Former NRL and Wallabies legend Wendell Sailor has put forward a strong message surround recent racism issues in Australian sport.
Stemming from an incident in the AFL a few weeks ago which has now seen Adelaide Crow Taylor Walker finished $20,000 and suspended for six weeks, Sailor gave an emotional plea on Triple M Radio for fans and players alike to be better when it comes to racism.
“It’s bulls**t that we talk about Indigenous round and we celebrate the Polynesian community and then we still put up with this,” Sailor said.
“Young Naden, he got racially vilified last year, and then the bloke said sorry and Naden forgave him, which is good for the soul, but for those guys, go to the football and enjoy it, respect what you’re seeing. It’s not just Indigenous athletes obviously, just go there and enjoy the footy. There’s too much hatred in the world.
“We’ve gone through so much at the moment and to be honest I’m in a pretty good place, but this just gets me so angry because we’re having this conversation time after time.”
Sailor also told Triple M that he was "shattered" watching AFL star Eddie Betts' emotional message last week following the Walker incident.
It is unfortunate that Wendell chose last weekend – Women in League Round – to rail against racism. It would perhaps have been more appropriate for him to complain about attitudes to women, (or perhaps to public drunkenness, road rage, nightclub altercations and spitting in a woman’s face). However, drawing attention to such behaviour may not have been well received by other members of his family.
Dell, you are an entertaining league expert, but please don’t moralise unless you are prepared to have others draw attention to your own past behaviour.