HAWTHORN star Shaun Burgoyne is backing the Southern Football League's campaign to stamp out racial and religious vilification.
"I think what they're doing, tackling the problem head-on and trying to educate people, is fantastic,'' Burgoyne said last Thursday.
"They're putting it out there and saying it's unacceptable. They're not running away from anything.''
As previously reported in Leader, a number of players in the Southern league have come forward this season saying they had been abused on racial or religious grounds. There were no complaints last year.
Each case has been settled at confidential mediation.
This Saturday players of indigenous or ethnic origin will lead Southern teams on to the ground and toss the coin before the start of the game.
Burgoyne, of Murrumbeena, was asked by his neighbour, Southern board member Jon Adams, to support the round and he said he had no hesitation in agreeing.
He said he wasn't surprised there had been a rise in cases as players at all levels of football were more comfortable and confident in raising the issue.
"They can speak out because they know they'll have the support of their clubs and teammates,'' Burgoyne said.
"As AFL players we have a role to play in breaking down those barriers by educating people. There's been a couple of cases this year and the reaction to them showed it's not acceptable, that society isn't going to stand for it because we're now such a multicultural country."
"I think that is rippling down to the grassroots clubs.''
Asked when he was last abused, Burgoyne said: "You're testing my memory now. I haven't received any racial abuse of late."
"Growing up I was exposed to racism a fair bit. I know the effects it can have on people, not just on the sporting field but their lives."
"For me, it was hard at the time. I couldn't understand why people would want to judge you by the colour of your skin. It's more than that. It's about your personality, how you treat others."
"It obviously had an affect on me. That's why I put my hand up to be an ambassador for this (the SFL campaign).''
Last Modified on 24/10/2011 13:25