Quite a depressing read but worth it none the less.
20 Likes
Pretty brutal, isnāt it. What a life.
1 Like
Iām upset at myself for contributing to it in a way. I never saw him play live, never abused him over the fence but I canāt tell you how many times Iāve watched the footage of him backhanding that Fark FC bloke or the countless other times he went off. That and I saw the Footy Show pantomime performance that he did in 1997, not realising that he did it because he needed the money. Not once did I ever consider what he went through.
10 Likes
The article has been posted in another thread. Mods might want to merge.
I watched many of Muirs games both in VFL and Ballarat region. He had elite talent and could do magical things with the ball. I cannot comment on the racial abuse as I never saw it, but find it believable,
However I could not like him as a player as he was prone to violence. I had a good indiginous mate who played with and against Muir. He told me once that you were always on the watch for a Muir fist, boot or elbow out of the corner of your eye. He got suspended so often because he was a thug.
1 Like
He was in good company then at the Saints, in an era rife with thuggery.
3 Likes
The AFL and St Kilda have apologised to former player Robert Muir in the wake of āconfrontingā details about the racism he endured throughout his career being revealed.
The league released a statement this afternoon, acknowledging Muir was subjected to racism and saying it was committed to supporting the former St Kilda player.
āThe AFL join with St Kilda Football Club in apologising for the disgraceful racism and disrespect Robert Muir endured during his playing years in our game and thank him for his courage in speaking out today,ā the statement read.
"Unfortunately there are too many stories like this in our code and countryās history.
"We would like Robert to know we acknowledge his story, and, along with the St Kilda Football Club, will be making contact to understand further how we can respond, in accordance with Robertās wishes.
āWe will be there to assist with a process of recovery and reconciliation and we also understand that there will be similar stories from our gameās past that we need to address.ā
Saints chief executive Matt Finnis said he and the club admired āRobertās courage to speak out about the racism he has endured and lack of support provided by our club when he needed it mostā.
āWe apologise unreservedly to Robert and his family and are humbled that he continues to love our club,ā the statement read
"Today we celebrate the contribution Indigenous players have made to our game as part of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
"However, we must face the reality that the St Kilda Football Club has made grave errors in the past and may still be failing to grasp the full impact of the hurt felt by individuals, their families and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
"We are committed to reconciliation and justice, and must ensure that this commitment is not just about celebration of culture, and initiatives to support past and current players and junior footballers.
"We must also acknowledge our mistakes, and take action to repair harm and ensure mistakes are never repeated.
"We will reach out to Robert to apologise personally, to provide the necessary support now and in the future, and to ensure he feels the respect and sense of belonging he deserves as one of the St Kilda Football Clubās pioneering Indigenous footballers.
āWe have much to learn from Robertās story and are committed to rebuilding his relationship with St Kilda and our game at his pace.ā
14 Likes
The footy show thing didnāt actually happen on live TV. They did the skit for their 100th episode celebration that went to DVD.
3 Likes
All this was before my time, sounds horrific.
They filmed it in front of a live audience and the showed the clips live as part of the 100th episode celebration. Sam wearing a wig gave it away as fake.
1 Like
Read it earlier today. Good article.
Thereās such a huge ugly side of footy that doesnāt get much oxygen.
4 Likes
Brutal read.
This is all before my time, feel horrible for him and what he went through and is still going through
Thereās a GoFundMe that has already raised $51k today to help with his surgery and general living expenses. If anyone wants to chip in
6 Likes
Matt Finnis has a reputation for supporting The welfare of players, doesnāt he.
10 Likes
It is a step in the right direction, but talk is cheap at this stage. It will become meaningful, when genuine steps are taken and there is a follow up article.
For me the lowest point in this whole sorry story is a āstarā teammate ā ā ā ā ā ā ā on him in the shower. That is disgusting and as ugly a form of disrespect as l can imagine, considering they are both supposed to be on the same side.
1 Like
The dodgey umpires and tribunal collusion when he was a junior got me.
2 and a half year suspension.
That is craziness
6 Likes
Spot on.
The AFL needs to put a program into place that provides ongoing support for players who have had to deal with Racismā¦ to the point of trauma. Regardless of the level they performed at, the league has a responsibility of supporting all aboriginal people who Had to deal with that sort of garbage that was seen at venues like Victoria parkā¦ and Iām sure at all the other suburban venues.
1 Like
Harrowing.
Has the Footy Show/Channel 9 apologised? That version sounds pretty awful- I can well remember the incident but never got the impression it was faked.
I saw it broadcast on tv, not on DVD.
2 Likes