Discussion 2021 General AFL Discussion

[austinnn]

You know, I HATE cancel culture with a passion, but i'm not sure Tex's head on a spike over this is such a bad idea in the hope for something to actually change.

How much "education" do people really need.

Agreed. It's pretty rough for a career to end for a couple of words but what will it take for the penny to drop. As Eddie said, there's no part of society that is so well represented by indigenous people and has had so much work put into it to re-educate the racism out of it. Taylor is a club captain at a club with an above industry average of indigenous men both past and present, but still in an unguarded moment he goes for the words so many Australians have used. What will it take? Maybe the sacrifice of Taylor Walker's career might stop everyone being so damn casual about casual racism.

 

[austinnn]

Good on him for doing it though. I didn't see his interview but having people explain how it feels does more to change minds than telling people that they are doing the wrong thing. Most people aren't campaigners they just don't realise what they are doing has consequences for others.

True. A lot of people think it's the same as being called a Ranga or a Paddy. Not white supremacist, just a bit blind to the context and the effects.

 

[austinnn]

There are obviously real arseholes in the world but I agree that a lot of it comes from ignorance. I’d say one of the best ways to prevent racism is to know a diverse group of friends. If you know someone personally who’s been racially abused or you see them every week and get to know them and their culture you’re much less likely to take it lightly or belittle it. For alot of people they only come in contact with their small group of people and can’t put a human face to the people they’re abusing

Which is what is so baffling about Walker's case.

 

[Sully111]

Agreed. It's pretty rough for a career to end for a couple of words but what will it take for the penny to drop. As Eddie said, there's no part of society that is so well represented by indigenous people and has had so much work put into it to re-educate the racism out of it. Taylor is a club captain at a club with an above industry average of indigenous men both past and present, but still in an unguarded moment he goes for the words so many Australians have used. What will it take? Maybe the sacrifice of Taylor Walker's career might stop everyone being so damn casual about casual racism.

Yep

At some point there needs to be a line in the sand.

I honestly don't know what the right thing to do is, but seeing Eddie speak last night, if Tex didn't play footy again i think i'm ok with that. I know many will disagree with that but as you said, what's it going to take.

 

[gringo2011]

Yep

At some point there needs to be a line in the sand.

I honestly don't know what the right thing to do is, but seeing Eddie speak last night, if Tex didn't play footy again i think i'm ok with that. I know many will disagree with that but as you said, what's it going to take.

The only danger of that is you get people who see him as a martyr. They complain about political correction gone mad. I'm probably more on the redemption path. He's going to have to re-earn some respect from his team mates and mend relationships. Having to front back up is more punishment than being able to slink away.

 

[Sully111]

The only danger of that is you get people who see him as a martyr. They complain about political correction gone mad. I'm probably more on the redemption path. He's going to have to re-earn some respect from his team mates and mend relationships. Having to front back up is more punishment than being able to slink away.

The focus isn't Tex for me. He's a peripheral.

The focus is the indigenous players who keep copping this rubbish.

I hope tex is ok.

But there needs to be a line in the sand.

I'm saying maybe him not playing footy again sends a stronger message.

As i said mate, i loathe cancel culture. But this whole "need to be educated" spin is tiresome.

If changes are to happen maybe there needs to a tougher line taken.

 

[CursingFijian]

There are obviously real arseholes in the world but I agree that a lot of it comes from ignorance. I’d say one of the best ways to prevent racism is to know a diverse group of friends. If you know someone personally who’s been racially abused or you see them every week and get to know them and their culture you’re much less likely to take it lightly or belittle it. For alot of people they only come in contact with their small group of people and can’t put a human face to the people they’re abusing

Can I take this one step further and say that it is also very important to be able to see the beauty in indigenous culture.

This is what really strikes me about so many Australian family, friends and acquaintances of mine. So many see beauty in my Fijian culture and community, or go to Bali and see beauty in Indonesian culture and community but feel a strong and overarching negative emotion toward aboriginal culture and community.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Good on him for doing it though. I didn't see his interview but having people explain how it feels does more to change minds than telling people that they are doing the wrong thing. Most people aren't campaigners they just don't realise what they are doing has consequences for others.

Thats no excuse, surely. Not anymore.

We’ve been told this again and again and again. Even people who are not in a minority group that has been a victim of vilification surely MUST now have an idea - even just of right vs wrong, whether they understand the hurt or not.

I still remember a really horrible comment made to me (based on religion) when I was in primary school - and I’m not going to say how long ago that was! That kind of thing just stays with you.

