Sam Newman offers to remove name from Geelong records
Geelong champion Sam Newman has offered to remove his name from any reference that he was ever associated with the club after the Cats raised concerns about his recent comments on the Black Lives Matter movement.
VIC News
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Geelong champion Sam Newman has offered to remove his name from any reference that he was ever associated with the club after the Cats on Thursday night raised concerns about his recent comments on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Newman, who played 300 games for Geelong, is a former club captain, a life member and a member of the Team of the Century.
The Cats have fielded calls in recent days from members complaining about comments made on his You Can’t Be Serious podcast, including labelling George Floyd – whose death has sparked protests around the globe – a ‘piece of s***’.
Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said despite Newman’s views not aligning with those of the club, he was a champion footballer and that the Cats were not looking to remove him from any of their official records.
“There is no thoughts around reviewing his awards and recognitions because he was a champion football player and was recognised for that by both ourselves and the AFL,” Cook said.
“So we are not going down that path and we have indicated that to our members who have asked. It is just that we don’t agree with a lot of what he says, and that is life.”
But a defiant Newman said on Thursday night while the Cats had no intention of removing his name from their record books, he would make the decision for them if that was what they wanted to do.
“I will give them the courtesy that I gave the station I worked for,” Newman said.
“If they would like to remove me from any recognition or any reference to me ever being at that club or playing for it, or whatever, if they would like me to request that they remove my name from any trace of the club’s records or history, if they would like me to do that, I will do that for them.
“I will give them that opportunity if they would like me to do that, they won’t have to make the hard decision. If that is what they want to do I will give them permission to do it.”
Cook is yet to speak to Newman but said he could see a time when that may need to happen.
“We haven’t done that as yet (reached out to Newman) and there has been a reluctance to do that, hoping that he might not continue with what he says,” Cook said.
“But I think there might be a time when that will need to happen.
Newman says the Black Lives Matter movement has been hijacked in America by activists pushing a different narrative to legitimate protesters and stood by his comments regarding AFL players kneeling before matches, but told the Geelong Advertiser he had previously suggested that all clubs should include on its jumpers ‘Say No To Racism’ as a way to support the game’s indigenous players.
Originally published as Sam Newman offers to remove name from Geelong records