SMJFL: AJAX Junior footballers targeted by anti-Semitic abuse

A suburban Melbourne junior football league has launched an investigation amid reports children as young as 12 are being targeted on the field of play.

AJAX junior players have been subjected to abuse.

Junior footballers as young as 12 have been the victims of anti-Semitic abuse in suburban Melbourne competitions this season.

The South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL) has launched an investigation into several reported incidents where players from the AJAX Junior Football Club had been targeted.

In one incident, a young boy had his yarmulke, a traditional Jewish hat, ripped from his head before being subjected to profanities and abuse of an anti-Semitic nature.

AJAX, whose senior sides compete in the VAFA and juniors in the SMJFL, is a not-for-profit Jewish club with the aim of providing Jews in the community with the chance to play football.

It is the junior club of North Melbourne rising star Harry Sheezel.

A South Metro Junior Football League spokesperson said the issue had been raised with officials.

“We have been made aware of the issue and are currently investigating,” they said.

“As such, it would not be appropriate to comment whilst the investigation is underway.”

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and local member for Caulfield, where AJAX plays, David Southwick said the incident was not isolated.

“I’ve been told largely from parents they are seeing an increase, more than double, of incidents on the football field,” he revealed.

“The kinds of things where young kids, in under-16, are coming on saying Free Palestine and those kind of things.

“Then there’s the more serious incident that I understand is being investigated by the league.”

Deputy Victorian Liberal Party leader David Southwick. Photo: Getty Images.

Southwick added the club and the league had already been working on making sure events like these didn’t happen.

“Both the SMJFL and VAFA have been proactive, since the events of October 7, in going with AJAX to the Holocaust Centre and learning more about how to prepare for this and the difficult time the Jewish community has been facing,” he said.

“The league has been very proactive and my understanding when issues are raised they jump on it very quickly.

“There’s no criticism towards the leagues in any way. They have been great and AJAX have been great.”

He’s now calling on more to be done to educate those who do the wrong thing.

“The events of the Middle East have nothing to do with what is happening in our backyard or our footy ground,” he said.

“It’s not an attack on Israel, it’s an attack on a kid for being Jewish. This is a line in the sand against hate.

“There is no place for hate for anybody, no matter who they are.

“Today is the Jews, who’s next, who’s tomorrow.

“Footy is an opportunity to learn about different people and meet different people.

“Maybe what we need is a bit more education to ensure these events don’t happen in the first place.”

An AFL Victoria spokesperson confirmed the game’s governing body was aware of the investigation.

“AFL Victoria is aware of a complaint made to the South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL) by one of their clubs regarding allegations of misconduct during a game last weekend. The SMJFL is in the process of gathering more information,” they said.

AJAX has been contacted for comment.