Western Bulldogs Statement

[bornadog]

https://resources.westernbulldogs.com.au/photo-resources/2023/03/26/5b9256b2-681a-49cf-b372-8751c8bb973d/Announcement-ClubStatement-1920x1080-ART.jpg?width=952&height=592

The Western Bulldogs strongly condemns the harmful and abhorrent racist remarks aimed at Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, during and following last night?s match against St Kilda.

Racism of any kind does not belong in our game, nor in our society. We cannot tolerate it.

Comments like these are extremely upsetting and cause significant hurt and harm for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They are said to intentionally harm, and we continue to be confronted by them as a community.

We're saddened by the constant need to reinforce the negative impact this has on the individuals concerned, and all First Nations people.

We will continue to make a stand and call out this behaviour, and use our voice to further educate our fans and the wider community.

The Club is supporting Jamarra, his family, and others within the Club who have justifiably been impacted by this event.

The Club has contacted the AFL Integrity Department, and thanks the St Kilda Football Club for investigating the matter and working to identify the individuals concerned.

[GVGjr]

There are a lot in society who still have a bit of growing up to do.

[Grantysghost]

Ok this makes me very very angry.

[bornadog]

Low life piece of shits out there with this sort of gutter mentality. I hope they are tracked down and banned and publicly hung.

[EasternWest]

Troglodytes

[jeemak]

Low life piece of shits out there with this sort of gutter mentality. I hope they are tracked down and banned and publicly hung.

I dunno, maybe put 'em in the stocks for a few days.............but don't hang them in public.

What gutter trash these people must be though. Every club's got fowl supporters but there's something super fowl about a fowl Saints supporter and I'm really glad not to have gone to the game for that reason.

I hope everyone's doing their best to make JUH feel valued, and special to us.

[angelopetraglia]

Still can not believe this is possible in today's environment. Just sad.

[bulldogtragic]

I dunno, maybe put 'em in the stocks for a few days.............but don't hang them in public.

What gutter trash these people must be though. Every club's got fowl supporters but there's something super fowl about a fowl Saints supporter and I'm really glad not to have gone to the game for that reason.

I hope everyone's doing their best to make JUH feel valued, and special to us.

Perhaps put a media/video camera in their face and get them to try to explain the iconic Nicky Winmar photo…

[GVGjr]

Still can not believe this is possible in today's environment. Just sad.

In years gone by it was often about the level of of education people experienced that played a big part in the language they use.
That's not a genuine reason now because nearly everyone knows the boundaries.
I don't know if some do it to impress their friends but it's a genuine shame that it's happening.

[bornadog]

I dunno, maybe put 'em in the stocks for a few days.............but don't hang them in public.

What gutter trash these people must be though. Every club's got fowl supporters but there's something super fowl about a fowl Saints supporter and I'm really glad not to have gone to the game for that reason.

I hope everyone's doing their best to make JUH feel valued, and special to us.

After the game some real idiot supporters screaming and yelling as we walked towards Southern Cross

[jeemak]

In years gone by it was often about the level of of education people experienced that played a big part in the language they use.
That's not a genuine reason now because nearly everyone knows the boundaries.
I don't know if some do it to impress their friends but it's a genuine shame that it's happening.

I've got news for you mate, heaps of people still don't. Most of them just don't like getting yelled at so they keep their mouths shut.

They don't genuinely understand why it's wrong to be racist. Most of the time they don't even think they're racist!

[EasternWest]

They don't genuinely understand why it's wrong to be racist. Most of the time they don't even think they're racist!

I had a medium to well done discussion with the monster in law one day about why black face is bad. She was going on about virtue signalling and the usual tropes and my eyes glazed over and I just thought "you're right well to do elderly white woman who's never been oppressed or marginalised, you're right. They should just get over it. After all, if it doesn't offend you why should it offend them?"

I'm not sure if this was the same conversation where she said she admired Pauline Hanson.

[GVGjr]

I've got news for you mate, heaps of people still don't. Most of them just don't like getting yelled at so they keep their mouths shut.

They don't genuinely understand why it's wrong to be racist. Most of the time they don't even think they're racist!

I guess there is all different types but the vast majority to me seem to know the boundaries but just don't give a crap about them.
Some other people are young and immature and don't really understand the impacts of their comments but they've heard it from others so follow suit.

[Dry Rot]

Perhaps put a media/video camera in their face and get them to try to explain the iconic Nicky Winmar photo…

Always unacceptable but even more so from the club fans of Nicky Winmar's team.

