The AFL’s headquarters in Melbourne has been evacuated after staff received an unspecified threat just a day after it replaced its logo with a prominent “yes” on AFL House to support marriage equality.
It is unclear if the two things are related.
Police confirmed that officers were at a premises in Melbourne Docklands conducting a “safety check”.
AFL spokesman Patrick Keane tweeted that AFL House – the sport’s headquarters – had been evacuated after a “hoax threat” was phoned into the building on Thursday morning.
“All staff were removed while police checks proceed,” he wrote.
AFL House had hoax threat phoned to building this morning.
— Patrick Keane (@AFL_PKeane) September 21, 2017
All staff were removed while police checks proceed.
Expected to return shortly.
The new “yes” logo was the subject of a backlash from talkback hosts in Melbourne and the Carlton football club released a statement saying it did “not intend to campaign on the issue”.
The logo was taken down at the end of the day on Wednesday but the AFL denied it was because of any threat of vandalism.
The AFL is committed to equality & diversity, & we support the rights of all Australians to live, work & play free from discrimination. pic.twitter.com/XUoAuEcwzJ
— AFL (@AFL) September 20, 2017
The AFL chief executive, Gillon McLachlan, said that it was important the organisation made a “strong statement” on the issue.
“This is an issue that means a lot to many of our players, many of my employees and a lot of people in the community,” he told Fox Footy on Tuesday night. “It’s incumbent on us to have a view. It’s also, it’s incumbent on us not to lecture people ... but say ‘this is who we are as a brand’.”
Numerous sporting organisations – including the ARU, the NRL, Cricket Australia and Football Federation Australia – have also declared their support for a yes vote in the Australian Bureau of Statistics postal survey.
