Power vows to educate banana-throwing supporter after Betts targeted

UPDATE: Indigenous star Chad Wingard wants Port Adelaide to “educate’’ - rather than further punish — the banana-throwing supporter who racially vilified Crows matchwinner Eddie Betts in Showdown 41.

• ‘No doubt it’s a racist act’: McLachlan
• Fellow Port fans disgusted
• ‘She’s a beautiful kid’
• Comment: Fans repulsed by slurs

INDIGENOUS star Chad Wingard wants Port Adelaide to “educate’’ - rather than further punish — the banana-throwing supporter who racially vilified Crows matchwinner Eddie Betts in Showdown 41.

Dual All-Australian Wingard is leading a player-driven charge at the Power to “create the conversation’’ about racism to help stamp it out of the game.

Wingard has been the most vocal of Port’s AFL-high eight indigenous players in trying to “change the mindset of the minority people who have a view about Aboriginal and Torres Stait Island people and communities’’.

Port chairman David Koch said the incident was “one of those flashpoints that has the potential to divide”.

“Instead, we should use it to reinforce the idea that football, and people involved in it, can turn these moments into opportunities to unite,” he writes in The Advertiser on Tuesday.

“Some of the strongest voices against a permanent ban came from our own Aboriginal leaders within the club ... and Eddie Betts. Not only a gifted footballer and community leader but also an incredibly decent person.

“Eddie has approved every decision we’ve made in dealing with this issue and been strongly supportive. I’d like to thank him publicly for his tolerance, understanding, generosity of spirit and guidance over the last couple of days.”

The Power hopes to this week meet further with the club member, who was filmed hurling a banana at Betts after he kicked his fifth goal in the dying seconds of the Crows’ 15-point Showdown win at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

On Monday she yesterday accepted responsibility for her actions and agreed to take part in the club’s industry-leading cultural awareness sessions.

Wingard is keen to join forces with Betts and other indigenous players at both clubs to make a joint statement about stamping out racism.

Port Aboriginal programs manager Paul Vandenbergh said he — and the club’s indigenous players, who also include Nathan Krakouer, Jake Neade, Paddy Ryder, Jarman Impey, Karl Amon, Brendon Ah Chee and Aidyn Johnson — are “keen to get her (the banana thrower) to the club and hear her side of the story’’.

The member has been banned indefinitely from attending Power games but Wingard and other key indigenous leaders at the Power are not keen for her to be banned for life, preferring the “education’’ process.

“Chad Wingard has been really boisterous in saying it’s moments like this that help create the (racism) conversation that can bring all Australians together,’’ Port Aboriginal programs manager Paul Vandenbergh said.

The banana-throwing Port Adelaide fan gestures at Adelaide players.

“There is no point banning someone for life and not giving them the opportunity to be educated.

“We want to give her an opportunity to hear her side of the story, to make some contact face-to-face.

“We’ve only seen evidence from a video point of view and want to get her into the club, have a chat with her, hear her side of the story and see if we can work through this.’’

Vandenbergh said the woman, who had spoken to club officials and apologised for her behaviour, was “remorseful’’.

“So hopefully I can get her into one of our cultural awareness workshops and just talk about some of the things that have had an impact in the past 24 hours or so for us,’’ he said.

As AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Monday urged AFL fans to call out racist behaviour at matches, describing the Betts incident as “unambiguously racist”, the Power stressed racism wasn’t just an AFL problem but “an Australian society issue’’.

“So it’s something that as a club we really want to bring people together,’’ Vandenbergh said.

“It’s what Chad wants to go, it’s what Jake wants to do and speaking with Eddie it’s what he wants to do as well.’’

Vandenbergh said “99.9 per cent’’ of Port supporters are “fantastic’’ but that the club had been let down by the minority.

“We are talking about a minority people out there who still need some educating,’’ he said.

“Why throw a banana to an indigenous person? It is really offensive, it is a racist act, and we’re saying that while she might not have that intention it is inappropriate to do that.

“There is a level of frustration that still exists, the whole (dual Brownlow Medallist) Adam Goodes thing (last year) wasn’t handled as well as we probably thought it should have been and in 2016 you are probably wishing as Aboriginal people that this issue doesn’t exist any more.

“But unfortunately it does and I think Chad and us as a club are just keen to be able to talk to people and if I can help soften that arrangement to get people into a workshop and talk I think that’s when we’ll start to see some real inroads.’’