The current Saints indigenous players must be impressed.

[azabob]

Unfortunately I'm not surprised by this.

All you need to do is look around our own country and the world with what is going on with other minority groups.

I'm honestly not sure how this all ends.

[Grantysghost]

Unfortunately I'm not surprised by this.

All you need to do is look around our own country and the world with what is going on with other minority groups.

I'm honestly not sure how this all ends.

He's a very proud man too this will hurt.

I really want to throttle these "people".

[Sedat]

Low life piece of shits out there with this sort of gutter mentality. I hope they are tracked down and banned and publicly hung.
Bit extreme, even for racist assholes. I assume you mean to make a public example of their actions and not actually hanging them! I'm no death penalty advocate, but if I was I'd start with murderers, rapists, pedos and other assorted filth first.

[bornadog]

Bit extreme, even for racist assholes. I assume you mean to make a public example of their actions and not actually hanging them! I'm no death penalty advocate, but if I was I'd start with murderers, rapists, pedos and other assorted filth first.

Of course, I am not that stupid

[SonofScray]

The standards are going backwards because there are so many gooses out there that want to rewrite the boundaries of acceptable behaviour as some sort of vanguard culture wars action against being woke.

Need a hiding.

[Sedat]

The standards are going backwards because there are so many gooses out there that want to rewrite the boundaries of acceptable behaviour as some sort of vanguard culture wars action against being woke.

Need a hiding.
Is one person out of 40,000 people shouting racist garbage an "endemic problem" and some sort of affirmation that our country is some sort of racist hell-hole? Will these incidents ever be stopped, and is highlighting and amplifying the words of one person out of 40,000 going to stop future appalling behaviour? Or will it simply embolden assholes to continue to be assholes so that they get their 15 minutes of notoriety? There are no more assholes today than there was in the past (honestly there are much less), they just have many more public outlets at their disposal through social media today to vent their garbage.

If I judged random groups of people for their historical racism towards me in my past, not to mention the hundreds of years of war and destruction inflicted on my family homeland and heritage simply because of who we are, there would be virtually nobody I would associate with today (except maybe the monks of Bhutan). But I don't judge people today for past actions of a random group of people - doing so is totally irrelevent, it is grossly unfair to individual people today who had nothing to do with past actions, it is toxic garbage, and it achieves absolutely nothing for personal happiness and harmony. I despise racism (and all the other 'isms') but I despise the media and wider society amplifying every single isolated case of racism in order to create victim and hero narratives and to give agency to the idea that one group of random ass people are inherently evil and another group are inherently pure and virtuous without exception. I judge individual people solely on their actions and behaviours and could give a shit about their immutable birth characteristics - the media and modern society play a different game because conflict sells and is fantastic for business.

I'm sorry that JUH was subjected to that rubbish, and it's great that the club has wrapped their arms around him (as did the Saints). It's complicated what to do as a response but I applaud everyone involved with their response in this instance. What I hate is the premise that we are inherently broken as a society because of one asshole out of 40,000 people at an event - and this premise is constantly and relentlessly perpetuated by media scum (especially, but most certainly not limited to, our public broadcaster) because it is undeniably good for their business model.

[D Mitchell]

Is one person out of 40,000 people shouting racist garbage an endemic problem and some sort of affirmation that our country is some sort of racist hell-hole? Will these incidents ever be stopped, and is highlighting and amplifying the words of one person out of 40,000 going to stop future appalling behaviour? Or will it simply embolden assholes to continue to be assholes so that they get their 15 minutes of notoriety? There are no more assholes today than there was in the past (honestly there are much less), they just have many more public outlets at their disposal through social media today to vent their garbage.

......

Spot on. Pre Winmar, racial abuse was common from crowds and nobody batted an eyelid. Now, i person shouting racial abuse gets front page, days of commentary on websites and potential public humiliation. Crowd racial abuse has disappeared.

[Grantysghost]

I think we are all sensible enough to understand it's never going to be eliminated.

Like covid 0 strategy it's utopian dream land.

Management is the key, there will always hurtful elements of humanity unfortunately it's a complex community in which we live.
We can't eradicate it, we can get better at managing it. (maybe).

Personally I'm very upset that Jamarra and his family has had to deal with this, they are lovely people it's really awful behaviour.
I also hate how the media outlets use it for click bait without any effort.
The Age pretty much ripped off Alice's post from Facebook - I hope they asked her if that was ok.

Let's hope the person is found and punished.

