Ex-Magpies indigenous star Andrew Krakouer opens up about the racism he was subjected to during his time at Collingwood

Ex-Collingwood forward Andrew Krakouer has revealed a racist joke made by a Pies teammate in 2012 left him contemplating his future at the club.

Andrew Krakouer, pictured with former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, has revealed his story of racism at the Pies.

Andrew Krakouer says he will never forget the racial slur that cut him to his core in the Collingwood change rooms.

Standing in front of his locker at the club’s Holden Centre headquarters midway through the 2012 season, the star Magpies forward overheard three teammates sharing a brazen joke about Aboriginals.

“I’ve got no interest in mentioning any names, but there was a group talking and I heard the word ‘b**ng’ come up,” Krakouer says.

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“Straight away there were a number of emotions running through me. I was anxious, I was angry, I was annoyed — and in disbelief that I had just heard that in my own workplace and it was my own teammates who were making the racial slurs. 

“They were having a bit of a laugh and I walked over and I said, ‘Would you guys mind telling me what is so funny?’

“They tried to sort of laugh it off and say, ‘It’s nothing, mate, don’t worry about it’, and I said, ‘No, actually, I just heard you guys say the word ‘b**ng’ and you’re laughing about it. I want to know what’s so funny’.”

Andrew Krakouer has revealed shocking racism during his time at Collingwood.

Krakouer says two of the three Collingwood players immediately understood the tone in his voice and walked away. The third player remained.

“I insisted that I was told what was said,” Krakouer says.

“He told me that the word ‘b**ng’ came from back in the day when white Australians used to run over Aboriginal people in their car and that ‘b**ng’ was the sound the car made when it hit them.

“I was absolutely disgusted in that person’s response and the fact that it was funny to him and that it was a joke.

“These guys were my teammates and I had to play footy with them. It was a moment where I really thought to myself, ‘what am I doing here?’.

“I really wondered if this was where I should be working, because I felt that it was an unsafe place. It was a lot to process, and there are only a handful of people that I have ever told that story to …” 

Andrew Krakouer speaks to Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley at training in 2012.

Krakouer, 38, has tossed and turned for weeks about whether to share one of his experiences about systemic racism at Australia’s most famous football club.

But the bravery of his former teammate Heritier Lumumba, and more recently Leon Davis, in coming forward to speak “the truth” about the goings on at Collingwood (and some snide remarks he’s heard about there being no “actual evidence” of racism at the club) inspired him to step up.

Last week, Davis revealed how Collingwood teammates had filled out a player profile in his name during the 2000 AFL season that contained answers with hurtful racial “stereotypes and undertones”.

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The profile was left on his bag in the Collingwood change rooms.

“Lumumba and Leon are not alone,” Krakouer says.

“I stand with them 110 per cent. They are my brothers and I really feel it is important for me to share my story, too, but also to get it off my chest.

“It needs to be said. Racism, I believe, is a public health issue. It scars people, it changes people. It’s not just words, it’s systemic and really cuts deep. Enough is enough. We just want equitable opportunities to be healthy and thrive; people should get it by now. We’re just sick of it.”

Collingwood stars Andrew Krakouer and Leon Davis.

Krakouer, who was drafted by the Pies in October 2010 after serving time in prison for assault, says he has since confided in a senior club official about his own change room incident, but said nothing at the time out of fear of being driven out.

“I didn’t really want to rock the boat and wasn’t confident there was a process that would address this incident in the right manner,” he says.

“I really struggled with it.”

The son of North Melbourne champion Jim Krakouer, Andrew played 137 games for Richmond and Collingwood between 2001 and 2013.

He says he has been deeply saddened by Collingwood’s failure, since the handing down of the ‘Do Better’ report last month, to properly address its findings.

“I thought the footy club could have done it a lot better,” he says.

“I was pretty disappointed in how it all panned out. There were some excuses made and I still don’t think they really understand or acknowledge what has really happened, and the trauma that it has caused.”

Krakouer says Davis is someone Collingwood “really should be engaging with”.

“I have spoken publicly in the past and I’ve initiated meetings with the football club privately. I’ve offered assistance and I’ve even asked to be part of the next phase in creating policies and procedures,” he says.

“Unfortunately, they have never taken me up on my offer — at no stage have I ever been asked to be involved. I want to help. I want to be part of the solution.”

Andrew Krakouer, pictured with former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, has revealed his story of racism at the Pies.

In May 2013, Krakouer says he was pressured into playing a game at the Gabba after then Collingwood president Eddie McGuire directed his infamous King Kong gibe at Sydney star Adam Goodes.

