Racism - Vilification Class Action Against AFL/ VFL

[jeemak]

I wonder how far this will spread:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-...tion/103569932

Kevin Sheedy and Terry Daniher are among a number of AFL greats named in a landmark class action against the AFL for allegedly failing to protect players from racial abuse on the field.

The class action has been brought by North Melbourne great Phil Krakouer and six others who played football between 1975 and 2022, including his brother James Krakouer.

The statement lodged in the Supreme Court of Victoria alleged that from the time Krakouer signed with North Melbourne in the early 1980s, he was the victim of verbal and physical abuse in the majority of the 141 games he played, particularly away games.

[hujsh]

Link is sending me to an article about Mason Cox?

[jeemak]

Link is sending me to an article about Mason Cox?

Weird. Not sure what happened with the Fox link, have updated via another source.

[bornadog]

Could be a another massive payout coming up. Things were pretty bad in the 80s and prior. eased off a bit in the 90s.

[jeemak]

If society was a racist sewer and its sporting competitions reflected that in the 80s, how far can accountability be levelled at the competitions for the racist behaviours of participants?

We didn't have a racial discrimination act until 1975, for context.

[hujsh]

If society was a racist sewer and its sporting competitions reflected that in the 80s, how far can accountability be levelled at the competitions for the racist behaviours of participants?

I guess I'd just hope there's a consistent standard applied across the board. If the AFL can be sued then I'd want companies and other organisations from the same era to face the same consequences.

[SonofScray]

Glad to see that fraud Sheedy get called out.

[EasternWest]

Top bloke Kevin Sheedy would never.

[Happy Days]

Kevin Sheedy is actually the least racist. Can’t wait to see what marquee game he comes up with in response to this.

[mjp]

I only played at state level (and in the 90's not the 80's) but the level of racism was appalling.

I'm not sure where this goes but I am 100% sure the players have a case.

[angelopetraglia]

Where does it stop or start though? What about all the people racially abused just sitting in the stands in the 70s and 80s? Do they have a claim against the AFL too? Where does it stop?

It is a very slippery slope when you start judging history from todays moral standards.

[Mofra]

The Robbie Muir article from the last year or so would indicate it was very widespread. I'd be very surprised if just two teams were the subject to the final class action.

Tony Shaw at least had the balls to publicly admit to and apologize for his comments.

[bornadog]

Glad to see that fraud Sheedy get called out.

Apparently he admitted to one of the Krakauer brothers that as a tactic he got the players to racially vilify them in order to put them off their game. What a prick

[Bullies]

Where does it stop or start though? What about all the people racially abused just sitting in the stands in the 70s and 80s? Do they have a claim against the AFL too? Where does it stop?

It is a very slippery slope when you start judging history from todays moral standards.

Agree. Depending on the outcome this could open the floodgates for other organisations to be sued and the impact could be huge with a lot of clubs/sporting organisations/businesses bankrupted.

[angelopetraglia]

In a recent Rest is History podcast, they talked about the punishment Carthage handed out to mercenaries who had mutinied to send an example to others (after showing leniency was not having the desired outcome, they changed tactics). They cut their hands off, castrated them, had their legs broken, threw them into a pit and buried them alive. There is sending messages and there is sending messages. From that point on, any prisoners taken by Carthage were trampled to death by elephants. I was wincing when hearing this and thinking that these people were crazy and barbaric. Crazy people. Crazy times.

However, throughout the series, the hosts Dominic and Tom do a good job in reminding us, that you can't judge figures from history using today's standards. You need to judge them using the standards of their time and what they believed at the time. Otherwise, no one from history will stand up to any scrutiny.