Michael McGuire: It’s not just the internet inadequates in the safety of their rooms, cardboard hardmen hiding behind false identities

The savagely racist culture that saw footballer Robert Muir spat and urinated on, attacked then shunned hasn’t been defeated. It’s just changed into something new, writes Michael McGuire.

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There is a tendency to believe the battle against racism in footy is, if not over, then well on the way to being won. That the game, and society, has come a long way since the days of the horrific and barbaric treatment meted out to Indigenous players such as Robert Muir. That was the 1970s and 1980s after all. Wouldn’t happen now.

The evidence suggests we are fooling ourselves. As the US writer William Faulkner said: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’’

It’s undeniable that racism is alive and well. That instead of going away it has just found new channels and new forms in which it is expressed.

Former St Kilda, Woodville and West Torrens footballer Robert Muir in 1979. Muir revealed his horrific experiences of racism during his playing career to ABC journalist Russell Jackson.

Decades later another football star, Adam Goodes, would confront a new type of racism. Picture: Damian Shaw

The Robert Muir story written by ABC reporter Russell Jackson was as depressing as it was unsurprising. Muir played for St Kilda, Woodville and West Torrens. A brilliant player he was subject to racist abuse from him teammates, from the opposition and from spectators.

In his last game, playing for Woodville, he jumped the fence to confront fans after being subjected to two hours of racism. They spat on him. Threw cans at him. Muir tried to have the police move the supporters. Nothing happened.

“I knew I shouldn’t have jumped the fence, but I’d had enough,” Muir said.

Muir only played 68 games for St Kilda. His talent dictated he should have played many more. But there were all those suspensions as he reacted to racial taunts and provocations.

After a game against Collingwood, and its notoriously racist fans, Muir’s windscreen was cracked when a bottle was thrown at him. And so it went on.

Muir has been ignored by the game since he left. He has endured homelessness. He has made several attempts on his own life. This week as the story broke, there was a rush of apologies from St Kilda, the AFL, the SANFL and Woodville-West Torrens. Even Collingwood. Although in a striking irony, Collingwood has yet to apologise to its 2010 premiership player Heritier Lumumba, who has extensively detailed the racism he suffered at the club.

Perhaps the main difference between Muir’s time and now is that, at least at the professional level, the on-field racism has mostly disappeared. This is partly because players are educated better these days, but probably mainly because harsh penalties would be handed down to anyone guilty of such vilification.

But away from the field, it is still a very different matter. And it’s not just by the internet inadequates in the safety of their rooms, cardboard hardmen hiding behind false identities.

It wasn’t that long ago Sydney dual premiership player, dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes was chased from the game by a racist lynch mob. Goodes, like Muir, was abandoned by the game when he needed it most. The AFL and its chief executive Gillon McLachlan shameful in their response, waiting years to deliver an apology.

Robert Muir training at West Torrens in 1979.

There has been a litany of racist attacks on players this year as well. Carlton’s Eddie Betts talked about it. “It’s just tiring. Just fighting, fighting, fighting. And it keeps happening every year. I’ve got to set up barriers every day when I leave the house, thinking I’m going to get racially abused when I’m driving or when I go to a supermarket.’’

Others have been attacked as well. Melbourne’s Neville Jetta and Harley Bennell, West Coast’s Liam Ryan, Sydney’s Elijah Taylor, the Bulldogs’ Lin Jong

Then there was the frankly shithouse decision this week by the Southern Football League after Port Noarlunga players were racially abused by Flagstaff Hill supporters during a game. Apparently, the fans couldn’t be found and the club was let off with a reprimand. A real flogging to death by a lettuce leaf that. Coincidentally, Muir once coached Port Noarlunga.

One of the abused players, Elijah Satala said of the decision: “For me I’m gobsmacked, I feel degraded and not privileged enough to be able to play a game of footy.’’

Maybe it’s time for players need to make a stronger statement.

In the US last night, Milwaukee Bucks players refused to play in an NBA playoff game in a protest against racial injustice after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Wisconsin.

That’s a big statement. A brave statement. But it’s going to be heard.