Opinion Commentary & Media VI

[Billy Not Really]

I'm of the opinion no flags should be there except the team flags. You can't have this whole thing about the sport being an equitable place for unity and a place to get away from the idea of politics, nationalism and socio-political issues, and yet be fine with some flags and others you don't. Like its either all or nothing.

Personally, I watch sports to get away from all of this shit, and the only team I support is whose out on the field, I don't come to the footy to rally behind the Australian flag, the Irish Flag, the Pride Flag, the Aboriginal Flag. There are plenty of spaces that are constantly celebrating those flags, I don't see why every single space has to be dominated by varying forms of identitarianism when the sport is a place where we can all just rally behind one flag; the team's flag and all the notions and ideas of these concepts of borders, races and creeds can **** off for like 2 hours while we enjoy a game of footy.

Because the alternative is you have to allow all flags, and you can't be selective about it because to decide what is permissible is a political decision if you feel it offends others, so it's far easier just to say have none than all because someone's gonna get their knickers in a twist over it.

I would go as far as to say all themed rounds can **** off too honestly, the only ones we should keep are Sir Doug Nicholls Round & Anzac Round. There are too many. But that's just my two cents.

 

[r_boy]

Do you honestly believe anyone would do anything than gush over a Palestinian flag being waved at the afl debut of a Palestinian player?

Err, what? My point was that it's not our fight, it really isn't. I really don't care about perceived double standards even if they exist.

 

[Devington]

Days like today I wish we were able to use the emoticon as a reaction.

 

[Handsome.B.Wonderful]

I think the discussion on this issue needs to stop.

Regardless of where you stand on the Israel and Palestine conflict, I think anyone can agree that this is more politically complex than just bringing a flag to the game in support of a Jewish player.

To have it constantly displayed in our cheersquad during games is likely to raise issues for multiple people in the crowd if it continues, which the AFL is right to avoid.

That being said, if you're opposed to Aboriginal, Pride or Trans flags being displayed, your issues are nowhere near as complex, you're just a bigot.

 

[Liam Boy]

I think the discussion on this issue needs to stop.

Regardless of where you stand on the Israel and Palestine conflict, I think anyone can agree that this is more politically complex than just bringing a flag to the game in support of a Jewish player.

To have it constantly displayed in our cheersquad during games is likely to raise issues for multiple people in the crowd if it continues, which the AFL is right to avoid.

That being said, if you're opposed to Aboriginal, Pride or Trans flags being displayed, your issues are nowhere near as complex, you're just a bigot.

Yeah, I don't doubt that the flag wavers were just doing it to support Sheezel and didn't think much more of it, but when you wave the flag of any country there's going to be more implications than that.

 

[the big lebowski]

except i never said anything about the American flag, and in fact, I agree with you that there's an inherent contradiction when it comes to state-based political symbols. I'm glad that we're agreed that nothing I said was anti-semitic (it wasn't)

however, i find your comparison to the Pride flag (& the indigenous flag, for that matter) completely inappropriate and that's what I initially took issue with. they're not at all the same thing

So you don’t think Palestinian people should be able to celebrate the debut of the first Palestinian afl player by waving a few Palestinian flags in the crowd of an afl game?

 

[Ligma]

Days like today I wish we were able to use the emoticon as a reaction.

Or this one

 

[Liam Boy]

Or this one

this one for mine: this is your brain on right wing propaganda

 

[ferball]

Judaism =/= Israel. The Israeli flag is a signal of oppression and apartheid to a lot of people

I don't think much of Israel for that reason but at the same time it means alot to a lot of Jewish people ... and so does Sheezel.

So maybe just let it slide this time. The AFL will be vigilant and it won't happen regularly, in fact it probably won't happen again.

 

[ferball]

It’s going to be tough to police everyone taking down indigenous flags at indigenous round due to their “political” meaning for “some” people.

So let me get this straight, any national flag is banned at the footy? Australian flag can’t be flown? Lebanese flag can’t be flown? South Sudan flag can’t be flown?

Flying the Israeli flag has a very specific political meaning tho, because of the conflict there.

What would be great would be drafting a kid of Palestinian descent next year and having them play in a Premiership together.

 

[ferball]

Do they have a problem when pies supporters wave an American flag around in support of mason cox?

Harry Sheezel isn't an Israeli kid, he's from Australia.

 

[ferball]

Also ... its a blue and white flag and Sheez's playing for us. That was probably the only intent behind it. Lets not pretend its that clown from Rebel news behind this.

 

[Sillygit]

Nuke it, do it now

 

[ferball]

The AFL’s policy is clear on religious, cultural and political statements with flags at games

Given the issues Jacinta Price is currently stoking up in protests, the woke brigade really have backed themselves into a corner here.

If the Israeli flag is clearly banned, Aboriginal and TSI flags should also be confiscated if displayed at grounds given the current political climate.

You should explain that to Jy Simpkin. Also ... invite us to watch.

 

[The acurate one]

Right not farken sure what's happened but I gots me a sense folk are up in arms. And who doesn't like a good old " up in arms "session on the BF!

Who's side am I on, half Egyptian/German here?

 

[The acurate one]

Flying the Israeli flag has a very specific political meaning tho, because of the conflict there.

What would be great would be drafting a kid of Palestinian descent next year and having them play in a Premiership together.

Imagine the crowd FMD!

 

[Liam Boy]

Right not farken sure what's happened but I gots me a sense folk are up in arms. And who doesn't like a good old " up in arms "session on the BF!

