AFLW 2024: Richmond set to wear Pride jumper again in show of support to Kate Dempsey

Richmond has condemned the abhorrent abuse directed at Kate Dempsey and her family online after the AFLW’s Pride round, with questions as to how the comments were not swiftly removed.

Richmond AFL Women’s players will wear their Pride jumper again this weekend in a show of support for teammate Kate Dempsey after “abhorrent” online attacks that have been described as “deeply disturbing”.

A raft of homophobic and disgusting comments – which the Herald Sun has chosen not to detail due to their graphic nature – remained published for two days on an AFL social media post that featured a photo of Dempsey and her two-year-old daughter Pippa.

Richmond hit out on Thursday at what it described as “unacceptable” comments relating to the Dempsey family on a post on the AFL Women’s Facebook page during last weekend’s Pride Round that was staged in the AFLW competition.

The Herald Sun understands that club and AFL Players’ Association representatives have sought more detail from the league to determine how the post – which garnered more than 400 written interactions – and “deeply disturbing comments” remained online for so long without moderation. It has since been removed.

Kate Dempsey of the Tigers. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Richmond asked the AFL for clarity on how it had occurred on Tuesday and is yet to receive a response.

“Richmond Football Club condemns the recent abhorrent and homophobic remarks directed at AFLW player Kate Dempsey and her family online,” the club said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

“Kate recently shared her story as part of Pride Round and celebrations for her 50th AFLW game. It is a story that deserves to be celebrated. Instead, some individuals chose to make deeply disturbing and unacceptable comments. Richmond Football Club accepts diversity in all its forms. There is zero tolerance for homophobia, discrimination or any form of hate in our game. In short, everyone has the right to feel safe.”

The AFL has been contacted for comment.

New Richmond chief executive Shane Dunne said on Thursday that “Kate’s story is one to be celebrated”.

“Enough,” he wrote on X in relation to the abuse.

One industry figure told this masthead that “players are sick of being abused” on social media.

“They’re fed up,” they said.

“They’re sick of being abused and being spoken about in a sexual nature. It has to stop.”

Dempsey and wife Ellie – who were married in April of this year – opened up to the Herald Sun ahead of the 2022 pride round about their relationship and journey to falling pregnant with Pippa.

At the time, they said they had often sought not to overtly display their relationship in public to avoid negativity but they were proud that Pippa would be raised in a society where that would no longer be the case.

“Some of our generation maybe still has those lingering themes of shame that you maybe wouldn’t think of overtly, but maybe not holding hands in front of people is an example of how that can sometimes bubble up,” Dempsey said in 2022.

“Our daughter won’t experience that at all. That is being stomped out. Very, very quickly.

“That’s the cool part.”

Originally published as AFLW 2024: Richmond set to wear Pride jumper again in show of support to Kate Dempsey