The History of The Relationship Between Australian Rules Football and Indigenous Australians Hist2015

The
history of the relationship between Australian Rules Football and

Indigenous Australians.

Australian Rules Football has done a great deal to promote Indigenous race
relations in Australia. This essay will look at the history of Indigenous
Australians in the AFL while taking a closer look at prominent incidents that
moved towards equality for Indigenous Australians. It will also look at what the
Australian Football League have done to educate people about Indigenous
culture and what still need to be done in Indigenous race relations.

History of Indigenous Australians and Australian Rules Football

There is no doubt that Australian Rules Football is Australias favourite sport; it
dominates the Australian sporting scene. In 2011-2012 AFL had more than
double the amount of spectators (2,831,800) than its closest rival the NRL
(1,563,800).1 It is then no wonder that it is one of Australias favourite past times
as well. This is no different for the Indigenous population of Australia.

Indigenous Australians have had a long history with Australian Rules Football
with many Aborigines playing in rural leagues before the turn of the century.2 In
the early days many used the sport of a way of escaping oppression and it
enlivened their mundane lives. Corma suggests that the football oval did, and still
does, serve as a meeting place of Indigenous Australians living in missions. 3

For many Indigenous Australians sport, history and politics were all connected
reflecting issues faced in wider society. Over time, many Indigenous Australian
athletes had to adjust to the politics and policies of the time in order to survive,

1 Kwek, Glenda. AFL leaves other codes in the dust, The Sydney Morning Herald,
March 26, 2013. Cited at http://www.smh.com.au/data-point/afl-leaves-other-
codes-in-the-dust-20130326-2grkp.html on November 12, 2014.
2 Hess, Rob, and Bob Stewart. More than a game: an unauthorised history of
Australian Rules Football. Melbourne University, 1998. Pg 241-245.
3 Coram, Stella. "Reclaiming Aboriginal Identity through Australian Rules
Football: A Legacy of the 'Stolen Generation'." HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME 14
(1999): 159-164.
1
as financial and social self-determination were not accessible. Australian Rules

Football allowed Aborigines to become more socially mobile and gain acceptance
and status in the broader community.4

Indigenous Australians were, for a long time, excluded from playing football at
the highest level. For many years it was believed that the first Indigenous
Australian to play football at the highest level was Joe Johnson who played 55
games for Fitzroy in the early 1900s. However, it is now widely accepted that
first Indigenous player was actually Albert Pompey Austin who played for
Geelong in 1872.5 Austin and Johnson were exceptions and even as late as
the1970s there were very few Indigenous players in the Victorian Football
League (VFL) with just 2 recorded playing in 1949.6 Probably the most widely
recognised Indigenous player of the early era was Doug Nicholls (Fitzroy: 1932-
1937). Two more Indigenous players that it is worth taking note of are Polly
Farmer (Geelong: 1962-1967) and Syd Jackson (Carlton: 1969-1976).7 All of
these players and others should be considered pioneers. It wasnt until the
1980s and 1990s that there was an influx of indigenous players into the VFL
system.

Racial abuse was commonplace until the mid 1990s. For Indigenous players it
was an accepted fact that if you were playing football then you were going to be
racial abused. Jackson, who identified strongly as an Indigenous Australian,
wrote years later that the racist abuse remains a constant. You expect it every
Saturday, if not from the opposition players, then from the spectators.8 In the
days when there were very few Indigenous players it was impossible to escape it

4 Gorman, Sean. Legends: The AFL Indigenous Team of the Century. Aboriginal
Studies Press, Canberra, 2011. Pgs 5-9
6 Coram, Stella. "Reclaiming Aboriginal Identity through Australian Rules
Football: A Legacy of the 'Stolen Generation'." HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME 14
(1999): 159-164.
2
because it was imbedded in not only the culture of the sport but also the in the
culture of society. For players like Farmer, Nicholls and the players that played
much earlier on there was nothing they could do. Nicknames were also overtly
racist, for example Doug Nicholls nickname amongst the white population was
The Flying Abo.9 With the influx of Indigenous Australian to football at the
highest level so to came the stereotypical media reporting that labelled the
Indigenous players incredible skill as Black Magic and natural not showing
the proper recognition of the immense amount of training they had put in.10

With more and more Indigenous players came more and more racial abuse form
players and spectators. Eventually the players began to react to the abuse and in
the 1993 the most famous image in Indigenous footballing history was taken.
Nicky Winmar, a well-known Indigenous player from St Kilda, lifted his guernsey
and pointed to his skin, after being racially vilified all game by spectators in the
crowd, sending a clear message: Im black and Im proud.11 There is no doubt
that this was a turning point in Australian Rules Football for Indigenous
Australians and it will be discussed at length later in the essay.

