AFL clubs urged to do better on race

The Victorian and federal governments want the concerns of indigenous AFL players to be heard amid racism allegations.

Alistair Clarkson, now at north Melbourne, denies alleged racism during his time at Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Klein

More action must be taken to protect Indigenous players in the wake of the Hawthorn racism scandal, according to the Victorian government.

State Sport Minister Steve Dimopoulos has questioned the way some Indigenous players have been treated in the AFL in the past and said that on- and off-field environments needed to work for the footballers.

The federal government has also called for the clubs to listen to the experiences of Indigenous players.

The AFL is working on a broader response to treating ­Indigenous players after last year’s investigation into alleged racism at Hawthorn between 2008 and 2016 was leaked.

There is growing pressure on the league to overhaul the way players are treated, with more than 100 Indigenous male and female players on an AFL or AFLW list in season 2021.

Victorian Sports Minister Steve Dimopoulos. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“First Nations footballers have contributed so much to Australian rules football but unfortunately they have not always been supported in the ways they needed to be,” Mr Dimopoulos said.

“Equality is not negotiable in sport in Victoria and there does need to be more done to ensure that we are providing First ­Nations footballers the right environment for them to thrive both on and off the field.”

The Victorian government is seeking a “just and transparent” outcome to the AFL-­instigated Hawthorn racism review, which is still months away from handing down a report that was due late last year.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said she was confident that an outcome would be achieved soon on the Hawthorn scandal but also said more needed to be done.

“The experiences of Indigenous players at AFL clubs need to be heard and listened to,” she said.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players have made an enormous contribution to the sport over many decades. We owe it to them to do better.”

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Drawing on former AFL great Nicky Winmar’s gesture of pointing to his skin during play 30 years ago, she called on the AFL community to consider how far the game had come.

“We should reflect on Nicky’s heroic actions in the face of abuse and discrimination,” Ms Burney said.

“And we should acknowledge how far we’ve come and importantly how far we still have to go.”

An independent panel of lawyers led by a king’s counsel is ­investigating two AFL coaches – Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan – and former Hawthorn development coach Jason Burt.

The three men were mentioned in a leaked report into cultural safety at Hawthorn but they have denied any wrongdoing. They are no longer at the club.

The Weekend Australian revealed the review findings are set to be further delayed – possibly by up to three months – amid ­accusations key participants in the ­investigation are using ­aggressive legal tactics that will slow the inquiry.

The scandal erupted after Hawthorn’s cultural review heard testimonies from former players and their wives or girlfriends claiming they were forced to separate from each other and that one was advised to ensure his partner had an abortion.

A map of where the players come from shows an extraordinary array of locations from the dead centre of Australia to the north, west, south and east.