Latest news with #IndigenousPlayers
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
AFL to investigate after TWO Indigenous stars were targeted by racist trolls
The AFL has been forced to confront an all-too-familiar problem after two of its brightest young Indigenous players were the targets of vile, racist abuse online. St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Port Adelaide 's Jase Burgoyne, two emerging stars of the game, both posted screenshots of the messages on Sunday night. The abuse was shocking in language and tone, and both clubs acted swiftly to bring the matter to the league's attention. 'Bro u f***ing n*****,' the message to Wanganeen-Milera read. 'Couldn't f***ing touch the ball once more. U f***ing me over.' Wanganeen-Milera, who had 24 disposals and was closely tagged during the game, responded calmly. The anonymous account sent this string of horrific messages to the in-demand St Kilda star 'Over a game of football. Hero mate,' he posted in response. St Kilda teammate Liam Stocker also chimed in: 'Get a grip. Put your name on it.' Fellow Indigenous Saint Bradley Hill shared his support too. 'Some people hey!!!! Love you @nasiah_wm7,' Hill posted. St Kilda and Port Adelaide referred the messages directly to AFL House following their matches that afternoon. Burgoyne was messaged by a profile only named 'Tim' that included a host of graphic sexual and racial abuse. 'Get a touch you weal a** c***,' it read. 'Welcome to country you f***ing loser.' Burgoyne shared the message with a clown emoji. Burgoyne shared the messages he received to social media, only replying with a clown emoji 'The AFL integrity unit is investigating vile racist texts sent to Indigenous stars Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Jase Burgoyne via Instagram direct message,' 7NEWS reporter Xander McGuire confirmed. The league is treating the matter seriously, but players and fans are again left wondering how much longer this behaviour will go on. AFL players have faced repeated racial abuse on social media in recent years. This season, Willie Rioli was previously targeted online after his suspension for threatening Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale. In 2023, Western Bulldogs star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was targeted with slurs online and at the ground, prompting the AFL to issue lifetime bans. That same year, Charlie Cameron, Michael Walters, Nathan Wilson, and Izak Rankine all reported receiving racist messages via Instagram. St Kilda's Bradley Hill also revealed his partner was sent vile abuse in 2021. West Coast's Liam Ryan was called a 'monkey' on social media in 2019, sparking public outrage. Joel Wilkinson was racially vilified both on the field and online during his time with the Suns. Adam Goodes endured years of racial taunts, including being called an 'ape' in 2013, leading to a prolonged booing saga that ended his career. In 2023, Eddie Betts reported racist abuse directed at his children outside their home, shared via social media video. The AFL has responded with lifetime stadium bans and formal investigations by its integrity unit. Wanganeen-Milera, 22, is not only a star on the rise but one of the league's most in-demand players. In the days before the incident, much of the media talk was about his future. Clubs are circling with offers north of $1million per year to lure him away from Moorabbin. Port Adelaide - where his uncle Gavin Wanganeen made his name - is considered a strong chance of bringing him back to South Australia. Adding fuel to the speculation is Wanganeen-Milera's close relationship with Port defender Burgoyne. The pair have been friends since they were kids, and Burgoyne recently signed a four-year extension with Port. 'We're extremely close,' Burgoyne said.
ABC News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Willie Rioli considered retiring after racist attacks and off-field controversies
Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli says he almost quit football and feels some blame for the drop of Indigenous players drafted to the AFL. Rioli has revealed he considered retiring in the midst of controversies in late April and early May. In a social media post in late April, the Power forward expressed a hatred for Hawthorn in the wake of racism allegations against the rival club. And in early May, Rioli was banned for one game for a social media threat to Bailey Dale after the Western Bulldog made what Port described as a culturally insensitive remark during a game. "Definitely it gets to a point where it's a bit too much sometimes," Rioli told Port's club podcast, Peeled. "And yeah I have spoken to my manager and the club a couple of times about walking away from the game, which I am not shy to talk about. "More so … trying to not be putting any more pressure on the club. Get them out of the spotlight as well, in terms of not have to deal with my issues so much as a person off-field." Rioli said he carried a weight of past indiscretions including his 18-month suspension from 2019 for trying to swap his marijuana-tainted urine sample with a clean sample in a drug test while at West Coast. Describing the suspension as a "dark time", Rioli feared he may be scaring recruiters from drafting Indigenous players. The number of Indigenous players has dropped to 62 this year, from a high of 87 in 2020. "I know it's mainly because of COVID," Rioli said of the declining Indigenous representation. The 104-gamer said he continued his career partly to rectify any such perception. "I felt that was my driver to come back to footy … be the light in terms of 'we can go through this'," he said. "I look at the drop in terms of Indigenous players in the competition … that gives me the motivation to stick around longer, to help the next generation do better than what we are doing or what I am doing. "It's more just trying to show the real person I am. "And be a leader and be a role model for the next generation to be like, 'Look, he can take this stuff' but he's still been strong enough to hang around. "I want the next [Indigenous] generation to be better than what we are right now. "And I want them to have their confidence to make mistakes and not be judged by their mistakes." AAP
