Andrew Bolt: Key facts missing in ABC’s takedown of AFL pioneer Tom Wills

The ABC can’t seem to celebrate an iconic Australian event – including the AFL grand final – without suggesting we’re racists.

The AFL Grand Final will be played on Saturday, so the ABC naturally celebrates by accusing Tom Wills, a founder of the code, of mass murdering Aborigines.

I say naturally, because doesn’t the ABC celebrate every iconic Australian event – including our national day – by saying we’re bloody racists?

In this case, the ABC has sure spoiled the party, because Wills was also the first captain of the Melbourne Football Club, the fan favourite in Saturday’s final. He even has a statue at the MCG.

But that’s just more stuff for the ABC to knock down, and last weekend it said a new discovery “suggests AFL pioneer Tom Wills participated in massacres of Indigenous people”.

In fact, “massacres” plural is massacre singular – a reprisal in 1861 against Aborigines who themselves had just massacred 19 whites at Cullin-la-ringo a Queensland station.

According to the ABC, Wills, who’d narrowly escaped being killed himself at Cullin-la-ringo, later told an American journalist he’d joined vigilantes who shot some of the Aborigines responsible.

This one alleged conversation, reported 15 years after Wills’ death, is the only hard evidence of that.

Tom Wills devised AFL in late 1850s as a way to keep cricketers fit during off-season.

The ABC did note that one of 19 whites killed at Cullin-la-ringo was Wills’ father, which doesn’t excuse what Wills allegedly did in revenge, but may help you understand it.

But the ABC left out details that might make you understand even better: among the 19 whites slaughtered at Cullin-la-ringo were girls aged 19, eight and four, one young boy and two babies, one just eight months old.

Here’s another detail the ABC did not mention. Yes, white vigilantes shot dead about 30 Aborigines in reprisal. But then a contingent of native police slaughtered between 60 and 70 more. That’s Aborigines killing Aborigines.

To repeat: I am not excusing the killings. But they don’t fit the simple story that the ABC seems to prefer – of racist whites and black victims.

In fact, The Age three years ago actually demanded we give Tom Wills “more recognition”, because he later coached and captained a trailblazing Aboriginal cricket team.

But the race industry has now cranked into tiresome gear. The AFL promises to consult indigenous advisers about how to respond to Wills’ killings.

No Aboriginal organisation, of course, is asked to respond to the massacre of white children.

But what is the point of any of this? Better to close the book and look forward to a great game on Saturday where players, white and Aboriginal, play side by side.