It’s a decision he still regrets.

“I let myself down by going against what I knew was the right thing to do. I chose to look after the footy club,” he says.

“I regret doing that and not standing up for Lumumba (who had confronted McGuire over his comments about Goodes), but I guess I felt that if I did, I might be ostracised.

“Looking back, that was the beginning of the end for me at Collingwood.”

Asked if Collingwood is a racist club, Krakouer takes time to answer.

“I think we have to move beyond deciding if we call Collingwood a racist club or not.

“The fact is that Collingwood, just like Australia, has a long and well-documented history of racism that still needs to be addressed.

“Without facing it, it cannot move forward. It is what it is.

“There are absolutely great people that have been and are employed by the footy club and teammates that I played with as well, people I really get along with.

“But the report shows the reasons why there have been some terrible moments in the club’s history, and we can’t ignore it.

“The systemic racism is the responsibility of the club’s leadership, so it needs strong leadership to deal with it.

“It’s been well documented that Eddie has had his incidents over time, and I’ve had the opportunity to address those issues with Eddie in great depth. Unfortunately that’s all it was; a conversation and no processes put in place to address those issues.

“Sadly, the senior managers of the football club lacked any desire to address the racism issue in a proper manner.”

Andrew Krakouer has backed former teammate Heritier Lumumba.

Krakouer’s friend and long-time manager Matthew Gray says the racism Krakouer experienced was compounded “by how things have been managed”.

He says there is “a real frustration and disappointment” about the club’s decision to appoint a 12-person anti-racism panel without players who experienced it at the club.

“Andrew has come out at least a half a dozen times over the last four years validating what Heritier Lumumba has said, saying that he wants to be a part of the solution and that he wants to help the football club improve in this area. Yet they have never properly engaged with him for his thoughts or to be part of a working group,” Gray says.

“I think that is the biggest kick in the guts about this whole thing and I can hear it in Andy’s voice right now.

“I know for a fact that speaking out right now is incredibly uncomfortable for him. There is no benefit for him in doing this – it’s for the benefit of the next generation.

“With the greatest respect to those on the newly formed panel, and there are some great people on the panel, but they were not involved at the club during the time in question, yet they are the ones who are going to make the decision on what they are going to do better.”

Krakouer has repeatedly offered his services to the club and says he feels “disregarded” at being overlooked.

“I just didn’t feel valued at all,” he says.

The AFL recently appointed league commissioner Professor Helen Milroy as co-chair of its National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council (joining Paul Briggs), while Hawthorn champion Shaun Burgoyne has also joined as a board member.

But the Krakouer name has been at the forefront in fighting racism in footy since the 1980s.

Born into the dynasty, Andrew wants to make sure future generations don’t endure the same experiences.

“Dad and uncle Phil were absolute stars. They never had a culturally safe society or workplace. But their resilience, strength and courage to play the standard of football they did was amazing and something myself and our family are extremely proud of,” he says.

“I feel that I have a responsibility to not only continue my family legacy, but to continue standing up and calling out racism.

“I began speaking on the public circuit prior to COVID and the response I receive when talking to corporates and community clubs on the issue of racism and my experiences has been overwhelmingly positive. It inspires me to continue pushing forward with it and it really gets through to people,” Krakouer says.

Following his experiences at Collingwood, Krakouer says he lost complete interest in football, but it was through the indigenous media community where he has rediscovered his love for the game. 

“I hated the game I loved. I had no interest in watching it or talking about it. That went on for a number of years,” Krakouer says.

“Then I was given an opportunity to be part of the Marngrook Footy Show in 2018, and it was my involvement in that which rekindled the flame for me.”

Despite the scars, Krakouer says he’s pleased his old mate Lumumba has been vindicated after a shameful and long-running smear campaign.

“Unfortunately, Lumumba has been discredited by a number of people suggesting that those things didn’t happen,” he says.

“People just didn’t believe him. I remember The Project (on Channel 10), they said something about me being ‘a rare person’ (when he came out to back Lumumba). I’m not quite sure what that actually meant. It was absolutely disgraceful the way Lumumba was treated on that show.

“But I have been inspired by how strong and empowering Lumumba has been just to keep turning up and standing up and conducting himself in such a measured and articulate manner. 

“We need to make sure the right changes are made, so that our next generation doesn’t experience racism and the trauma associated with it and so they can work and live in a culturally safe environment.”

Originally published as Ex-Magpies indigenous star Andrew Krakouer opens up about the racism he was subjected to during his time at Collingwood