Collingwood’s expert anti-racism group named
Daniel Wells, along with 11 other experts, will spearhead Collingwood’s newly formed Expert Group on Anti-Racism.
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AFL executive Tanya Hosch and former Magpie Daniel Wells will spearhead Collingwood’s newly formed Expert Group on Anti-Racism.
The establishment of the 12-person group was a key recommendation of the recently released Do Better report, which eventually led to Eddie McGuire stepping down as president following 22 years at the helm.
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The group will report directly to the Collingwood board to advise on an improved framework for responding to incidents of racism, the creation of anti-racism policies and ways in which Collingwood can learn from its past.
Hosch, the AFL’s executive general manager of social policy and inclusion who has accepted a position in the group, recently questioned now former Collingwood president McGuire’s use of the word “proud” when detailing the findings of an independent review into the Magpies’ response to racism allegations.
“It’s not a word that I would use, I think it was an incredibly sobering day,” Hosch told the ABC earlier this month.
The group also includes indigenous Collingwood director Jodie Sizer.
“The work Collingwood must do is necessary and important,” Sizer said.
“It ought to inspire and add weight to the need for change that has been building in our communities for decades.
“So it was as important to find people who are passionate, capable and willing to help the club meet its moment.
“We are very pleased to have such rich experience and expertise to draw upon as we embark on a process that will modernise Collingwood and, hopefully, make a further contribution to our code and country.”
The club has also appointed Taryn Lee to the position of strategic Adviser to assist with the implementation across the club of all 18 recommendations in the Do Better report.
Lee, a Yawuru woman who has worked at executive level in roles with government and the private sector, is a board member of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
“We need to think differently about how we approach and deal with racism and to ensure that we have the right systems in place to provide a safe cultural environment for all,” Magpies chief executive Mark Anderson said.
“We have the will to respond to each and every recommendation contained in the Do Better report.
“Taryn’s expertise and background in designing and delivering change will be of enormous assistance to us as we put these responses into place. We will be rightfully measured by these actions.”
THE 12 APPOINTEES
* Eddie Cubillo, former Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination commissioner. Senior Fellow with University of Melbourne Law School. A descendant of the Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrente peoples.
* Tasneem Chopra, diversity, equity and inclusion consultant on issues of leadership, cultural competence and intersectional discrimination.
* Melinda Cilento, company director, economist and experienced senior executive. Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia Board, CEO of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and non-executive director of Australian Unity.
* Janine Coombs, a Wotjobaluk woman, currently Deputy Chair of Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation. Member of Collingwood Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Committee.
* Tanya Hosch, Torres Strait Islander woman, currently Executive General Manager of Inclusion and Social Policy at the AFL. Formerly joint campaign director of the Recognise movement for constitutional reform.
* Rana Hussain, a diversity and inclusion leader and consultant, specialising in sport, corporate leadership and not for profit organisations.
* Andrew Jackomos, a Yorta Yorta/Gunditjmara man. Victorian Government Executive Director for Aboriginal Economic Development. Member of the Collingwood Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Committee.
* Tony Lovett, a Gunditjmara man and Community Services Officer with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association. Member of Collingwood Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Committee.
* Professor Yin Paradies, a Wakaya man who is Professor of Race Relations at Deakin University.
* Jodie Sizer, a founding partner and co-CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers Indigenous Consulting. A Djab Wurrung/Gunditjmara woman and one of Australia’s foremost Indigenous leaders. Chair of Australian Institute of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Studies. Collingwood director.
* Dr Helen Szoke (OA), former Australian Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner and Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner. Chief Executive of Oxfam from 2013 to 2019.
* Daniel Wells, former Collingwood and North Melbourne player currently working with Collingwood’s Indigenous community programs and AFL recruiting staff. A descendant of the Wangatha and Wirangu peoples.
Paul Roos sends Pies a message over Lumumba saga
- Jon Ralph
Paul Roos says a Collingwood apology to Heritier Lumumba would be the first step in bringing the distraught former player back into the footy fold.
As coach of Melbourne, Roos recruited Lumumba for the 2015 season, after his falling out with the Pies.
He says Lumumba was a perfect team member during his two years at the club.
The premiership coach said last year that in their first meeting in late 2014, Lumumba spoke about his “chimp” nickname and how he was “pretty distraught about the situation”.
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Roos, who is now an adviser at North Melbourne, told the Herald Sun he had always believed Lumumba.
He said one of the former defender’s biggest issues was people disbelieving his story.
Roos said an apology could allow Lumumba to repair his relationship with the game and become a constructive presence in improving the AFL’s attitudes around race.
“From what I have read, it’s more about the apology and about his credibility. That’s the thing (that upset him), that people didn’t believe him,” Roos said.
“When that happens to anyone, it is frustrating, and he tried to tell the truth. He tried to tell it the way it was.
“Hopefully he can be brought back into the fold.
“He wanted some validation for the things he said, and some people just thought he had made it up. There has been a lot said in recent weeks and hopefully he finds some solace in what’s happening.”
Lumumba continues to rail at departing Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and coach Nathan Buckley.
