Weekly Times | FRANKSTON Bombers club secretary Cheryl Cameron said the club was “really sorry” after people dressed in blackface at its function last night.
Pictures of the club’s social event, understood to be an iPod Shuffle night where people dressed as a musician, were posted on social media.
Several photos appeared to show people dressed in blackface.
The Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League and AFL South East are investigating the incident.
“We are really, really sorry. There are no excuses and people should realise,” Cameron told The Weekly Times.
“There are things in hindsight, maybe when people walked in like that we should’ve realised and someone should’ve sent them home, or said you need to wash it off, or don’t post or whatever. But by and by, we can’t change what did or didn’t get done.”
Cameron said she had emailed Recognise, a group working towards having Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders recognised in the Australian constitution, to help the club implement a program to educate their footballers, netballers and members.
The club has also issued an official apology on its Facebook page in which it underlined its remorse for what occurred.
“We are extremely regretful of the situation that has transpired over the last 24 hours and want to assure our supporters, sponsors and the wider community that the club is in no way racist and unreservedly apologises for any offence that has been caused,” it said.
It said the club was run by local volunteers and its aim was to “increase social cohesion amongst the community and not create division”.
“We now understand that our actions at last night’s club event have caused offence and division and for this we apologise,” it said.
“The club is committing to put in place an educational program relating to vilification and discrimination to ensure we learn from this and come out of it a better and more educated club.
“The club has received many abusive and threatening communications in relation to the labelling, and being volunteers we acknowledge that we may not have responded in an appropriate manner to these abuses and threats and for this we unreservedly apologise.
“The matter is now being investigated by AFL South East and because of this we won’t be making any further comment.”
The photos drew criticism, including from Australian rapper Briggs, who tweeted on Saturday night “Shout out to @FrankstonBomber for their ‘Racist Night’ and door prize for most #Blackface”.
Cameron said she had deleted the Frankston Bombers’ Twitter account, as well as photos from their social media pages.
The Mornington Peninsula Nepean league and AFL South East issued a statement on their websites saying they had “become aware today of the actions of members of the Frankston Bombers FNC at a social event staged last night, which have caused offence within the community”.
“The MPNFL and AFL South East are currently gathering more information about the events that took place to determine the next course of action,” it said.
“The club has already discussed with the MPNFL and AFL South East the immediate application of further cultural awareness and racial vilification training and will work with the governing body to determine the next course of action under the AFL’s racial vilification policy.
“The league and AFL South East will make no further comment until these investigations and determinations have concluded.”