Eddie Betts, an AFL star who’s spent his career fighting racism
PORT chairman David Koch has spoken to the Crows after a Power fan threw a banana at Eddie Betts — a player who’s spent his AFL career trying to stamp out racism in the sport.
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- IN HIDING: Woman who threw banana faces universal condemnation
- MARK ROBINSON: Why this act was so abhorrent
- PAUL STARICK: Racist fans turn good families off the AFL
- DAVID KOCH: Port chairman reaches out to Eddie Betts
IT’S an irony lost on no one — Eddie Betts, an indigenous man who has long campaigned to eradicate racism from footy and beyond, has himself become subject to a racist attack.
Betts saw his friend, the Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes suffer last year, and spoke out against the evils of racism. Now he finds himself the centre of another sad and sickening attack.
Betts believes the cure to racism lies with education and with Port Adelaide has urged the woman who hurled a banana and racial insults at him to sit down with the Power’s indigenous players and to participate in the club’s respected Aboriginal cultural awareness program.
While Betts laid low on Sunday out of the public glare, Port Adelaide chairman David Koch spoke with the Crows’ star and they discussed the value of the Power’s indigenous program.
“To quote Eddie, ‘I am in awe of what your club does in terms of community programs for the Aboriginal community and what you do for my brothers at the Port Adelaide Football Club’, which is incredibly generous from him and the mark of the man,’’ Koch said.
Betts has always taken a strong stand against racism.
“All we want to do is cut out racism from the game,’’ Betts told The Advertiser in an interview before the 2014 indigenous round. “We have to close the gap on racism.”
In an interview with SAWeekend Magazine to coincide with the 2016 indigenous round, Betts said the treatment Goodes had received, where he was booed by thousands of fans, would not stop him speaking out.
“I talk about my culture all the time. When I go to schools I talk about my culture, where I have come from and how I got to where I am now,” he said.
“Goodesy is a person who stands up for what he believes in. A real powerful, passionate person that believes in his culture and people don’t like that.
“People can’t stand that.
“He’s a fantastic player, two Brownlow medals, and the way that he finished his AFL career was terrible to see.”
Betts missed Adelaide’s recovery session at Henley Beach on Sunday to avoid media scrutiny but was remarkably dealing well with events that threatened to consume him.
Betts says education is the only way forward as AFL is again dragged into a racism pit, 23 years on from St Kilda wingman Nicky Winmar’s proud to be black stance against Collingwood fans.
Betts and Koch agreed the Port member — whom the club has now banned indefinitely — should face Port’s eight indigenous players to find understanding and tackle ignorance.
“I went through the program we wanted to introduce and sit with our players, do our cultural awareness program and he said that is exactly the thing we should do,” said Koch of Betts’ view.
“Eddie said it can no longer be us against them. It has to be one mob, educating and we have to continually educate. He understands, yes things can create a headline for a day or two, but if any good can come out of this then make sure that no workplace or family thinks this is acceptable behaviour.
“As a club and code we need to set the standard.”