Gillon McLachlan floats reforms to AFL’s racism policies, including indefinite suspensions
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan says a revamp of the league’s policies around indigenous issues will include open-ended suspensions for players found guilty of racial abuse.
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The AFL’s overhaul of punishments for players guilty of racial abuse will extend to a greater education program for club recruiting staff to encourage the drafting of Indigenous players.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Thursday confirmed the league would revamp aspects of its policies around indigenous issues, including a more detailed punishment system.
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Instead of setting specific return dates for players found guilty of racial abuse the league would set open-ended punishments for players such as Taylor Walker, suspended for six weeks for racial abuse of North Adelaide’s Robbie Young.
McLachlan said players would need to prove their “genuine contrition” and have won back the trust of teammates through education programs before they were allowed back into football.
The Herald Sun can reveal club chief executives discussed recently ways to upskill recruiting staff so they had a fuller picture about recruiting Indigenous players.
The league is determined to ensure clubs have no excuses or are not apprehensive about recruiting players from challenging circumstances or backgrounds.
Richmond played seven indigenous players in its team last month, but Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs are both on record about their determination to draft more Indigenous players.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson was forced to apologise after saying he feared clubs under Covid-19 cuts might stop taking risks on players.
“You know, mum and dad are still married, the kids go to the private school. They’re not too much of a hassle off-field,” he said, in comments he later retracted.
The league will also make certain clubs hire Indigenous staff as well as Indigenous welfare staff after some clubs failed to take up the $200,000 soft cap exemptions for hiring Indigenous or female staff.
West Coast is the richest club in the AFL but has not re-employed an Indigenous welfare staffer after cutting them for Covid-19 reasons last year.
McLachlan said he continued to encourage his integrity team to hunt down social media abusers and was lobbying governments to force accountability for social media giants.
But the league will also look at mandating Indigenous education programs and overhaul punishments after a series of meetings involving McLachlan and senior Indigenous players.
“There are three emerging principles. We do a lot of ongoing education in our industry but the discussion has gone to, ‘Can we standardise that?’,” McLachlan said,
“Speaking in discussion with senior Indigenous players, there is a strong push for Indigenous player representation at every club.
We will pick that up with clubs and it will reflect in the soft cap and it will happen, and there was an ongoing discussion around accountabilities.
“There can be sanctions for games and fines but how do we get people to understand the hurt that has been caused across the whole game.
“How do we have a path for them beyond accountability that says they are not coming back until there is genuine contrition, remorse, learning and understanding of that hurt and they have won back the trust of the broader indigenous teammates or staff or the club and industry?
“That is what we are discussing, that model where actually people work through that to win that trust back and get that development and have that reconnection.
“It is something we are talking about.”
‘Drained’ Betts’ message to Tex in emotional racism plea
Eddie Betts appeared broken, but he vowed never to be defeated.
The Carlton veteran said he was racially abused last week, and the week before that.
He was left devastated at the vilification of 20-year-old Kozzie Pickett (Melbourne) in Perth on Monday night.
And Betts revealed he took Taylor Walker’s phone call in the wake of his former teammate and Adelaide captain’s six-match racism ban.
Betts, appearing on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 program, backed Walker to go on his educational journey.
“He’ll do this with 110 per cent,” Betts said.
But the pain caused by Walker was obvious.
“ … it just hurts,” Betts said.
“It just keeps happening. I’m sick of it – I’m sick of fighting.
“I said to a lot of the Indigenous boys that it’s getting to me. It really is.”
Eddie has had a gut full. It is not hard to see why.
The 34-year-old has used his legendary AFL career to try and change behaviours.
Last year Betts tearfully told the story of his grandfather dying alone in a Port Lincoln police cell at the age of 49 after being turned away by doctors.
Betts has bared his soul in the hope it would educate others. Sadly, that vulnerability has been abused.
“I’ve been dealing with this my whole life. My mother has, my father has and it’s tiring,” Betts told AFL360.
“I’ve been on this show last year pouring my heart out hoping that Australia would listen … it’s hard.”
“We need to start having those conversations in the workplace, in the schools.
“The only way we’re going to move together as one is if we start educating ourselves.
“I can’t do it. It’s hard, and I need everyone.
“I need you guys at home … you guys are the ones that are going to be the powerful voice.
“You guys are the ones that are going to make change, because I can’t keep doing it.
“You hear me speaking about it year after year after year and nothing is going to change. It’s up to you guys to make change.”
Betts said every time he pours his heart out it gets stomped on and after 17 seasons and 348 games enough was enough.
The proud Indigenous man is losing faith in the difference he can make and so he has put the onus on every Australian to educate themselves.
Betts said nasty comments must be called out in every setting.
The interview was raw and passionate.
It transcended football and deserves to be replayed countless times for an unpleasant but powerful lesson to society.
“There’s no room for racism in Australia,” Betts said.
“I know I’ll keep fighting no matter what. No matter how emotional I get, no matter how drained I am, I’ll fight for my people.
“I’ll fight for my people, I’ll fight for the next generation of young Aboriginal kids that come in to play AFL footy to make this a safe place for us.
“We need the rest of Australia to stand up.”
Betts might be mentally exhausted by the racism toll, but physically he feels fresh and hinted he would like to play on in 2022.
He wants the Blues to make a call on his future next week so he knows whether his 350th game will also be his last.
Regardless of when Betts bows out, he will do so as a remarkable ambassador that football has been fortunate to have.
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