[bornadog]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FsQ0VUSakAYkd_w?format=jpg&name=large

[GVGjr]

One of the ladies at training called him over, held his hands and let him know everyone was behind him. He genuinely seemed to appreciate that.

[EasternWest]

One of the ladies at training called him over, held his hands and let him know everyone was behind him. He genuinely seemed to appreciate that.

That's out Murphy's Lore.

I've no idea if it was her, but I'm sure it's the kind of thing she'd do.

[Hotdog60]

It's a pity the crowd around him didn't pick him up and throw him over the fence.
See how they feel then.

[bornadog]

It's a pity the crowd around him didn't pick him up and throw him over the fence.
See how they feel then.

Should have dobbed him in and they would have found him straight away

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Empty feeling reading of what's happened.
Hopefully Marra's doing ok and this doesn't continue to eat away at him.
This sort of incident will probably only increase with the increased recognition and promotion of indigenous Australian's over the coming years.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Empty feeling reading of what's happened.
Hopefully Marra's doing ok and this doesn't continue to eat away at him.
This sort of incident will probably only increase with the increased recognition and promotion of indigenous Australian's over the coming years.
It places Footscray Football club now as a centre of the fight against ignorance and behaviour of stupid abuse.
Marra you have big shoulders and heart and our community behind you.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Bit extreme, even for racist assholes. I assume you mean to make a public example of their actions and not actually hanging them! I'm no death penalty advocate, but if I was I'd start with murderers, rapists, pedos and other assorted filth first.

Hahaha.
Well said Sedat.
May "woke" always be a great word.
It means awakened to our wrongs that need righting,
like public abuse of aboriginality.
Mine is Irish so don't knock us!

[D Mitchell]

Hahaha.
Well said Sedat.
....
Mine is Irish so don't knock us!

You'll be right, BIDS, I haven't heard even an Irish joke this Century. How could anyone dump on a western country and former British colony led by a gay of sub-continental ethnicity ?

[EasternWest]

You'll be right, BIDS, I haven't heard even an Irish joke this Century. How could anyone dump on a western country and former British colony led by a gay of sub-continental ethnicity ?

Wut.

[Stevo]

All members should commit that if they are at a game where they hear that rubbish we take it upon ourselves to report it and it doesn't matter who the idiot follows. In some cases it happens because no one wants to get involved.

[Grantysghost]

All members should commit that if they are at a game where they hear that rubbish we take it upon ourselves to report it and it doesn't matter who the idiot follows. In some cases it happens because no one wants to get involved.

It's easy to wander over to the ground staff and word them up.

[D Mitchell]

All members should commit that if they are at a game where they hear that rubbish we take it upon ourselves to report it and it doesn't matter who the idiot follows. In some cases it happens because no one wants to get involved.

I have a mate who is ordinarily a solid citizen, controlled, logical and restrained. At the footy, he sometimes cuts loose. There's a big bloke in the row in front of us. Big bloke has a wife, now 2 children. My unruly mate used to go beserk and shout out at the Umpires, I'll leave it to your imagination. One day a few seasons back, the big bloke turned 'round and told my unruly mate, quietly, that he was overstepping the mark and a bad influence on children. Since then, my mate has become ruly at the footy. My mate's learned that big, angry men (he's big too) at the footy must be restrained. He and the big bloke are now on good terms, no more shouting and bad language from my unruly mate and the big bloke and his family enjoy a day at the footy. If someone in your vicinity goes overboard with abuse, try the big bloke approach, it's far better for all around, the perp learns a lesson. You only need to make it a reportable issue if the softly softly approach doesn't work.

[bornadog]

It's easy to wander over to the ground staff and word them up.

There is also a number you can text

[Grantysghost]

I have a mate who is ordinarily a solid citizen, controlled, logical and restrained. At the footy, he sometimes cuts loose. There's a big bloke in the row in front of us. Big bloke has a wife, now 2 children. My unruly mate used to go beserk and shout out at the Umpires, I'll leave it to your imagination. One day a few seasons back, the big bloke turned 'round and told my unruly mate, quietly, that he was overstepping the mark and a bad influence on children. Since then, my mate has become ruly at the footy. My mate's learned that big, angry men (he's big too) at the footy must be restrained. He and the big bloke are now on good terms, no more shouting and bad language from my unruly mate and the big bloke and his family enjoy a day at the footy. If someone in your vicinity goes overboard with abuse, try the big bloke approach, it's far better for all around, the perp learns a lesson. You only need to make it a reportable issue if the softly softly approach doesn't work.

Ha he's now ruly. Like it.

With general bad behaviour yes.