Two years later in 1995 Michael Long, an Indigenous player who played for
Essendon, was involved in an incident with Collingwood ruckman, Damian
Monkhorst, where Monkhorst racially vilified Long during a match. After the
match Long refused to let the incident drop and pursued the Australian Football
League (AFL) on its lack of racism protocols. This led eventually to the
introduction of the AFLs racial and religious anti-vilification laws.12

To say that racism is completely gone in the current era of AFL would be untrue.
In 2013 the most decorated Indigenous Australian football player, Adam Goodes,

9 Clark, Mavis Thorpe. Pastor Doug: The Story of Sir Douglas Nicholls, Aboriginal
Leader. Lansdowne Press, 1972. Pgs 57-68
3
was subject to racial taunts from a 13 year old girl that was sitting in the crowd.
Goodes did not, like many of the Indigenous people who played football before
him, just brush it off as part of the game, he demanded that the girl be ejected
from the stadium and she was.13

Today there are many more Indigenous Australians playing football at the
highest level in the AFL. Their integration and acceptance in the sport has been
facilitated by the stand that players like Long and Goodes have taken. In 2009
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders made up 10 per cent of players listed in
the AFL when they only make up 2 percent of the population.14 By 2016 that
number is expected to have risen to somewhere between 20 to 25 per cent.15

Doug Nicholls

Doug Nicholls was the most recognised Indigenous Australian football player of
the early era and was a pioneer of Indigenous footballers playing at the highest
level. Nicholls grew up on a mission/station called Cummergunja on the Murray
River in NSW.16 He believed in himself as a footballer and saw this as way to
enter into the white mans world.17

In 1927 Nicholls hitchhiked a ride into Melbourne to try out for Carlton and to
fulfil his dream of playing football at the highest level.18 Racism was rife in those

13 Morely, Gary. "Adam Goodes: Aboriginal AFL star calls out racists." CNN Wire 3
Sept. 2014. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA381270740&v=2.1&u=flinders
&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w&asid=a46746eca91506e433e0ecf8bed253e9
14 Hallinan, Chris, and Barry Judd. "Race relations, Indigenous Australia and the
social impact of professional Australian football." Sport in Society 12.9 (2009):
1220-1235.
Leader. Lansdowne Press, 1972. Pg 12
4
days and while trying out Nicholls experienced racism even from his own would
be teammates. He was alienated from the group because of his colour, no one
would give him a rub down after training and his teammates complained that
because of his colour he smelt. Nicholls was not surprised when he did not make
the final squad because he was too small.19 Still he persisted and was picked up
by Northcote in the Victorian Football Association. Here his popularity grew and
soon he was the most well known player in Victorian football. He competed for
Northcote for five seasons and won the best and fairest twice before he moved to
Fitzroy in the VFL, playing 54 games for them over six seasons.20

His popularity as a footballer gave him the platform to educate white Australians
on Aboriginal culture. He was also a persistent advocate for Aboriginal rights
becoming involved in many leagues, organisations and even worked for the
Federal government on Aboriginal issues.21

The courage shown by Nicholls and other Indigenous football players of this era
for entering the white mans world opened the door and made it possible for
future Indigenous Australians to play football at the highest level. There is no
doubt that Nicholls work in Aboriginal rights and his constant educating of white
people in Aboriginal culture did a tremendous amount for cross cultural
relations in Australia.

Nicky Winmar

On April 17 1993, Nicky Winmar engaged in a significant act of defiance against
racial taunting. After a best on ground performance, while constantly being
taunted with racial abuse, Winmar faced the Collingwood cheer squad lifted his
jumper and pointed to his skin, effectively declaring Im black and proud of it.

21 Broome, Richard. Sir Douglas Ralph (Doug) Nicholls 1906-1988 Australian
Dictionary of Biography, Vol 18, 2012.
5
He then blew the crowd a kiss before running back to centre of the ground and
embracing fellow Indigenous player Gilbert McAdams.22

The image of that day is carved into the memories of football fans and is still one
of the most powerful images in football to date. In the aftermath of the incident
massive debates ensued about the racism in Australia. There were calls for
official regulations to deal with spectators who use racial abuse, Indigenous
players came out and told stories of racial abuse that they experienced, there
were calls from politicians for formal regulations on racist speech, there was
even players who came out and admitted to using the tactic of racial abuse to
put off an apposing player.23 People from all avenues of life participated in the
argument with some stating how bad it was and others saying that racial
vilification was alright if it didnt have meaning. Even Collingwood President,
Allen McAlister, made the ridiculous comment that Aborigines would not have a
problem if they acted more like white people.24 After this incident the AFL
commission vowed to introduce a Code of Conduct that would deal with the
racial vilification by players and officials while the racial vilification of spectators
was largely overlooked.25

This incident was a significant event not only in the history of race relations for
Indigenous football players but also for Australia in general. It highlighted that
being an Indigenous Australian was nothing to be ashamed of and sparked
debate about the way the white majority of Australians treat minorities.

