Travis Varcoe says he won’t take his kids to the footy because of racist slurs

Travis Varcoe has opened up about his heartbreaking experience with racism and revealed why he’d “hate” to take his own kids to the footy.

Travis Varcoe says he doesn’t take his children to AFL games because of racial slurs.

The former Geelong and Collingwood star opened up about his racial vilification experience and the ongoing hurt during a chat on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on Thursday night.

“On the footy side of things I can deal with people going, ‘you’re a terrible player, kick or whatever it is’, but as soon as it crosses over into personal attacks.... I’ve had some racial ones,’’ Varcoe told Grant Denyer.

“I’ve been in it for long enough to have a thick skin.

“I’d hate to take my kids to the footy. I’d absolutely hate it. At ground level it’s just so hard.

You remember it like they’re yesterday.”

Travis Varcoe on I’m a Celeb.

Varcoe was the victim of a racist social media attack in July last year and it was widely condemned.

“One called me a monkey, or a chimp, there was a Facebook page that had a petrol sniffer with my face on it,’’ Varcoe said.

“It bloody hurts yeah. You try and think it’s no reflection on you. These platforms there’s no accountability, at this stage.

“When there’s personal attacks and your partner or your kids have to read that it breaks your heart. It’s quite difficult to talk about it because you don’t want to see your loved ones going through something like that. All I can do is hope is when my kids get older it gets better. Even if it’s one percent better that’s something.”

Denyer was shocked and upset to hear Varcoe’s experience.

“To watch his shoulder slump, his eyes get sad, you can see it hurts him in the heart,’’ he said.

“I feel embarrassed as a sports fan that these guys put their bodies on the line and sport is entertainment after all, that they have to cop this.”