Who's side am I on, half Egyptian/German here?

Israeli occupation of the Sinai Peninsula - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[ferball]

So you don’t think Palestinian people should be able to celebrate the debut of the first Palestinian afl player by waving a few Palestinian flags in the crowd of an afl game?

What teams have those colours?

 

[ferball]

Right not farken sure what's happened but I gots me a sense folk are up in arms. And who doesn't like a good old " up in arms "session on the BF!

Who's side am I on, half Egyptian/German here?

Hassan Al-Banna courted the support of nazi germany as he built the Musilm brotherhood in the 1930s.

So I guess we all know what side you're on.

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

When I saw the flag on the screen on Saturday I just thought to myself how cool is that Harry’s ancestors flag colours are the same as ours. At no stage did I think of the political and social ramifications. But I think it’s best it’s not allowed anymore. Focus can be on Harry the footballer not his heritage.

 

[Tiberius]

Whilst not wishing to involve myself in any arguments, Judaism is a religion. Israel is a place. There are plenty of Jewish people who have nothing to do with Israel. Does Harry actually have any links to Israel? Or was the flag just being waved by someone who didn't know the difference?

 

[Greyhound35]

Listening to a radio grab of the actual flag waver, it appears he is a Carlton supporter. He is Jewish, and has been a long time follower of Harry’s career at the Sandy Dragons and wanted to continue to show support.

Having said all that, I would hope that this doesn’t escalate into a pandora’s floodgate of worms and that we can continue to enjoy Harry developing as a North Melbourne player irrespective of background

 

[Sphynx]

Whilst not wishing to involve myself in any arguments, Judaism is a religion. Israel is a place. There are plenty of Jewish people who have nothing to do with Israel. Does Harry actually have any links to Israel? Or was the flag just being waved by someone who didn't know the difference?

So if the holder of that flag cut off the top and bottom 200mm of the flag would it be acceptable at the footy?

Or is the star of david also banned?

 

[giantroo]

 

[leighlee13]

Young footy fan Josh angry, disappointed by AFL’s decision to ban Israeli flag​

A footy fan who flew the Israeli flag in support of young Jewish star Harry Sheezel has been left outraged after the AFL decided to ban the national flag.

Carly Douglas and Brooke Grebert-Craig

March 22, 2023 - 11:45AM

A young footy fan has been left outraged over the AFL’s decision to ban the Israeli flag after he flew it during a Round 1 game.
Proud member of the Jewish community Josh displayed the flag behind the goals at the North Melbourne and West Coast Eagles clash at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

The flag, which features the Star of David, was flown in support of Jewish young gun Harry Sheezel.

Josh, who was shocked by the AFL’s response, said he checked with the police before the game and was met with support in the stands.

“The cops said I could, so I took it along and I didn’t think anything different,” he told the Herald Sun.

“No one said anything at the game. All I got was compliments.”

Josh said the AFL’s decision was upsetting to him and would be to the rest of the Jewish community.

“I was very upset, very disappointed because I was not the only one with a flag,” he said.

Josh’s father Gary, who labelled the AFL “hypocritical”, said if the league bans the Israeli flag then all other national flags should be banned, as well as the pride flag.

“They’ve got the American flag in the Collingwood cheer squad for Mason Cox

46

Mason Cox

Age

33

Ht

211cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.7

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

3.5

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.2

4star

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.3

2star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.0

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.8

5star

and the Irish flag for Zach Tuohy

2

Zach Tuohy

Age

35

Ht

187cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.7

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

6.5

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.7

3star

D

18.9

4star

K

15.4

5star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.1

2star

CL

1.1

3star

D

11.4

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

,” he told the Herald Sun.

“The AFL themselves have the rainbow flag. So really they just pick and choose.”

“We know they are woke. They just go along with what the latest thing is.”

Gary said a lot of Jewish people, including himself, wear the Star of David.

“It’s just like Christians wear a cross,” he said.

“Is that now going to be an offensive symbol?”

Under the conditions of entry to an AFL venue, patrons must not “wear or otherwise display commercial, political, religious or offensive signage or logos of any kind”.

According to SEN, AFL security lead Alistair Meldrum sent an email to a supporter stating the flag should not have been allowed into the stadium.

“Once identified, it should then have been requested to be seized/confiscated or the patron in possession requested to leave if they refused to surrender the flag,” he said.

“This has been communicated to MSL Venue Management.”

Melbourne rabbi Rabbi Kaltmann, who is the AFL’s multicultural ambassador, said the decision had come as a “real shock” to Jewish football fans.

“The Israeli flag is a Star of David inlaid over a Jewish prayer shawl. To many in our community it represents Judaism and was waved in support of a Jewish player in the afl,” he said.

“This was not waved as a political statement, just as waving a Greek flag to celebrate a player of Greek heritage is not a political statement.”

Rabbi Kaltmann said the incident would only strengthen the community’s support for the young player.

“We are proud of Harry and will continue to show our pride in him,” he said.

Executive director of leading Jewish group Zionism Victoria, Zeddy Lawrence, said banning the Israeli flag “smacks of reprehensible double standards”.

“There are clearly examples where other nations’ flags have been flown either by fans or displayed by players’ themselves,” he said.

“I would be loathe to use the term antisemitism, and I’m sure it isn’t intentional, but to single out the flag of Israel while allowing the flags of other states will certainly cause considerable consternation among members of the Jewish community.”

AFL and North Melbourne were contacted for comment.