’m glad I’m white. I don’t know how the indigenous people put up with and stand up this, I’m not sure I would have the ability to continually turn the cheek.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Gorgoroth

[DeeSpencer 23,110]

I like that the club has suggested something proactive and possible rather than the campaign parts of the AFL have pushed for attempting to remove anonymity from the internet. That's attempting to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

I know they shouldn't have to but all players need to have turned off the ability to receive messages or notifications from anyone apart from those they follow. Anyone wishing to contact them can do so via the club or their managers.

[BoBo 2,059]

The thing that I hear a lot from people that (wilfully or not) don’t understand the impact racism can have on people, is things like ‘it’s just words’ or ‘their overreacting’ or ‘it’s just a joke’. I still see comments on social media or hear people that I work with that say these excuses.

At times I’ve been called a ‘white maggot’ by indigenous people. This has absolutely no effect on me as it is just a name and just words. There’s no history of my whiteness being genocided because of being white, no history of my parents/grandparents being taken away from their families because they were white, refused jobs because of being white, being viewed suspiciously, enslaved because of being white, my culture and language being purposefully erased by the state because for being white etc. etc. etc.

There is no inter-generational trauma I face because of my skin colour.

The same is very different for indigenous people.

For indigenous people, being called a racial slur is hundreds of years of trauma, vilification, genocide and being assumed to be ‘sub human’ which is solely based on skin colour/culture.

It’s not a joke, it’s not just words, indigenous people aren’t being too ‘sensitive’, these slurs are bringing up all of that history of being thought of as sub-human which is massively alienating and hurtful. It is something white guys like me will, never, ever understand or actually be made to feel like this. It’s alien to us as in racial terms, we have always been ‘normal’ (I.e. white) Australians.

Once you realise the weight of this, there is no possible way you could dismiss this as being anything other than an incredibly hurtful, cruel and hateful thing to do. 
 

In my younger days I was too scared to speak up about casual racist remarks. But now I think it’s the very least that I can do to not accept racism in any form. It’s not funny, they aren’t jokes and they aren’t ‘just words’.

Edited August 10, 2021 by BoBo

[buck_nekkid 5,476]

13 minutes ago, BoBo said:

The thing that I hear a lot from people that (wilfully or not) don’t understand the impact racism can have on people, is things like ‘it’s just words’ or ‘their overreacting’ or ‘it’s just a joke’. I still see comments on social media or hear people that I work with that say these excuses.

At times I’ve been called a ‘white maggot’ by indigenous people. This has absolutely no effect on me as it is just a name and just words. There’s no history of my whiteness being genocided because of being white, no history of my parents/grandparents being taken away from their families because they were white, refused jobs because of being white, being viewed suspiciously, enslaved because of being white, my culture and language being purposefully erased by the state because for being white etc. etc. etc.

There is no inter-generational trauma I face because of my skin colour.

The same is very different for indigenous people.

For indigenous people, being called a racial slur is hundreds of years of trauma, vilification, genocide and being assumed to be ‘sub human’ which is solely based on skin colour/culture.

It’s not a joke, it’s not just words, indigenous people aren’t being too ‘sensitive’, these slurs are bringing up all of that history of being thought of as sub-human which is massively alienating and hurtful. It is something white guys like me will, never, ever understand or actually be made to feel like this. It’s alien to us as in racial terms, we have always been ‘normal’ (I.e. white) Australians.

Once you realise the weight of this, there is no possible way you could dismiss this as being anything other than an incredibly hurtful, cruel and hateful thing to do. 
 

In my younger days I was too scared to speak up about casual racist remarks. But now I think it’s the very least that I can do to not accept racism in any form. It’s not funny, they aren’t jokes and they aren’t ‘just words’.

Well said.

[BoBo 2,059]

21 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

People need to watch Eddie Betts on 360 tonight. See the hurt these flogs do each and every time they open their idiotic mouths without engaging their Neanderthal brains.

As sad as it is I’m glad I’m white. I don’t know how the indigenous people put up with and stand up this, I’m not sure I would have the ability to continually turn the cheek.

It’s messed up to think how indigenous players went through whole careers coping with it.

 

I will never forget when Dermott Brereton apologised to Chris Lewis a few years ago. Breretons whole team went onto that field and as a game plan, racially abused him to try and put him off his game. 
 

I will never know what that feeling is like and it must have been extremely painful and vicious to go through something like that.

[rpfc 27,434]

https://youtu.be/RwA_4OamFhI

47 seconds if interested. Applies to Aus too.

[BoBo 2,059]

4 minutes ago, rpfc said:

https://youtu.be/RwA_4OamFhI

47 seconds if interested. Applies to Aus too.

This clip perfectly explains how racism is about history and context.

It’s not just words.

[Jaded No More 57,784]

Humans are trash and social media has just made the rubbish dump bigger. 
How in 2021 are we still not “woke” enough to be over this crap? 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Jaded

[M_9 1,639]

I found it hard to watch Eddie pour his heart out on AFL 360 tonight. For those who didn't see it he was close to tears and said it had just worn him down. 

I thought Eddie said that Kosi had told him he'd been subjected to racist comments numerous times this year. I may misinterpreted that.

[Cranky Franky 1,483]

The way to stop this is for social media platforms make people identify themselves when they join up. As long as people can post stuff anonymously it encourages scumbags to troll & post abusive material.

[deebug 1,754]

We need to stamp this c#* out!

I just watched the doco with Nicky Winmar it was heart breaking to see the pain in their faces, when speaking of the hurt they have gone through.

If you go through life with such hate, then you are missing out on so much more.

[Demonstone 19,084]

I wonder if the poster who demanded to know exactly what Tex Walker said will also be clamouring to find out the precise detail of what was said about our player, as if that makes a difference.

[Grapeviney 8,815]

45 minutes ago, M_9 said:

 

I thought Eddie said that Kosi had told him he'd been subjected to racist comments numerous times this year. I may misinterpreted that.

I think he meant it keeps happening in the game, rather than to Kozzy.

Agree with you though - it was hard watching Eddie tonight. He was really hurting, and at times like this, must feel like all his work and words over the years count for nothing.

[BoBo 2,059]

You can see how deeply it affects indigenous people from this clip.

[Cranky Franky 1,483]

12 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

I wonder if the poster who demanded to know exactly what Tex Walker said will also be clamouring to find out the precise detail of what was said about our player, as if that makes a difference.

I was wondering whether posters would try to score points or focus on the main issue.