27/03/2023
A young Aboriginal AFL player for the Western Bulldogs, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, has fallen victim once again to the ugly side of this country, being on the end of sickening racist taunts and has sadly taken time away from his football club. Racism is debilitating and has lifelong impacts on people. Enough is enough. Racism will never go away until harsh penalties are enacted to show how "fair dinkum” we are to eradicate it. How many times and how many chances do we give to the perpetrators of racism who get slaps on their wrist? These perpetrators hide behind the ‘oh, I didn't know how offensive it was’ or ‘I have an Aboriginal friend, so I can’t be a racist’ or the ole ‘sticks and stones, toughen up’, from the white football supporters who have never been racially vilified in their lives.
In 2016, a racist attacked me with the most vulgar online racial abuse on Facebook. He was arrested within days due to an online petition. He fronted up to court, found guilty and handed a suspended prison sentence of 8 months. RACISM is NOT OK. It is illegal online and there should be far more severe penalties when it comes to the sporting arena, where our Indigenous athletes are in their WORKPLACE, trying to achieve at the highest level.
There is NO ROOM FOR RACISTS or BIGOTS in the AFL or in our society. Let's stand up and say 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH' let our sporting heroes give their all. In England, racists are banned for life from all football matches. Let's do this here in Australia. We see so many policies and educational resources out there that have not had the impact we now need. Sports has the power to inspire and the ability to make change. Let’s make our sports a place for all people of this country to feel safe. BAN RACISTS FOR LIFE.
Ban RACISTS for LIFE from all AFL games in Australia.
