This blurring of lines between the sporting arena and the political arena has to stop, especially when it comes to the AFL which seems to be the wokest of all. A few months ago, Melbourne Football club announced that it would be changing its name to ‘Naarm’ and the Freemantle Dockers want to be known as ‘Walyalup’ for games played during Sir Doug Nicholls and AFLW Indigenous Rounds.
The latest to put is woke credentials on full display is Port Adelaide, which last week stated that ‘We endorse the proposed changes to the Constitution to establish a First Nations Voice to Parliament and look forward to further details on how this will function to ensure the intended changes and outcomes are achieved where they are most needed.’
They are of course, not the only ones looking forward to ‘further details’ on how the Voice will function, but I fear that they might be waiting rather a long time. In cany case, details or lack therefore, Port Adelaide says it’s proud to support the South Australia Voice to Parliament’, which is a funny thing to be proud of given that it will permanently divide Australia into racial categories.
The club’s decision is a fundamentally elitist move by AFL management who are projecting their woke values onto society at large. Did the Port Adelaide supporters lobby for the club to make a stand on the Voice? Was there a groundswell of agitation for the club to take a stance? No. But the club did consult a First Nations Advisory Committee which it also happened to put together.
Those occupying the upper echelons of Port Adeliade Football club might well have an inkling that if they asked the supporters, they would have received a resounding and deafening ‘No.’ Most Australians are sick and tired of politicking being inserted into all aspects of their lives, especially in the sporting arena. As part of the research into South Australians’ views on the Voice to Parliament proposal, the Institute of Public Affairs commissioned a poll asking respondents if sporting clubs, such as the Adelaide and Port Adelaide Football Clubs should stay out of political matters, including in relation to the proposed Voice to Parliament.
The results speak for themselves. 65% agreed, 20% disagreed 15% were unsure. Critically, 52% of Labor voters agreed politics and the Voice to Parliament should be kept out of sport. So too did 51% of those undecided on how they would vote at the referendum and 44% of those who indicated that would likely vote yes for the Voice to Parliament.
The problem is of course that while the people are tiring of it all, the elite are not. They push ahead with the woke agenda, determinedly projecting their woke values onto society and proclaiming their political affiliations at every opportunity. The fundamental question remains the same. Why does a football team need to take a stance on a political matter? It doesn’t.
