Devastating & heartbreaking.

The @AFL's great at telling heartwarming stories. Yet so many signs in 2020 that the horrific effects of racism remain not only enabled, tolerated & denied. But also clearly systemic throughout footy.

They're complicit from the highest levels down. https://twitter.com/rustyjacko/status/1297279181735124993

It seems that only when the stories create a public outcry (often at great cost to the individuals effected),
that they act to limit the damage.

From Héritier Lumumba to Joel Wilkinson, to Mabior Chol, to Robert Muir, to the continual online abuse of so many Indigenous players.

Then we have Eddie McGuire somehow still holding such power in the media + as Collingwood's President.

And the appalling racist podcast put out by Mike Sheahan, Don Scott, & Sam Newman that denigrated Nicky Winmar + his iconic, defiant gesture against racist abuse in footy.

As I see it, the @afl is clearly failing to keep the promise it made in the aftermath of failing to keep Adam Goodes safe from racist vilification.

The @AFL remains a reactive organisation that does not prioritise the health & wellbeing of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders, nor others not understood of as White.

Indeed, the cultures of Whiteness that @gregoryabstarr & I wrote about a few years ago, remain unaddressed: https://www.griffithreview.com/articles/the-land-we-play-on/

Take Sir Doug Nicholls. The league has named a round after him, but still has found no place for him in their Hall of Fame, which beggars belief.

Despite racist exclusion from Carlton, Sir Doug represented both the VFL & VFA at state level, coached in the VFA, organised & coached the first Aboriginal All Stars football team, among many other things.

But is still not in the AFL Hall of Fame.