#BlackLives Shattered
The conversation drifted as it often does in Melbourne to football, where the predominant code was not Rugby or Soccer but the sport unique to Australia, Aussie Rules, (administered by the Australian Football League—the AFL). The support for the game was enormous, especially in the southern and western states of Australia. The main stadium, where finals were normally played (Covid permitting), was ironically known as the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Given its reverential status, it was commonly just referred to as the G. With many games played at the G, often attracting crowds exceeding 90,000 attendees.
Alphy noted that most Aussie Saps were passionate about sport, football, and cricket in particular. He observed that for many it was their ‘religion’, with the attendances for weekly football games far exceeding attendances at church’s. Alphy also observed the following for each club was quite tribal in nature. The Collingwood ‘tribe’ seemed to be universally disliked by all the others. Johno, with a grin, told Alphy that he would have no problem recognising them, as many were toothless.
Back on AC sport was no longer played, as eons ago it was considered a primitive pursuit and not something appropriate for sophisticated societies, (a view shared by some Melbourne faux intellectuals). However, Alphy had been taken to AFL games by Janno and Johno, and had to grudgingly admit to enjoying the physical skill of the Saps, and the primal passion of the crowds. He was also pleasantly surprised to see the high level of female participation in the sport, both as players as well as supporters. Unexpectedly, he found the collective energy of the crowds stimulating, in contrast to the sophisticated but slightly staid AC, but of course, he would never admit this to the guardians back home, for fear of being labelled Sappy.
Johnno had pointed out to Alphy that Aussie Rules was uniquely Australian by virtue of having four goal posts. Scoring between the main posts was a goal and six points, but between the main and side post was a behind, ‘She’ll be right mate,’ explained Johnno, ‘have a point for nearly scoring a goal’. When Alphy had reported this back to AC, they found it highly amusing, and it elicited more derisive remarks about the Aussie Saps. (They also confirmed it was truly unique, as no other ball sport in the Cosmos was played with four goal posts!)
Alphy learnt from Johno, that the origins of the game whilst are uncertain, but some have claimed that indigenous football games, collectively known as Marngrook, may have influenced it’s development. This claim being largely based on circumstantial evidence that Tom Wills, one of the game's pioneers, gained exposure to Marngrook while growing up amongst Aboriginal people in the Victorian bush. However, the proposed Marngrook link, is still being hotly debated amongst historians.
'Isn’t it awful, the allegations that key figures at the Hawthorn football club, demanded the separation of young First Nations players from their partners, and pressured one couple to terminate a pregnancy for the sake of the player's career,’ said Janno commenting on a report in the newspaper.
'We’ve had years of the AFL sweeping racism allegations under the carpet. Eddie Betts and the publication of his book, is one of the many ongoing revelations, that is turning a consistent trickle of stories into a torrent that can no longer be downplayed by the AFL, in the naive hope that it just fades away, said Johno.
'It’s good that they have promoted the contribution of indigenous players in the game, for example putting on the Dreamtime round, but at some point there has to be truth telling about what the reality is, and has been, regarding racism.’
'Whilst there is acknowledgement that they are the world's oldest civilisation, with a culture exceeding 60,000 years old, in general they don’t seem to get a lot of respect,’ said Alphy provocatively. ‘I find it amusing that at most cultural events in Melbourne they start proceedings by saying “We acknowledge we are on the land of the Wurundjeri people” – I am always really surprised that an aboriginal representative in the audience doesn’t just shout back, “well if that’s the case can we have it back now?”’
'The elephant in the room, or more precisely the koori in the kitchen, is that despite the fact they have occupied this land for all that time and have managed not to fuck it up, in the way we, (and the rest of the world like-wise), have done in just under two hundred years and fifty years of settlement, it is not considered something to be revered. In fact, many non-indigenous Australians, covertly or overtly, believe that because aboriginal cultures do not share the same achievements of modern day dominant societies. For example, such as the development of science, and a culture based predominantly on writing systems not oral traditions, they are therefore considered inferior. And being predominantly coloured, makes them an easy target to identify, and discriminated against.’ said Johno. ‘So because sport is such an important facet of Australian life, it is now like a volcanic fissure, erupting lava to the surface and exposing the magnitude of what exists below – red-hot racism across all of Australian society.’
Alphy was often bemused and saddened how the Saps world-wide discriminated against people of colour. On AC, Centaurians could change their skin colour at will, and hence discrimination based on colour would be nonsensical. In fact, back on AC, black was currently very fashionable, in much the same way that the black clothing fashion seemed to be ubiquitous in Melbourne.