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Manitoba takes home gold at U-18 Indigenous Cup
Manitoba plays against Alberta at the U-18 Indigenous Cup on July 6, 2025. (Daniel Timmerman/CTV News) Manitoba took home the gold at this year's Under-18 Indigenous Cup. Football Manitoba held the tournament from Thursday to Sunday at the St. Vital Mustangs field as tackle football players from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario competed. The event culminated with a gold medal match between Manitoba and Alberta on Sunday, with Team Manitoba coming out victorious on home soil. 'What a fantastic ending to the tournament,' said Bill Johnson, executive director of Football Manitoba. 'The fact that it came down to last-second plays and laterals and big comebacks and all these things going on. It was so much fun, and I think everyone really enjoyed it.' Manitoba's U-18 Indigenous Cup roster included 27 players from all across the province. This year's jersey's featured updated language to represent the communities, bands and tribes that make up the team. 'It's a unique experience for these kids in the sense that it's a high-level sport…but also there's a cultural component built into it and there's pride in the fact that we're not just football players, but we're Indigenous football players,' Johnson said. 'I think that's a really neat thing that we're able to offer that opportunity to these kids.' - With files from CTV's Harrison Shin and Daniel Timmerman.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Indigenous footy star Willie Rioli blames his scandals for driving First Nations players away from the AFL
Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli says he almost quit and feels some blame for the drop of Indigenous players drafted into the AFL. Rioli has revealed he considered retiring in the midst of controversies in late April and early May. The Power forward expressed a hatred for Hawthorn in the wake of the rival club's racism allegations in a social media post in late April. And in early May, Rioli was banned for one game for a social media threat to Bailey Dale after the Western Bulldog made what Port described as a culturally insensitive remark during a game. 'Definitely it gets to a point where it's a bit too much sometimes,' Rioli told Port's club podcast, Peeled. 'And yeah I have spoken to my manager and the club a couple of times about walking away from the game, which I am not shy to talk about. The Port Adelaide star (pictured) said he partly blames himself for the fact the AFL now has 62 Indigenous stars, down from a high of 87 in 2020 'More so ... trying to not be putting any more pressure on the club. Get them out of the spotlight as well, in terms of not have to deal with my issues so much as a person off-field.' Rioli said he carried a weight of past indiscretions including his 18-month suspension from 2019 for trying to swap his marijuana-tainted urine sample with a clean sample in a drug test when at West Coast. Describing the suspension as a 'dark time', Rioli feared he may be scaring recruiters from drafting Indigenous players. The number of Indigenous players has dropped to 62 this year, from a high of 87 in 2020. 'I know it's mainly because of COVID,' Rioli said of the declining Indigenous representation. 'I do hold a bit of blame myself a little bit for some of the stuff I have been through, in terms of clubs not trusting Indigenous players.' The 104-gamer said he continued his career partly to rectify any such perception. 'I felt that was my driver to come back to footy ... be the light in terms of "we can go through this",' he said. 'I look at the drop in terms of Indigenous players in the competition ... that gives me the motivation to stick around longer, to help the next generation do better than what we are doing or what I am doing. 'It's more just trying to show the real person I am. 'And be a leader and be a role model for the next generation to be like, 'Look, he can take this stuff' but he's still been strong enough to hang around. 'I want the next (Indigenous) generation to be better than what we are right now.
News.com.au
21-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL great Michael Long on the fall in number of Indigenous players
AFL great Michael Long says 'we all have a role' in improving the number of Indigenous players and hopes Sir Doug Nicholls Round inspires change across the competition. There are now only 62 Indigenous players in the competition, a 28 per cent drop across the past five years and a 19-year low. Long, who is setting up a foundation to encourage an influx of Indigenous players, says fixing participation extends beyond just the AFL. 'I suppose there's a lot of things the clubs can do, not just the AFL, and football is played at all different levels and countrywide and remote communities,' he said. 'I think we all have a role to play and I think we spoke to some of the clubs in Adelaide about how can we work closely with the clubs and resource the clubs. 'It's too important, obviously we've seen the dip, but we want to improve that and give every kid the opportunity – boys and girls. 'We are looking at setting up a Long foundation at Windy Hill, working with the club, not just pathway but pathway programs. 'It's something we want to see improvement on, not lowering.' Long was one of the most exciting Indigenous players in the competition over his 190-game career at the Bombers. Since his retirement, Long has supported Indigenous people in various ways including 'The Long Walk', which is now a Dreamtime tradition. Long said he anticipated the fall in Indigenous participation and was working with AFL clubs to regenerate it. 'I saw it coming a few years ago with what was happening, not just on the field, but off the field,' he said. 'I suppose that's why we announced a few weeks ago how can we support clubs, resource clubs, but also players and families. 'Nothing is perfect in this world, but we want to see it get better, we definitely do, and that's from past players. 'This week we embrace what clubs do and the good things that happen, that's important. 'Hopefully, from this week we can have those discussions from the AFL – you've got to lead from the top, it's important we provide that pathway.'
