Weekly Times | FRANKSTON Bombers has been fined and must undertake education programs as part of AFL South East’s response to last weekend’s blackface issue.
The Nepean Football League club attracted criticism when pictures of a social event last Saturday, where attendees dressed up as their favourite musicians, were posted online showing people had gone painted in blackface.
AFL South East region general manager Jeremy Bourke said it met club representatives on Wednesday night and the club was notified this morning of the measures it had to undertake.
They included the immediate implementation of a cultural awareness education program for all its members, and a social media education program for all club volunteers.
The club has also been fined $2500, which will be refunded provided it completed those education requirements within 30 days and there are no further breaches of “our social responsibility policies” within two years, Bourke said.
Bourke said the club had also agreed to donate the proceeds of one of its upcoming events to a local multicultural and indigenous charity chosen by Frankston
He said club president Chris Sharman stood down in the course of the review into last weekend’s events.
Bourke said the club was quick to accept responsibility and “very regretful” of the events that played out last Saturday, both the initial action and its reaction when challenged.
Bourke said there were lessons to learn from the situation.
“We all need to understand in the world of social media that the behaviours that are exhibited within clubs are no longer just in the domain of clubs, they are in the domain of the world and the behaviours have to be to a socially acceptable level,” Bourke said.
“The behaviour of members of the club was clearly not socially acceptable and, as we’ve communicated, was a breach of the AFL’s vilification policy.”
Bourke said there was “no doubt there was an ignorance within the group that they were causing offence”, and there was defensiveness when it was brought to their attention “because in the club’s eyes they weren’t trying to cause offence, they were actually, from their eyes what they would consider, paying tribute”.
“The great lesson to be learnt out of this was there is more education needed,” he said.
“It was actions of the members that was done completely without malice but they now understand it has caused distress and I think now the rest of the community has understood it does cause distress.
“We learn from our mistakes, and on the football field and off the football field we learn and become better players and better people from learning from our mistakes.
“That’s certainly something that is a result of this for the Frankston Bombers and it’s a great learning exercise for the rest of our clubs.”
New Frankston Bombers president, Gavin Wells, was contacted for comment.