Carlton champion Eddie Betts on the importance of AFL players taking a knee to tackle abuse
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley welcomes internal review into allegations of historic racist behaviour at the Magpies
Geelong champion Patrick Dangerfield has praised the courage of Eddie Betts after the Carlton forward revealed the anguish he feels at having to deal with racist abuse regularly.
Dangerfield, who is the President of the AFL Players Association, embraced the veteran Blues star on the field shortly after Carlton’s upset victory over Geelong at GMHBA Stadium last Friday.
The scourge of racism, and how it is dealt with in the AFL, continues to be a problem for the league, which announced an eSafety initiative on Saturday to help reduce instances such as the abuse directed at Betts.
On Wednesday another two former Collingwood footballers, Chris Dawes and Brent Macaffer, backed Heritier Lumumba’s claim that he was nicknamed “Chimp” during his career at the Magpies.
The development occurred just days after Collingwood announced they would launch an internal review, to be headed by board member Peter Murphy, into the historic claims.
Betts, 33, has been the subject of racist abuse throughout a decorated career with Carlton and Adelaide, with the most recent attack occurring shortly after the 2020 season resumed.
When discussing the death of his grandfather in a Port Augusta prison cell in 1987 — his father and grandfather are also named Eddie Betts — the 33-year-old outlined the reason he and other footballers have been “taking a knee” before matches.
“I was really proud taking a knee for the Black Lives Matter and racism in Australia and you know it happens in our backyard as well,” Betts said.
“We’ve got 432 deaths in custody here in Australia and that was since 1991. I’m really proud that the boys took a knee and hopefully we can continue to make change in the future.”
The forward, whose desperation in the final stages of the game against Geelong was instrumental in Carlton holding on for a win, said he weighed up making a stand about the most recent abuse.
“I’m sick and tired of it but I want the AFL to be a safe platform for young Aboriginal kids to come and enjoy and play footy without being racially abused,” he told AFL 360.
“If I have to take the full brunt of all that and try and educate people so that the platform is a safe place, I am happy to cop the brunt.
“It deeply hurts and you think to yourself ‘why do I keep playing footy if I keep copping this?’, but I want to make a change.”
Dangerfield, who previously backed the symbolic gesture of all AFL players regarding the Black Lives Matters protest, said it was important to let Betts know he had the support of the football community.
“I just wanted to say to him that I was there for him face-to-face rather than over a phone call,” Dangerfield told SEN.
“I know he has had to deal with this shit for his entire life and it is just crap. He doesn’t want his kids to have to go through it and I don’t want his kids to have to go through it. We all just need to be better and I don’t understand how people get off by this sort of commentary. It is just so disappointing.”
The AFL’s inclusion and social policy manager Tanya Hosch told The Australian on Saturday she believed the strong response around the competition showed a desire to eradicate racist abuse.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley, meanwhile, acknowledged Lumumba was directly challenging his character.
Among the allegations Lumumba has levelled at the Brownlow medallist and Collingwood coach is that Buckley was aware teammates were using a racist nickname for him, a claim the Magpies coach denies.
Buckley was confident his own dealings with his former teammate were above board, but said it was crucial to hold an investigation to ensure the club learned to “respect and value our people”.
“We are not about sweeping anything under the carpet here,” he said.
“There are obviously a lot of details that need to be unearthed and shared and spoken about with an open mind and an open heart so that we can address the situation, address Heritier’s experience.
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“I’m sick and tired of it, but I want the AFL to be a safe platform for young Aboriginal kid to come and enjoy and play footy without being racially abusedâ€
— Hériter Lumumba (@iamlumumba) June 24, 2020
I stand with my brother. The AFL must be held accountable for the culture that it cultivates. https://t.co/5rk04EH7dv
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