AFL boss Gillon McLachlan condemns Sam Newman’s Welcome to Country suggestion

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has hit back at Sam Newman’s controversial suggestion for footy fans to boo the Welcome to Country ceremony.

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has emphatically hit back at comments made by Sam Newman encouraging Aussies to boo or “slow hand clap” during the Welcome to Country, particularly at the upcoming AFL Grand Final at the MCG.

Newman comments on his You Cannot Be Serious podcast on Wednesday were met with severe backlash, including from Indepedent senator Lidia Thorpe who labelled the AFL great a “racist” over his suggestion.

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Outgoing AFL CEO McLachlan also declared his strong disagreement to Newman’s stance as he fronted the media on Thursday to announce the game’s new $2bn pay deal with players.

Welcome to Country ceremonies have been a feature of AFL finals games, and McLachlan made it clear they are going nowhere.

“I’m not going to dignify those sort of individual responses out in the community other than to say I disagree very definitively,” McLachlan said in relation to Newman’s comments.

“I think that the Welcome to Country across the finals series and the anthem have been respected significantly … people stand, they clap, they feel included.

Gil hit back at Sam’s remarks. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“It rolls into the anthem and then it rolls into the start of our game, it is a glistening part of our game now.

“It’s been spectacular football, spectacular crowds and the pre-match has been respected by all our supporters and then launched into the game … I couldn’t be happier with how the finals series has been playing out.

“I think that our supporters know where they stand, they’ve been the proper football supporters who are at the games, (they) have been totally respectful.”

Newman doubled down on his comments in a fiery interview on Thursday morning while also taking aim at AFL legend Adam Goodes.

Appearing on 3AW radio, Newman was asked by host Tony Jones whether his suggestion was “inciting violence”.

Sam Newman has called for people to boo the Welcome to Country. NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

“What an extraordinary question,” Newman said.

“The public have had a gutful of people telling us how to live our lives, particularly footballing organisations.

“We like to go to the football and watch the game without being told to vote for the gay marriage proposal … without being told to vote for the Voice. Why do they get involved?

“It is an absolute hoax, it’s a rort, the Welcome to Country. Why do we have to be welcomed to the country we live in? Why is that? It is just a mark of division.

“The people who welcome you to country get a nice stipend out of it. Why do they charge? It’s just a rort.”

But Jones accused Newman of taking the conversation to a “new low” with the “irresponsible” suggestion.

“My statement on the podcast was a provocative suggestion that people push back on this nonsense,” Newman said. “It’s cringe-worthy to have to watch.”

He reiterated his view that the booing of Goodes in 2015, which led to the premature end of the AFL star’s playing career, was not motivated by racism and suggested no Indigenous player had ever been booed because of their race.

Geelong v Sydney Adam Goodes Picture:Wayne Ludbey

“Adam Goodes was booed because he pretended to throw a spear at the Carlton cheer squad after the Swans were beating them by 10 goals at halftime and wondered why people … people get booed on the football field, not because of their skin colour, but because of things they do,” Newman said.

“I know that, everyone knows that. Then the AFL waded into this and said, ‘Please don’t boo Adam Goodes.’ That’s like red rag to a bull.”

Jones asked Newman bluntly, “Are you a racist?”

Newman stuttered over his words before demanding Jones explain “what you think a racist is besides saying me”.

“Who have I vilified?” he said.

“I don’t think you know what racism is. Racism is about hate primarily and it’s if you defile, decry or degrade someone, think you’re superior than them or try to dominate them. It’s the most overworked word in the English lexicon at the minute … you tell me why anything I’ve said and what I’ve done is anything to do racism.”

Newman again maintained that his podcast comments were a “provocative, tongue in cheek request”, but when pressed by Jones he insisted he would boo the Welcome to Country if he attended the Grand Final.

“I’m not retreating from anything,” he said.