The AFL has defended its record after former player Heritier Lumumba said the league was “incompetent” at dealing with racism in the game, with the chief executive, Gillon McLachlan, claiming it is “a leader in the country” on the issue.
McLachlan spoke out after Guardian Australia published an interview with the former Collingwood and Melbourne player in which he said the AFL had failed to effectively address what he perceived was institutional racism.
McLachlan – who is yet to speak with Lumumba following Sunday’s airing of a documentary in which the former player opened up about his experiences during his playing career – said the AFL has been “pretty strong” on the issue in the past.
“Our industry has been a leader in the country on racism,” McLachlan said in Sydney on Wednesday. “It doesn’t mean we get everything right. We’re a work in progress. We listen and learn.
“I’ve got [Torres Strait Islander and social activist] Tanya Hosch on my management team, who I take a lot of advice from. We’re all on a journey to do the best we can, but I think our history is pretty strong.”
Hosch, the AFL’s general manager of inclusion and social policy, briefly met Lumumba last week on the set of the Marngrook Footy Show, but Lumumba maintains he was “ambushed” at SBS’s studios in Melbourne and that the meeting lasted just two or three minutes.
There has been no further contact between Lumumba and AFL officials since. Lumumba told New Matilda on Thursday there was a follow-up email asking for a further meeting, but he declined to respond because he believed the AFL was trying to deflect attention from the issue of racism to his mental health.
McLachlan had said on Fox Footy on Monday: “With respect to Collingwood – I know Tania has met with Heritier – this issue is really about where he’s at, and his state of mind and his welfare. We’ll do what we can and what’s appropriate. We’re so much better but we’re not where we need to be.”
When McLachlan was asked on Wednesday if he himself would contact Lumumba, he replied: “Tanya has already met with Heritier.”
In the documentary Fair Game, aired by SBS on Sunday, Lumumba revealed he was nicknamed “Chimp” during his time with the Magpies, which he described as “a boys’ club for racist and sexist jokes”.
The coach, Nathan Buckley, also came in for criticism, with Lumumba accusing him of lacking “emotional intelligence”.
Lumumba told the Guardian the AFL – not just the clubs – had historically failed to competently deal with systemic racism.
“This issue should have been eradicated from the game, but even when we had the situation with [Sydney Swans player] Adam Goodes [who ended his career in 2015 after enduring serial racist booing] the AFL didn’t know how to address it effectively,” Lumumba said. “Their response to my concerns further speaks to a culture of incompetence.”
Several former Collingwood team-mates, including Leon Davis and Andrew Krakouer, have lent their support to Lumumba, while Buckley’s predecessor, Mick Malthouse, said he was “very proud of the way he’s conducted himself”.