Paradoxically, since Alphy had earlier in the year reported back to AC on Trump and his supporters, detailing the Capitol ‘insurrection,’ Centaurians had come up with a new term of categorisation, WASP's – White Arrogant Sap Primitives.
'It makes you wonder, if back in the 18th Century, the aborigines should have originally adopted the same policy as espoused all these years by successive Australian Governments,’ said Alphy pausing for effect. ‘Stop the boats.’ Back on AC sport was no longer played, as eons ago it was considered a primitive pursuit and not something appropriate for sophisticated societies, (a view shared by some Melbourne faux intellectuals). However, Alphy had been taken to AFL games by Janno and Johno, and had to grudgingly admit to enjoying the physical skill of the Saps, and the primal passion of the crowds. He was also pleasantly surprised to see the high level of female participation in the sport, both as players as well as supporters. Unexpectedly, he found the collective energy of the crowds stimulating, in contrast to the sophisticated but slightly staid AC, but of course, he would never admit this to the guardians back home, for fear of being labelled Sappy.
Johnno had pointed out to Alphy that Aussie Rules was uniquely Australian by virtue of having four goal posts. Scoring between the main posts was a goal and six points, but between the main and side post was a behind, ‘She’ll be right mate,’ explained Johnno, ‘have a point for nearly scoring a goal’. When Alphy had reported this back to AC, they found it highly amusing, and it elicited more derisive remarks about the Aussie Saps. (They also confirmed it was truly unique, as no other ball sport in the Cosmos was played with four goal posts!)
Alphy learnt from Johno, that the origins of the game whilst are uncertain, but some have claimed that indigenous football games, collectively known as Marngrook, may have influenced it’s development. This claim being largely based on circumstantial evidence that Tom Wills, one of the game's pioneers, gained exposure to Marngrook while growing up amongst Aboriginal people in the Victorian bush. However, the proposed Marngrook link, is still being hotly debated amongst historians.
'Isn’t it awful, the allegations that key figures at the Hawthorn football club, demanded the separation of young First Nations players from their partners, and pressured one couple to terminate a pregnancy for the sake of the player's career,’ said Janno commenting on a report in the newspaper.
'We’ve had years of the AFL sweeping racism allegations under the carpet. Eddie Betts and the publication of his book, is one of the many ongoing revelations, that is turning a consistent trickle of stories into a torrent that can no longer be downplayed by the AFL, in the naive hope that it just fades away, said Johno.
'It’s good that they have promoted the contribution of indigenous players in the game, for example putting on the Dreamtime round, but at some point there has to be truth telling about what the reality is, and has been, regarding racism.’
'Whilst there is acknowledgement that they are the world's oldest civilisation, with a culture exceeding 60,000 years old, in general they don’t seem to get a lot of respect,’ said Alphy provocatively. ‘I find it amusing that at most cultural events in Melbourne they start proceedings by saying “We acknowledge we are on the land of the Wurundjeri people” – I am always really surprised that an aboriginal representative in the audience doesn’t just shout back, “well if that’s the case can we have it back now?”’
'The elephant in the room, or more precisely the koori in the kitchen, is that despite the fact they have occupied this land for all that time and have managed not to fuck it up, in the way we, (and the rest of the world like-wise), have done in just under two hundred years and fifty years of settlement, it is not considered something to be revered. In fact, many non-indigenous Australians, covertly or overtly, believe that because aboriginal cultures do not share the same achievements of modern day dominant societies. For example, such as the development of science, and a culture based predominantly on writing systems not oral traditions, they are therefore considered inferior. And being predominantly coloured, makes them an easy target to identify, and discriminated against.’ said Johno. ‘So because sport is such an important facet of Australian life, it is now like a volcanic fissure, erupting lava to the surface and exposing the magnitude of what exists below – red-hot racism across all of Australian society.’
Alphy was often bemused and saddened how the Saps world-wide discriminated against people of colour. On AC, Centaurians could change their skin colour at will, and hence discrimination based on colour would be nonsensical. In fact, back on AC, black was currently very fashionable, in much the same way that the black clothing fashion seemed to be ubiquitous in Melbourne.
Paradoxically, since Alphy had earlier in the year reported back to AC on Trump and his supporters, detailing the Capitol ‘insurrection,’ Centaurians had come up with a new term of categorisation, WASP's – White Arrogant Sap Primitives.
'It makes you wonder, if back in the 18th Century, the aborigines should have originally adopted the same policy as espoused all these years by successive Australian Governments,’ said Alphy pausing for effect. ‘Stop the boats.’