Wallabies rugby league team walked off Tannum Sands field after Ashley Dodd racially abused

A central Queensland football team has walked off the field midgame after a player was racially abused by a spectator, with the target saying some people were ‘ignorant and uneducated’.

A senior Gladstone Wallabies team walked from the field during a game against Tannum Seagulls last weekend after their player Ashley 'Bundi' Dodd was racially abused.

Sporting clubs have condemned the actions of a spectator after a ‘star of Gladstone rugby league’ was racially abused at the weekend.

At a game hosted by Tannum Seagulls at Dennis Park on Saturday night, Gladstone Wallabies player Ashley ‘Bundi’ Dodd was the victim of racial slurs from a member of the crowd.

As a result Dodd walked from the field accompanied and supported by teammates which forced the game to be abandoned.

The senior Wallabies Rugby League football team walked from the field after their star player Ashley 'Bundi' Dodd was racially abused last weekend.

TheObserver spoke with Dodd, who said he was thick skinned but walked from the field for all the young Indigenous boys in his team.

“They need to know it’s not accepted and it shouldn’t happen to anyone … It’s a s--- feeling when it happens to you,” he said.

“Some people are so ignorant, red necked and so uneducated there’s no need for it.”

Tannum Seagulls Rugby League Club released a statement regarding the racially-fuelled incident, which left Dodd upset and in disbelief it still happened at local venues.

“We as a club are appalled at the racial abuse incident that occurred last night at Dennis Park and stand behind the Wallabies as part of the Gladstone Rugby League community,” the statement read.

“Our position is clear, racism and verbal abuse are not acceptable, and we will act swiftly and clearly to remove this from our grounds and our culture as demonstrated last night.

“We would like to confirm that the (alleged) perpetrator responsible for the verbal abuse was removed from the vicinity immediately and has been banned from returning to the Dennis Park fields for any and all future events.

“Tannum Seagulls would like to extend our apologies to the Gladstone Rugby League community as a whole, but more importantly to the player who was directly targeted by this terrible incident.

“This sort of behaviour is ugly, unnecessary and utterly unacceptable. We will work diligently to ensure this is a stand-alone incident and does not occur again.”

Coach Norm Horan pulled his entire team from the field after the incident and took to social media to convey his disgust.

“Blatant racism has absolutely no place in this game, any other form of sport or any part of society for that matter,” he said.

“I have been involved in this game for a long time, and I give it all I can but in no way can I condone the behaviour from individuals in tonight’s crowd.

“I took the decision to pull my A Grade team from the field tonight, simply because I will not have any player playing for me subjected to the abuse we witnessed tonight.

“To Ashley Dodd I am so sorry that this happened to you tonight, you certainly don't deserve this absolutely disgusting behaviour and to my team and club I stand by every one of you.”

Gladstone Wallabies Rugby League Club president Brendon Hunt is expected to issue a statement regarding the incident on Monday afternoon.