Roos told Fox Footy last year he could not believe Lumumba’s issues had been allowed to fester at Collingwood.
“Part of the responsibility of a coach and leaders is to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe and comfortable,” Roos said.
“I took that role seriously in Sydney and Melbourne.
“After hearing his experience at Collingwood, it was quite confronting for a senior coach.”
Why I went along with ‘overtly racist’ ‘chimp’ nickname
- Rebecca Williams
Heritier Lumumba has explained why he went along with the nickname “Chimp” in his time at Collingwood in “order to fit in”.
In a lengthy social media post, Lumumba responded for the first time since Eddie McGuire’s departure as Collingwood president as evidence of the “overtly racist” moniker surfaced.
An old AFL record profile emerged this week and in it Lumumba states that “Chimp” was one of his nicknames at the club.
The Herald Sun has confirmed the profile is genuine, and in fact was one of three profiles run in which he used the nickname.
The one circulating on social media this week came from Round 7, 2007, with another profile used in Round 3 and 19 in the 2009 season.
Lumumba said the profile was “proof that the nickname did indeed exist and was widely known at the club” and some people were now using it “as a means to discredit me”.
The former Magpie said the profile was “damning evidence that works against CFC and the AFL” but the “overtly racist” nickname was “far from the worst thing that happened”.
“A 2007 player profile that was published by CFC & the AFL has my nickname listed as ‘chimp’. Ever since I went public in 2017 with my experience, I’ve been consistent in saying that I initially went along with the nickname & a lot of other racist behaviour in order to fit in,” Lumumba wrote on Twitter.
10/ A 2007 player profile that was published by CFC & the AFL has my nickname listed as ‘chimp’. Ever since I went public in 2017 with my experience, I’ve been consistent in saying that I initially went along with the nickname & a lot of other racist behaviour in order to fit in.
— Héritier Lumumba (@iamlumumba) February 10, 2021
“The document is proof that the nickname did indeed exist and was widely known in the club. Some people are trying to use it as a means to discredit me, without realising that it’s damning evidence that works against CFC and the AFL.
“The #DoBetter report states that “structural racism occurs not through individual action but through policy, institutional culture, representations in media, laws, conversational norms and normalised behaviours.”
“Player records were printed by the tens of thousands and distributed at games. How many people in leadership approved of this?
“While the nickname ‘chimp’ was overtly racist, sadly it was far from the worst thing that happened. Some things that were said and done resulted in verbal and physical altercations. When I began to formally address the club’s racism, I was punished by the club’s leadership.
“The report reveals that there was “no systemic process that could support individuals” affected by the cfc’s racism; Also that “there’s a culture of individuals, if not quite being bigger than the Club, then at least having an unhealthy degree of influence over Club culture.”
Following the immediate departure of McGuire as Collingwood president on Tuesday, Lumumba also took a swipe at former and current AFL bosses Gillon McLachlan and Andrew Demetriou for jumping to “Eddie’s defence”.
“It is no surprise that McGuire’s friends – current and former AFL CEOs Gillon McLachlan and Andrew Demetriou, have jumped to Eddie’s defence,” Lumumba wrote.
“Admitting his incompetence means admitting their own.”
Lumumba also slammed McGuire for “denial, delusion” and “complete inability to admit fault” following his exit speech as Collingwood president.
He said the Magpies still had not delivered a “proper response” to the damning “Do Better” racism report and the club had to address the “extra damage” McGuire “had caused in the last two weeks alone” and take action otherwise he suggested the “Collingwood brand will simply never recover”.
“Eddie McGuire’s final speech as CFC president was somehow even worse than his last press conference. Denial, delusion and a complete inability to admit fault.
“He couldn’t help lying, again. The ‘CFC Do Better’ report was not a ‘response to the Black Lives Matter movement’, as McGuire suggested. CFC themselves announced the review was commissioned ‘following accounts of racism made by Heritier Lumumba’.”
“CFC as an institution is in the same position it was in before Eddie left. There has still been no proper response to the report. Now the club has the further burden of responding to Eddie’s parting comments. Do they accept his assertion that CFC is “not a racist club”?
“CFC is a massive institution. There’s no doubt that a lot of good philanthropic work has happened. But as the report states: “racism at the Club has resulted in profound and enduring harm to First Nations and African players.” One does not erase the other.
“The club cannot simply use Eddie’s departure to say they are moving on without addressing the extra damage he has caused in the last two weeks alone. Let’s not forget the report states that CFC’s racism has “set dangerous norms for the public.”
“Board members have been trying to spin the report publicly, saying it was not about ‘individual instances.’ Part of the report clearly details a timeline of major instances of racism. This needs to stop now.
“Now is the time for transparency, honesty and action”, as the report suggests. Otherwise, the Collingwood brand will simply never recover. Even their own players and sponsors don’t have confidence in it now.
“If CFC thinks they can just wait this out and move on with whatever symbolic racial equality measures they have planned, think again. These measures will never be taken seriously. The people whey (they) appoint to these positions will not be taken seriously.”
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