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AFL boss angered by racism claims

The head of the AFL says the league may take action against a football club recruiting a manager who allegedly said he would only draft Indigenous players with at least one white parent.

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1 min read

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Source: SBS


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AFL chief Andrew Demetriou has declined to identify the football club the recruiter works for.

The revelations of the recruiter's comments come after Melbourne Football Club player Liam Jurrah was charged over a machete attack in the Northern Territory.

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Mr Demetriou told radio station 3AW that the comments amount to racial vilification and

the recruiter should "start thinking about some other employment"

Mr Demetriou has contacted the recruiter's Chief Executive.

"I want to see how the club deals with it first. We always allow for our various codes and regulations for the club to deal with their players or employees first and foremost. And we reserve the right to deal with these guys in the event that the club doesn't deal with it properly."

The AFL's community engagement manager Jason Mifsud told Fairfax newspapers a recruiter from an unnamed club had said to him that 'unless they have a white parent we are not going to draft an Aboriginal player and our club would not be alone in that'.


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