1. Interesting that Collingwood is now shifting its narrative to claim that they are trying to 'reach out' to me. Let me very clear: I have no intention of sitting down with anyone until they publicly acknowledge some fundamental facts.
afl.com.au/news/447409/-i…
afl.com.au/news/447409/-i…
2. Why a public acknowledgement? Because I have been discredited publicly. I don’t want a private handshake. I want justice for how I was treated. That includes correcting public denials about my account of the racism & isolation I faced.
3. How can Nathan Buckley claim he ‘didn’t hear’ the ‘chimp’ nickname? I sat through a torturous, 8-hour, 1-on-1 mediation with him, where I had to explain to him why I was affected? How can I take him on his word now? He is yet to correct the record?
4. Collingwood needs to acknowledge the following: They did not have the cultural competence and organisational literacy to deal with a real culture of racism at the club, of which I was a victim for a number of years.
5. Following Eddie McGuire’s racist comments about Adam Goodes, I was barred from speaking to him. When I took to social media to voice my disappointment, I was punished and isolated within the club.
6. I was excluded from leadership meetings and suddenly dropped from the leadership group without a reasonable explanation. I was ultimately forced out of the club. In my final meeting, I was told it was because I had ‘thrown the president under the bus.’
7. In short, I was punished as a Black man for daring to stand up for myself against slurs from my own teammates. I was punished for being upset that my club president had associated an Indigenous champion of the game with an ape as a joke on radio.
8. Collingwood is making statements about their ‘growth.’ But this has dragged out over 6yrs because they have refused to take the step of acknowledging that my account of my experience was true. Growth means accountability. Reconciliation without accountability is not possible.
9. Only 2 nights ago, Eddie McGuire made a comment effectively implying that I was somehow ‘involved’ in the culture that gave me a racist nickname. Can I really believe that he’s acting in good faith?
10. I don’t have a team of lawyers, or PR and media people managing this for me. All I have is my truth, and I will not compromise it.
