Australia Day: AFL clubs united in respect, acknowledge the pain

Sixteen AFL clubs have made strong statements on Australia Day with some acknowledging the ‘pain’ and ‘hurt’ the date signifies for Indigenous Australians.

Brisbane Lions AFL footballer Nakia Cockatoo. Picture: Getty Images

Some of the country’s most powerful AFL clubs, including Richmond, Collingwood, Sydney and Essendon, have made strong statements in support of Indigneous Australians.

Many clubs issued statements about reconciliation, inclusivity and understanding, with some ­acknowledging the January 26 date caused “hurt” for First ­Nations people.

On Twitter, the Brisbane Lions wrote: “Recognise. Respect. Educate. #NotADayToCelebrate.”

Brisbane footballer Nakia Cockatoo also spoke of the hurt the date caused to him and his community.

“It’s a very sad day for Indigenous people all over the country,” he said in a statement.

“It’s a day of sorrow. Recognising what happened on the 26th is a very big part of our culture.”

Lions teammate Callum Ah Chee was also quoted, saying a date change was needed. “All Indigenous people want to celebrate this great country, but we want to do it together,” he said.

“If we could celebrate on ­another date, we want to be part of that.”

The Adelaide Crows noted that Australia Day “evokes distress among many people in our community” and that it stood with “the First Nations peoples and it supports and is committed to the journey of reconciliation”.

North Melbourne wrote it was conscious of the “mistreatment and hurt caused during settlement and beyond … We respect everyone’s right to either acknowledge or mourn this day and look forward to finding a way to recognise our shared history together.”

The Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn, St Kilda, Collingwood, ­Carlton, Fremantle, Port Adelaide and the GWS made similar statements.

Essendon, which has a rich history of Indigenous stars playing for them including the great Michael Long, wrote “we are proud as Australians and recognise we have much to celebrate” but acknowledged the pain the day caused to the Aboriginal community.

“At the same time we acknowledge that this day is one of pain and sadness for many,” Essendon tweeted.

“We value our strong connection with First Nations peoples of Australia and are committed to genuine reconciliation based on mutual respect and trust.”

Richmond tweeted a link to its reconciliation action plan and stated that “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people recognise that deep listening is key to learning and growth”.

“Deep listening requires slowing down, connecting to country, making time to reflect and asking questions of ourselves and others,” Richmond wrote on Twitter.

“The Richmond Football Club believes that if we listen deeply, we can start to build a more understanding and united community.”

The Melbourne Football Club made a similar statement. “We ­acknowledge that today signifies a day of pain and survival for First Nations peoples,” it tweeted. “We will continue to celebrate the traditional custodians of the land, today and all days, as we move towards a reconciled future.”

The Sydney Swans wrote: “Just like years before, today we listen, we learn and we respect.”

The Gold Coast Suns stated: “Today and every day we stand with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, staff and communities, to recognise the outstanding contribution they make to our game and city.”