IT beggars belief that in this day and age we continue to deal with racist outbursts from those who should know better.
AFL veteran Taylor Walker was this week suspended for six matches for the latest racial slur on North Adelaide player Robbie Young at a quarter-time huddle during a South Australian National Football League game.
The former Adelaide captain and Crows’ all-time leading goal-kicker was reported to have been “deeply ashamed” and later appeared in a video alongside Young to issue an apology.
To little, too late, I’m afraid!
The slur came not during a senior SANFL match, or a pressure-packed AFL game, and not even during a high stakes match where the difference between winning and losing can cost people careers.
It was during a reserve grade game in which the Crows were playing when Walker, who had been a spectator, addressed the players during a break in the contest.
He hadn’t been in the heat of battle when emotions can get the better of you, but so drew the ire of those around him that an Adelaide official first reported the incident which was subsequently referred to the AFL.
“Tex” is a former captain (ie. leadership qualities) at a club that has a history of Indigenous champions of the ilk of Andrew McLeod, Eddie Betts, Charlie Cameron and Graham Johncock.
Experienced at 31 years of age, he would have undergone countless educational sessions around racial vilification and the impact it has on Indigenous Australians, especially during his role of the club skipper.
There were simply no excuses, yet it took him three weeks to admit as much.
The revelation of the incident, which happened back on July 17 but was revealed only in recent days, would have sent the Crows into crisis mode; planning and plotting how to best deal with the matter with the least fallout possible.
That came in the form of an orchestrated video released by the football club in which Walker apologised for the racist comment and thanked Young for his “huge courage and support for me”.
Hang on! Have I missed something here?
What about Walker showing some huge courage to support Young, the victim?
Walker and Young shook hands at the end of the video and apparently that was that.
Certainly the Crows will hope so, but no.
If there was anything positive to come out of the incident, it reignited the condemnation of those who think they are so high and mighty that they can say whatever to whomever they want.
AFL footballers can too often fell a righteousness about being on the pedestal that loyal fans place them because of their ability on the football field, not off it.
They do, however, have a huge responsibility to be leaders on and off the field, Walker included.
AFL Players Association president Patrick Dangerfield didn’t need a script to sum up the situation in a nutshell: “We’ve come a long way, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