Racism is crossing the line and should be reported.

[D Mitchell]

Ha he's now ruly. Like it.

With general bad behaviour yes.

Racism is crossing the line and should be reported.

Reporting is the last step, not the first. Adam Goodes, education is far better than punishment.

[josie]

Reporting is the last step, not the first. Adam Goodes, education is far better than punishment.

I’m not at footy to educate others, other than trying to be civil myself. If someone says racist or offensive remarks and you do not feel safe to say something direct to them I think telling officials direct or via phone is appropriate.

[macca]

I’m not at footy to educate others, other than trying to be civil myself. If someone says racist or offensive remarks and you do not feel safe to say something direct to them I think telling officials direct or via phone is appropriate.

Agree with you @josie
I have copped a lot of racism growing as an asian . Overt and Covert( which is the worst)

its good in today's age, if you call someone out as racist it actually is a bad thing .

People should use that card to shoutout to these perpetrators . Ask them to stop being a tool and show some respect.

No matter what you say to these racist idiots, they are idots of the worst kind. I won't get into the whole why racsim is bad and try to be airy fairy and educate. These people who mouth off rubbish remarks like this deserve to be banned from the footy for life.

People have no idea how deep it hurts your psyche , self confidence and self worth as a human being when told your skin colour, your eyes, your blood is inferior and its someone else's right to mouth off at it. And when they don't mouth off and selective discriminate you covertly.... its the worst.

[josie]

Agree with you @josie
I have copped a lot of racism growing as an asian . Overt and Covert( which is the worst)

its good in today's age, if you call someone out as racist it actually is a bad thing .

People should use that card to shoutout to these perpetrators . Ask them to stop being a tool and show some respect.

No matter what you say to these racist idiots, they are idots of the worst kind. I won't get into the whole why racsim is bad and try to be airy fairy and educate. These people who mouth off rubbish remarks like this deserve to be banned from the footy for life.

People have no idea how deep it hurts your psyche , self confidence and self worth as a human being when told your skin colour, your eyes, your blood is inferior and its someone else's right to mouth off at it. And when they don't mouth off and selective discriminate you covertly.... its the worst.

Oh Macca….Snap, me too. Copping it when your little really hurts, even with good family, friends and teachers to support you. Nowadays for me it’s rather infrequent as, at least in inner Melbourne, it has become so multicultural.

The crap First Nations folks still have to put up with though, including the covert “we’ve given remote communities so much money and look what do they do with it” etc., sometimes from reasonably well educated people is still galling and shows we’ve got a fair way to go.

[Grantysghost]

Sorry you guys have had to deal with that, totally unacceptable.

I grew up in the era where it would be called out, the perpetrators generally did remain quiet for the rest of that particular game however I very much doubt it prevented any recidivism.
Im pretty sure they aren’t thinking : hey that random stranger that I’ll never see again told me to stop so I will.

If you’re sinking to those lows these days, I believe the only way to really stop them is with a ban.

[G-Mo77]

I have a mate who is ordinarily a solid citizen, controlled, logical and restrained. At the footy, he sometimes cuts loose. There's a big bloke in the row in front of us. Big bloke has a wife, now 2 children. My unruly mate used to go beserk and shout out at the Umpires, I'll leave it to your imagination. One day a few seasons back, the big bloke turned 'round and told my unruly mate, quietly, that he was overstepping the mark and a bad influence on children. Since then, my mate has become ruly at the footy. My mate's learned that big, angry men (he's big too) at the footy must be restrained. He and the big bloke are now on good terms, no more shouting and bad language from my unruly mate and the big bloke and his family enjoy a day at the footy. If someone in your vicinity goes overboard with abuse, try the big bloke approach, it's far better for all around, the perp learns a lesson. You only need to make it a reportable issue if the softly softly approach doesn't work.

My first year as a reserve seat member I dropped the F bomb after some poor umpiring decisions. The old lady in front of me told me off for swearing. I apologised and haven't dropped it again.

I actually did the same to some Hawthorn idiot. He was swearing so much, loudly as well. A young family that sat in front of him moved so I told him to tone it down. I just asked him to cut back on the swearing because of the young people around, politely. He charged down to me and fronted up, big man to so I was a little worried but stood tall and looked him right in the eye. He was yelling at me "We're at the ****ing footy mate" over and over and I just kept repeating "There are kids around, stop swearing" Eventually he walked away. Half time came and he apologised so I thanked him but said he should find the family who moved and apologise to them. He was still a loud mouthed idiot for the rest of the game but didn't swear.