Unfortunately, I just think some people are inherently racist, and that’s not going to change. Just in a footy area alone, look how much it’s happened this year already.

It’s really sad.

 

[Sully111]

Thats no excuse, surely. Not anymore.

We’ve been told this again and again and again. Even people who are not in a minority group that has been a victim of vilification surely MUST now have an idea - even just of right vs wrong, whether they understand the hurt or not.

I still remember a really horrible comment made to me (based on religion) when I was in primary school - and I’m not going to say how long ago that was! That kind of thing just stays with you.

Unfortunately, I just think some people are inherently racist, and that’s not going to change. Just in a footy area alone, look how much it’s happened this year already.

It’s really sad.

I have a friend who came to Australia from Hong Kong when she was 4. When she was about 17 she was walking with her mum in St Kilda and a guy came right up to her, said some racist comment then spat right in her face, before taking off.

That incident is still tough for her to deal with. Impacted her life greatly.

 

[gringo2011]

Thats no excuse, surely. Not anymore.

We’ve been told this again and again and again. Even people who are not in a minority group that has been a victim of vilification surely MUST now have an idea - even just of right vs wrong, whether they understand the hurt or not.

I still remember a really horrible comment made to me (based on religion) when I was in primary school - and I’m not going to say how long ago that was! That kind of thing just stays with you.

Unfortunately, I just think some people are inherently racist, and that’s not going to change. Just in a footy area alone, look how much it’s happened this year already.

It’s really sad.

I just know from when my daughter got bullied at school they tried to punish a group of girls who just justify it as banter or a bit of fun. They never asked her to explain why she was hurt by it and it got worse. People don't naturally take others perspective. If they did it would be very rare.

 

[gringo2011]

I have a friend who came to Australia from Hong Kong when she was 4. When she was about 17 she was walking with her mum in St Kilda and a guy came right up to her, said some racist comment then spat right in her face, before taking off.

That incident is still tough for her to deal with. Impacted her life greatly.

We have a friend who has Japanese parents, she was at uni in the early 1990s and they had an anti asian immigration rally organised by the young liberals. People left the rally and came up and abused her while she was eating lunch, she thought they were going to beat her up. They spat on har and overturned her lunch box telling her to go home and stuff. She'd grown up in bayside Melbourne with ignorant comments but never felt unsafe. Around that time there was a really strong anti asian thing happening and she ended up having to go to a psych from it. You kind of know it goes on but until you know how it affects people it's hard to relate it to your own experience.

 

[Grav]

Not sure what is taught in history nowadays, but in mine it was a lot to do about the Brits etc.colonising Australia & so on. Maybe there should be more education on Indigenous Australians, where we learn more about their culture etc. I had some great mates growing up in SA as a kid & learnt different things from them, didn’t see any racism, was it about? Probably ☹

 

[sunny3193]

On a superficial level but also quite pointed, during NAIDOC week Channel 10 changed the city names on their weather reports to the equivalent Indigenous name. Brisbane was Meanjin, Sydney was Warrang, Melbourne was Naarn.
I actually liked that, seemed more exotic, more appropriate.
Changed my perspective on how I view something so mundane as a weather report, but through biased eyes.
On reflection, I wouldn’t mind changing all those names permanently.

 

[sammm]

You know, I HATE cancel culture with a passion, but i'm not sure Tex's head on a spike over this is such a bad idea in the hope for something to actually change.

How much "education" do people really need.

everybody should just know better. i just don't get it.

 

[sammm]

Tom Lynch gone from Adelaide

Thank you, Tom Lynch

The experienced forward will not be offered a contract for next season

www.afc.com.au

 

[prophetic1]

On a superficial level but also quite pointed, during NAIDOC week Channel 10 changed the city names on their weather reports to the equivalent Indigenous name. Brisbane was Meanjin, Sydney was Warrang, Melbourne was Naarn.
I actually liked that, seemed more exotic, more appropriate.
Changed my perspective on how I view something so mundane as a weather report, but through biased eyes.
On reflection, I wouldn’t mind changing all those names permanently.

Yeah they sound great!....Wouldn't mind saying, "Yeah mate drivin down to Naarn to watch the Footy" Sounds authentic and has much more Cultural resonance IMO

 

[sunny3193]

Yeah they sound great!....Wouldn't mind saying, "Yeah mate drivin down to Naarn to watch the Footy" Sounds authentic and has much more Cultural resonance IMO

Or in the member’s at the G: “Carn Naarn!”