22 Warren, Ian, and S. Tsousis. "Racism and law in Australian rules football: a
critical analysis." Sporting Traditions 14 (1997): 27-54.
6
Michael Long

On the Anzac Day clash of 1995 Essendon took on Collingwood in game that
would change the AFL forever. When Damian Monkhorst racially abused
Michael Long, Long asked the umpire why Monkhorst did not have his name
taken for the incident but the umpire could not do anything as the laws of about
racial vilification had not been reformed like the AFL had promised. Again more
debates ensued.26

Long publicly pursued the matter stating:

Why do we have to put up with it? Why do they have to say these things? Thats not part of
the game; its not why I play the game. Its not what we should have to put up with. I think
any racial or verbal abuse concerning colour or about your parents directed at you is
wrong ... Aboriginal people have been copping it for too long and I wanted to make a stand
not just in relation to what happens on the football field but off the field in day-to-day life.
People have to change their way of thinking, their opinion of Aboriginal people, and even
their jokes. Its not about the colour of your skin but whats inside you that counts, and
that goes for all people.27

Because of Longs persistence and hard stance on the matter of racial vilification
the Code was eventually updated. Throughout the rest of 1995 other Indigenous
football players came out with reports of racial abuse on the football field, so in
that same year the AFL put on a massive advertising campaign focused on
educating people on the harm racism sport and to try to eliminate it from
Australian Rules Football at all levels.28

Longs pursuit of equality advanced cross-cultural relations in Australia and also
meant a great deal to Indigenous people around Australia. As ex-West Coast
Eagles Indigenous player, David Wirripunda put it He made the next day a bit

critical analysis." Sporting Traditions 14 (1997): 27-54
7
easier than the last one had been.29 It also meant a lot to people from all cultural
backgrounds, they could now feel as though their basic human rights were not
discarded on the football field.

Adam Goodes

Sydney Swans player, Adam Goodes, is the most decorated Indigenous football
player to date. He surpassed Andrew McLeod to gain the title of most games
played by an Indigenous Australian with 351.30 He has also won the Bronlow
Medal, AFLs highest individual accolade, twice in his career.31 There is no doubt
that Goodes is on of the most respected players in the AFL, not only for his
accomplishments on the football field but also for his work off the field with
Indigenous youth, his work with promoting Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal
rights and the work he put into promoting the harmfulness of racism. This off
field work culminated in him being named the 2014 Australian of the year.

It is quite a surprise then that, in a 2013 game against Collingwood at the MCG,
Goodes was racial abused by a 13 year old girl.32 While Goodes was running
down the wing close to the boundary line he heard someone yell ape at him.
Goodes, angry and disgusted, turned around and demanded that the person
yelling racial slurs at him be removed form the stadium. To make matters worse
this incident took place in Indigenous round. The girl, who was understandably
upset, was escorted from the stadium and the game continued. The girl later
apologised. Goodes, who insisted it was not a vendetta against the girl, used the
incident as a tool to educate people about racism and its negative affects. When

29 Headon, David. The Best Ever Australian Sports Writing: A 200 Year Collection.
Black Inc., 2001. Pg 308
30 Sydney Swans Official Website. Cited on the November 12, 2014.
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/player-profile/adam-goodes
31 Sydney Swans Official Website. Cited on the November 12, 2014.
32 Landsberger, Sam. Cited on the November 12, 2014 at
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/adam-goodes-gutted-after-13-year-old-
girls-racial-slur-who-called-the-sydney-champion-today-to-apologise/story-
fndv8ujy-1226650256245
8
interviewed about it he said that he had never been so hurt by anything in his
footballing career.33

Only a few weeks after this Eddie McGuire, president of the Collingwood Football
Club, was hosting his morning radio talk show when he made a racist joke
commenting that he looks like King Kong. Again there was public uproar and
McGuire apologised with great vigour. Goodes did not publicly condemn McGuire
but instead used this incident, like the last, to point out that racism, although not
as overtly as it once was, still existed not only in the AFL but also in the wider
Australian community.34

Although the racial vilification that Goodes received was sad, it was good to see
the advancements in race relations in the AFL. In the era when Nicholls played
football if a spectator had yelled out the word ape at an indigenous player then
they would not have been ejected from the stadium, in fact they may have had a
few people around them joining in.

