AFL issues lifetime bans in ongoing battle against racism

[ad_1]

AAPMay 5, 2023, 11:07 p.m. ET3 Minute Read

The AFL admits racism will never be completely eradicated from the competition despite a new zero-tolerance approach resulting in lifetime bans for perpetrators.

Nine football fans have been banned for life this year and the league has confirmed that at least six others are being investigated for racist behaviour.

The tough new stance comes in response to a growing number of racist incidents at games this season, as well as on social media.

Several players have been targeted, including Indigenous stars Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs), Izak Rankine (Adelaide) and Michael Walters (Fremantle).

The hardline new stance comes in response to a growing number of racist incidents at games and on social media, with several players being targeted, including Indigenous star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

On Saturday, AFL Executive Director General, Inclusion and Social Policy Tanya Hosch applauded fans for speaking out against racist behavior at matches and urged them to alert authorities to similar incidents in the future.

“I don’t expect this to go away overnight, but hopefully it will serve as a demonstration to people that if we can find you, it will have serious consequences,” Hosch told reporters.

“Hopefully over time this will relieve us of some of these terrible behaviors that really cause a lot of harm to players and other people in the crowd.

“I hope that will happen over time, but I don’t expect this action to completely eradicate racism.”

Hosch confirmed that banned fans can apply to have their penalties lifted after five years, in the hope that the perpetrators will reflect and change their behavior and attitudes.

Banned fans will have their club and league membership canceled and photographs of them provided to security personnel at stadiums across the country to prevent them from attending matches.

“We have to rely on (security) to get that back, so I guess if somebody really wanted to go to great lengths to disguise themselves, they could slip through,” Hosch said.

“But we certainly have the best possible process, in partnership with the stadiums, to identify those people who would be sent off if we could locate them in a game during the ban.”

Hosch said she was not at all surprised by the number of fans who had been banned for life this year.

“I wish that shocked me. For a while we’ve known there are big numbers out there,” Hosch said.

“Racism is a problem in society in general and of course with the large number of people who come together to enjoy football, you have to know that a certain proportion of people with these ideas, beliefs and behaviors are going to be in football .

“I would have liked to be surprised, but I am not. But I think the important thing is that with the identification of these offenders, we can take action which hopefully sends a very strong message. about what is working and what is not.

Ugle-Hagan took a powerful stance against racism in March when he lifted his sweater during the Bulldogs’ win over Brisbane and pointed to his skin, in a recreation of Nicky Winmar’s iconic 1993 pose.

Several players and clubs have publicly denounced racist behavior and Hosch said she was proud of the public stance the players’ group had taken.

“The players are incredibly resilient and I know they get incredible support from their clubs,” Hosch said.

“This position is increasingly understood and embraced by clubs, across the code and so many supporters and fans of the code.

“Their resilience is amazing but they shouldn’t have to tolerate it in the first place.”

[ad_2]