MikeXU1 wrote: I have been thinking about the message the AFL and Fox Footy have been sending this last AFL round - multicutural round. In my opinion I think they have it all wrong.
It was only a few rounds ago we were all taught by the AFL that racisim has no part in the game, yet I find myself, my race and my culture on the receiving end at the hands of the AFL and Pro AFL Channel - Fox Footy.
I am not Aboriginal, I am not Italian, I am not African, nor Greek... What I am is Australian of British decent (like many others). When my family came here does not matter, and nor should it, yet I (and many others) have been singled out as being different this week in the world of the AFL.
Am I looking at this the wrong way? Is multicultural round emphasising the contribution of people from other cultures a far? Quite simply No, I don't believe so.
Fox Footy made a point of 5 players from the past, four of which included Australian's with Italian heritage. Unacceptable!
Does Cricket Australia push the point that Sir Donald Bradman himself was of Italian heritage? No they don't, and nor would the average Australian know that Sir Donald's grandfather was the first Italian to come to Australia. Quite simply Sir Donald Bradman was the greatest Australian cricketer of all time, hands down and thats all we should care about.
Fox Footy also made it clear that Alistar Lynch was a "Pom". What makes him more multicutural than anyone else of British decent?
Why do the AFL make a TV advert advertising that singles out Majak Daw? Surely this is not right. The bloke is Australian, listen to him being interviewed.
Unfortunately to the average Australian male of British decent (Scots, Irish and English) being born here in Australia is a distinct disadvatage. A culture non existant, a no body with no cultural heritage, a lost race, and quite possibly sub-human peices of Sh!t it would seem...
Why is the AFL sending an Australian team made up of those with Aboriginal heritage to Ireland? Is this really sending a unifed Australia message? Again this should be totally unaccepted by any Australian with Aboriginal heritage and the wider Australian community. The AFL are getting away with it.
The way I see it is if we want to be Australian, then we have a fantastic tool in Footy. I don't think the AFL should be doing what they are currently doing and the policies are incorrect. In 20 years we will look back and say it was wrong. Hopefully...
To all footy players of Anglo-Celtic decent (yes this is the official term used by the ABS to categorise them), chins up even if there is no round for your recognition.
Mike.
The easiest part of your comments to respond to is with respect to the team going to Ireland. The reason is simple, a significant number of players who would be picked have chosen not to play in the past. Adding to that has been the spirit in which the series have been played in recent times where the professional Australian footy players have indulged in thuggery to win matches against a group of amateur footy players. The premise behind the proposed team is that they want to play and will play the games in the appropriate spirit.
With respect to the rest of your commentary it is a very complicated issue, but can be encapsulated in a few terms and scenarios. The first and obvious one is the concept of Terra Nullius and the fact it took to the 1967 referendum to recognise our indigenous people.
Also, what the multicultural round is attempting to do is to celebrate the relative success of Australia's diverse population.
Of course this is all about the VFL/AFL players' links to other countries rather than be inclusive of those players who played in the WAFL and SANFL.