 

[austinnn]

The focus isn't Tex for me. He's a peripheral.

The focus is the indigenous players who keep copping this rubbish.

I hope tex is ok.

But there needs to be a line in the sand.

I'm saying maybe him not playing footy again sends a stronger message.

As i said mate, i loathe cancel culture. But this whole "need to be educated" spin is tiresome.

If changes are to happen maybe there needs to a tougher line taken.

I know that Tex is going to "educate himself", whatever that means. He'll do what he can to find out why it's such a big deal.

The people I worry about are his partner, family & friends. Not obliged to educate themselves, out of the spotlight. Will they be sympathetic to the indigenous cause or will they bitterly remind people about the torpedoed career on the back of a private remark etc.

Hopefully they see the harm Taylor's comment has and see how Australia needs to take the next step. We can't keep waiting for everyone to magically stop being racist.

 

[StFly]

On a superficial level but also quite pointed, during NAIDOC week Channel 10 changed the city names on their weather reports to the equivalent Indigenous name. Brisbane was Meanjin, Sydney was Warrang, Melbourne was Naarn.
I actually liked that, seemed more exotic, more appropriate.
Changed my perspective on how I view something so mundane as a weather report, but through biased eyes.
On reflection, I wouldn’t mind changing all those names permanently.

Hard pass.
Then again, depending on who you ask, we have suburb of "resting place of black swan" or, in literal interpretation terms "crazy shit", as language is fun kiddies, and in nomadic indigenous circles, a word means different things!

I'm fine with English heritage on this one, sorry Woiworung people.

 

[SaintersUnite]

Has there ever been a worse player to hit 300 games than Marc Murphy?

Also I’m on the “ban Walker from playing again” side. I don’t understand how they can justify a 6 week ban for a player who has captained a club and is a role model for young people in Australia, yet a fan does the same and gets banned for life. Money talks I guess.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[sunny3193]

Hard pass.
Then again, depending on who you ask, we have suburb of "resting place of black swan" or, in literal interpretation terms "crazy sh*t", as language is fun kiddies, and in nomadic indigenous circles, a word means different things!

I'm fine with English heritage on this one, sorry Woiworung people.

The chance of it ever happening is as close to nil as possible.
Still, I like the idea.

 

[Ducky Tie]

Has there ever been a worse player to hit 300 games than Marc Murphy?

On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Pretty deserving I reckon. All Australian player. Won the AFLCA award in 2011. 2 x B&Fs. Captained his club. He's fallen off a cliff the last couple of years but I think his reputation probably suffers due to playing for a poor club for most of his career.

 

[Bill Mohr]

Has there ever been a worse player to hit 300 games than Marc Murphy?

Also I’m on the “ban Walker from playing again” side. I don’t understand how they can justify a 6 week ban for a player who has captained a club and is a role model for young people in Australia, yet a fan does the same and gets banned for life. Money talks I guess.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

I wouldnt agree with a life time ban at all. What if he was 21 then his whole working life is affected by something he said especially if he was on say $500k a year so potentially a $5 million fine if he was to play at a high level for 10 years. Maybe ask Robbie Young what type of "punishment" Tex should receive seeing that he has committed no crime in a legal sense. Who is the proven woman basher x 2 who now has a prime job on Fox sports calling AFL? I can name a few others and not just in sports who did far worse than Tex walker and received basically nil penalty.

 

[Bill Mohr]

Pretty deserving I reckon. All Australian player. Won the AFLCA award in 2011. 2 x B&Fs. Captained his club. He's fallen off a cliff the last couple of years but I think his reputation probably suffers due to playing for a poor club for most of his career.

I think it is a pretty good effort, I wasnt a great fan but 300 anywhere at any level is a great effort. I am sure the Carlton club would be happy with his efforts.

 

[SaintersUnite]

I wouldnt agree with a life time ban at all. What if he was 21 then his whole working life is affected by something he said especially if he was on say $500k a year so potentially a $5 million fine if he was to play at a high level for 10 years. Maybe ask Robbie Young what type of "punishment" Tex should receive seeing that he has committed no crime in a legal sense. Who is the proven woman basher x 2 who now has a prime job on Fox sports calling AFL? I can name a few others and not just in sports who did far worse than Tex walker and received basically nil penalty.

He’s not 21 though is he, he’s got 1 year left at best anyway. It’s the perfect chance to set an example for the rest of the AFL community.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app