Hawthorn premiership star and AFL Players’ Indigenous Advisory Board Chair Shaun Burgoyne has responded to the racial vilification of Eddie Betts and Paddy Ryder, saying they “deserve more respect”.
The racist taunts were heard during the Round 3 clash between Port Adelaide and Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, with at least one of the accused since having their membership revoked.
Throughout his 322-game career, Burgoyne has done considerable work on and off the field to improve the treatment of indigenous players. Following this weekend’s incident, Burgoyne says there’s a lot more work to do.
“We’re sad that our brothers and sisters are still experiencing racial vilification despite the ongoing education and promotion done within the football industry and wider society,” said Burgoyne.
“This has been happening for far too long and we, as Indigenous footballers, have had enough. We deserve more respect than we are being shown.”
“The abuse directed towards players is more than just words and people need to understand the impact that it has on the player, their family, their children and their community.”
“While it’s heartening that these incidents are being called out, there’s a lot of work to do before we can claim to be a truly inclusive game.”
