Cue the corporate clichés: “historic allegations”; they’re being investigated; the welfare of players and staff is “our No. 1 priority”; it’s being taken “extremely seriously”.
The official line from the Hawthorn AFL club and the AFL itself seems like the warm-up to every corporate response to every major scandal of recent years — banks, insurance companies, aged care, casinos, mining companies. The line that you know means no one will be held to account, even if some board members or executives are moved on.
What the ABC’s Russell Jackson has revealed in his stunning, sickening report on the treatment of Indigenous players at Hawthorn — including players being coerced and manipulated into severing contact with family and partners and in one case demanding a pregnancy be terminated — is akin to modern slavery, and incorporates elements of it.
The indicators of modern slavery include:
- Appearing to be under the control of someone else and reluctant to interact with others
- Controlled or restricted movement
- Living at workplaces owned or controlled by an employer
- Isolation
- No discretion over life decisions.
The behaviour of Hawthorn coaching staff ticks each of these boxes in relation to their reported treatment of Indigenous players.
The modern slavery element is distinct from what is plainly an extraordinary level of racial discrimination. How many white AFL recruits from privileged, private school backgrounds were told to order their partners to terminate pregnancies, or sever contact with their families? How many were told to choose between spending time with their families and being forced to “socialise” with teammates?
If a major corporation was exposed as having treated Indigenous staff — or any staff — in such a fashion, it would be reputationally and legally smashed, investors would stampede for the exits and its board and senior executives pressed to quit on the spot.
But in Australia, sport casts a protective spell over even the most disgusting of abuses — and it’s difficult to recall anything worse than this across Australia’s major sports. Ever.
All those associated with these outrages must never again be allowed into any position of authority within any sporting body. That applies as much to Hawthorn board members at the time as the coaching staff.
Corporate Australia — and this is corporate Australia, even if shareholders aren’t involved and the industry concerned is sports and entertainment — faces another major accountability moment. Will this lead to anything more than pious words about “historic” events, lessons learnt and internal structures put in place to ensure it never happens again?
Those lines are have been so well rehearsed in recent years that you could almost write the media release ahead of time.
There needs to be punishment for these outrages, exemplary punishment that sends a signal to perpetrators that they will be held to account.
What are your thoughts on Hawthorn’s alleged treatment of its Indigenous players? Let us know by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
Is this story a trailer for SBS and NITV “Australian Wars”? What century is this story located in? I don’t have appropriate words to express shame and disbelief that such things *still* occur in 21st century Australia. Without likely accountability, as author Bernard Keane argues, backed by past experience. Thanks for your excellent reporting, commentary and suitable public shaming.
I realise for legal reasons these events are described as ‘alleged’. But let’s be frank – why would any of the players involved fabricate such vindictive, unconscionable & inhumane behaviour?
We AFL supporters should weep.
Bernard, let’s stop pretending that racism is a major problem across all of Australian sport. The AFL is truly in a league of its own when it comes to this stuff. I’m not aware of incidents in other sports similar to this one or the Adam Goodes repeated racist booing; if anyone has evidence to the contrary I’d be interested to hear of it. Personally I’ve only witnessed racism at cricket, but nothing on the above scale.
Certainly the AFL has reached new heights but racism is prominent in other sports eg netball and football. For obvious reasons, racism is less of an issue in NRL but they have other problems.
Not that anybody cares, but the booing of Adam Goodes began when it became clear that he had a ‘habit’ of sliding incredibly dangerously into prone players, usually making contact with his knees. It began really late in his career. It also didn’t help that he accused a 13-year-old girl of being the “face of racism”.
Opposing fans have been booing Joel Selwood for 300+ games because he is perceived to be cheating by playing for free kicks. Collingwood’s Jack Ginnivan, still a teenager, is loudly hooted for taking it to a whole new level. They’re both white.
PS The loudest booing for young Ginnivan? By fans of Sydney – Goodes’ former club.
None of this to deny the significant issues with racism in AFL, or sport in general. But the AFL has had a number of proudly indigenous and outspoken players who have campaigned against racism and the lie of white ‘settlement’ – Nicky Winmar, Michael Long, Gilbert McAdam. None of them were booed, because none of them were perceived to be playing dirty.
Goodes debuted in 1999. The booing began in the second quarter of the 2014 Grand Final, after he had outrageously and deliberately slid into a prone Hawthorn player.
3/3 (alternately, the 2014 Grand Final crowd decided to become racist mid-way through the game, and somehow forgot to boo the other indigenous players on the field).
At some level, people almost want the booing to be a shameful and racist part of our history. In his case, as someone who was at that Grand Final, has followed football all my life and been appalled by some of the racism I’ve heard in the crowd (which is always howled down by those in proximity), I can say in all honest … the booing of Goodes was not racist.
At last – a statement of truth about Goodes. I don’t watch football per se. I have always considered it a stupid game to keep the masses amused (and generally keep them too preoccupied to be dangerous to society in general and politicians in particular). But I did follow the Goodes fiasco. The crowds started booing Goodes after he started gesticulating wildly at the crowd and beating his chest in an aggressive manner. I believe that he started doing that because he was already feeling the crowds rejecting his on-field behaviour. It certainly seemed to me at the time that Goodes was getting feedback for his obvious aggression towards the spectators. Not every rejection of an Aboriginal player (or indeed any Aboriginal person) is an act of racism.
I can believe that you think you followed what happened with Goodes but this comment demonstrates that you didn’t. Previous to that game, Goodes had been working with some young people who created a dance which they taught him. He was replicating that dance in a televised public forum for those kids. He explained that on more than one occasion to everyone willing to listen.
I have heard a few people say that their booing of Goodes was motivated by racism and that, having had a chance to genuinely reflect in their behaviour and its consequences over a period of time, they are very sorry they did it. It takes courage to face up to a deep and violent personal flaw and I admire the people who have turned themselves around.
All the players you mention experienced a lot of racism in the football careers and have discussed their experiences publicly.
A post like this is just designed to spread lies and perpetuate racism. Goodes was a fair player as shown by his stats and the various awards and medals he won, including two Brownlows which are awarded for the best and fairest in an AFL season. Furthermore, he held the adults around that girl responsible for her behaviour. He said we should show her compassion.
Be racist responsibly.
The line about Corporate Australia is almost correct, but there’s something strange about AFL Clubs. It’s a level of old boys network and entrenched privilege that seems to sit somewhere between posh private schools and actual business.
This is explored in an interview on ABC RN’s The Ticket – https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-ticket/white-man-got-no-dreaming—the-afls-racism-problem/14064980
Modern slavery – there’s a reason players are now routinely called ‘products’ that are regularly ‘traded’.