An AFL Players’ Association survey of AFL players has reported “concerning” incidences of racial vilification from people within the football industry among players’ experiences of racism.
Only 17 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or people of colour surveyed said they felt that racism experienced while listed as AFL players was dealt with to their satisfaction, according to a report released by the AFLPA on Thursday.
Racism is still widely reported in the AFL among players.Credit:Getty Images
A third of players who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or as a person of colour also reported having experienced racism while listed as an AFL player, with 15 players, out of a total of 92 players who identified as Indigenous or as a person of colour, saying instances occurred within the past 12 months.
Players reported the most common instances of racism as occurring on social media, however, the AFLPA said there were also “concerning” incidences of vilification from people within the industry.
A majority of players surveyed for the report said they would welcome more educational tools, including support, tools and/or education to equip them in confidently responding to racist incidents when they occur. This was despite high levels of confidence on how to recognise and respond to racism reported.
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