A group of Indigenous Australian Rules football players, led by 1980s legend Phil Krakouer, launched a landmark class action against the AFL on Friday, claiming the game failed to protect players from vile racial abuse on the field that resulted in life-altering damage.

The case came on the eve of this weekend’s finals, and as the AFL grapples with the fallout of the Hawthorn racism scandal and criticism for not featuring Yes campaign advertisements on Grand Final day, just a fortnight before the Voice referendum on October 14.