Rita Panahi: Sheer absurdity of the AFL never ceases to amaze

It’s clear the moral-posturing pretenders at the AFL have learnt nothing from the Voice referendum with more race-based activism that will see a number of clubs change their names to indigenous terms.

The sheer absurdity of the AFL never ceases to amaze.

With the exception of the Australian Greens or the Queers for Palestine movement, one would struggle to find a more conflicted, wildly hypocritical pack of moral-posturing pretenders than the men and women at league headquarters.

It’s clear they have learnt absolutely nothing from their ill-considered activism for the Voice referendum, which was ultimately rejected by a clear majority of Australians despite the ‘yes’ camp out-spending the ‘no’ side, and by some margin.

For reasons that defy logic the AFL is again determined to antagonise at least 61 per cent of their fan base with more harebrained, race-based activism that will see a number of clubs changing their names to indigenous terms.

Are you pumped to see Euro-Yroke take on Walyalup this weekend? Perhaps it’s the clash between Waalitj Marawar and Narrm that has you excited; that’s if you had the slightest idea what any of that meant.

A number of clubs are changing their names to indigenous terms for Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Both South Australian clubs decided to change their names, ignoring the fact that 65 per cent of the state voted against the Voice and the racial division it represented. If you think people who voted ‘no’ to the Voice would be happy to see their club name changed for some worthless virtue signalling exercise then you haven’t been paying attention. It’s bold of the AFL and its clubs to so haphazardly alienate a significant portion of their fan base.

The AFL’s official X account was mocked mercilessly this week when they posted an article with the following caption: “Will the Suns be able to emulate Yartapuulti’s success in limiting Tom Stewart’s impact?” You can imagine the responses.

Will the Suns be able to emulate Yartapuulti's success in limiting Tom Stewart's impact? https://t.co/4rpvaJo4Xq

— AFL (@AFL) May 15, 2024

Most footy fans, whatever their political persuasion, are thoroughly sick of politics and Leftist activism intruding into the game they love. And, they are increasingly seeing that the AFL has little credibility to weigh in on consequential sociopolitical issues.

This is the same organisation that has instituted a systematic WADA-dodging protocol that sees players pre-tested for illicit drugs and faking injuries to avoid match day positive tests, and the steep penalties that would follow.

It’s an organisation that this week came down like a tonne of bricks on a hapless Collingwood fan who awkwardly hugged West Coast’s, sorry I mean Waalitj Marawar’s Harvey Johnston but protects illicit drug users and gives endless chances to some unsavoury characters.

AFL Indigenous names.

The AFL can rationalise holding a minute’s silence at games for female victims of violence while celebrating a character like “Dani” Laidley who four years ago pleaded guilty to stalking an ex-girlfriend and repeatedly breached court orders.

And, it’s worth noting this latest bit of activism will do nothing to advance race relations or unity, indeed the overwhelming majority of Indigenous folk are unlikely to know the names AFL clubs have adopted, given there are more than 250 different indigenous languages and 800 dialects, according to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.