Its people like Goodes, Long, Winmar, and Nicholls that can turn such awful
events such as these into opportunities to educate. With these four people and
their incidents of racial vilification, the AFL and the broader Australian society
are improving race relations in this country. It is clear to see that without the
courage of these people race relations wouldnt be where they are today.

AFL Today

Today the AFL strives to uphold values of respect not only for Indigenous
football players but for players of all cultures in Australia. The AFL understands

33 Landsberger, Sam. Cited on the November 12, 2014 at
fndv8ujy-1226650256245
34 Morely, Gary. "Adam Goodes: Aboriginal AFL star calls out racists." CNN Wire 3
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA381270740&v=2.1&u=flinders
&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w&asid=a46746eca91506e433e0ecf8bed253e9
9
the popularity of sport and uses it to educate people on race relations in football
which is reflected in the broader Australian society. The AFL have implemented
outreach programs that send AFL stars and officials to remote Aboriginal
communities, where they hold coaching clinics and educate children about
health, education, and drugs.35

Probably the most important initiative introduced by the AFL on race relation is
the Indigenous Round. This is a whole round of AFL that is dedicated not only
showing appreciation to current and past Indigenous football players but also
the promotion of Indigenous culture. Each team that pays tribute to Indigenous
culture with performances of Aboriginal dancing and music and also with a
special guernsey designed by prominent Indigenous artists.36

Although the AFL are implementing different programs and events around the
promotion of Indigenous race relations they do still have some way to go. Judd
and Hallinan argue that:

the controlling alliance in the AFL is able to construct positive images of Indigenous
footballers without confronting the structural inequalities of the sport. That is, Indigenous
participation is now celebrated by the alliance but is contained and limited to playing
roles.37

They also argue that even though there is such a high percentage of Indigenous
Australians in the AFL compared to their overall population there are still not a
lot of Indigenous Australians in leadership and managerial roles.38

35 AFL Community. Cited on November 12, 2014.
http://aflcommunityclub.com.au/index.php?id=604
36 Cited on November 12, 2014. http://www.afl.com.au/indigenousround
1220-1235.
1220-1235.
10
While there are still a number of areas for the AFL to improve, overall the
progression in Indigenous race relations from the time of Nicholls to the current
era of Goodes has been positive. Because the AFL and sport in general are so
popular in Australia the progression of race relations in the Australia as a whole
owes a great deal to the AFL and the players that showed enough courage to
change society. The AFL has come from a sport that once saw racial vilification of
Indigenous Australians as normal to now seeing it as extremely harmful to the
Indigenous Australian race and this is reflected in race relations in the wider
Australian society.

11
Bibliography

AFL Community. Cited on November 12, 2014.
http://aflcommunityclub.com.au/index.php?id=604
Broome, Richard. Sir Douglas Ralph (Doug) Nicholls 1906-1988 Australian
Dictionary of Biography, Vol 18, 2012.

Clark, Mavis Thorpe. Pastor Doug: The Story of Sir Douglas Nicholls, Aboriginal
Leader. Lansdowne Press, 1972. Pgs 57-68

Coram, Stella. "Reclaiming Aboriginal Identity through Australian Rules Football:
A Legacy of the 'Stolen Generation'." HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME 14 (1999): 159-
164.

Gorman, Sean. Legends: The AFL Indigenous Team of the Century. Aboriginal

Hallinan, Chris, and Barry Judd. "Race relations, Indigenous Australia and the
1220-1235.

Headon, David. The Best Ever Australian Sports Writing: A 200 Year Collection.
Black Inc., 2001. Pg 308

Hess, Rob, and Bob Stewart. More than a game: an unauthorised history of

Kwek, Glenda. AFL leaves other codes in the dust, The Sydney Morning Herald,
March 26, 2013. Cited at http://www.smh.com.au/data-point/afl-leaves-other-
codes-in-the-dust-20130326-2grkp.html on November 12, 2014.

Landsberger, Sam. Cited on the November 12, 2014 at
12
fndv8ujy-1226650256245

Morely, Gary. "Adam Goodes: Aboriginal AFL star calls out racists." CNN Wire 3
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA381270740&v=2.1&u=flinders&it=r
&p=EAIM&sw=w&asid=a46746eca91506e433e0ecf8bed253e9
Sydney Swans Official Website. Cited on the November 12, 2014.

Warren, Ian, and S. Tsousis. "Racism and law in Australian rules football: a critical
analysis." Sporting Traditions 14 (1997): 27-54.

13

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