World Footy News

The following story by Hamish McLachlan, printed in the NT News this week, highlights the incredibly difficult journey of indigenous footballers, as recently as just 25 years ago.

In fact, in my own position coaching here in Cairns, North Queensland, I can say with certainty that the racism highlighted by former St Kilda star and media personality Gilbert McAdam, still exists amongst sections of communities. This story is important reading for the focus it brings to a topic that is too often treated with lip service, and at worst, ignored.

I was listening to David Letterman and Barack Obama talking about racism recently. Letterman said, “We can define racism. But we can’t explain it”.

The former US President responded with something like, “People come up with all sorts of reasons to try and put themselves over others, but biologically, there is no reality to racism — we made it up — but over time it manifests itself in very concrete ways and becomes a social reality, with very real impacts”.

It simplified a terrible part of humanity.

So many have endured atrocities committed towards them, simply because of the colour of their skin or their place of birth. Gilbert McAdam is one.

You may know him from his deeds on the football field. He was a hell of a footballer — but that’s just a small part of his story.

To read the rest of this story, please go to the following link at the NT News: https://www.ntnews.com.au/sport/afl/gilbert-mcadam-when-we-played-it-was-basically-antiindigenous-round-every-week/news-story/

(Picture Credit: Herald Sun & NT News)