Huge AFL Grand Final snub for the Voice ‘Yes’ campaign
Huge AFL Grand Final speech for the Voice ‘Yes’ campaign
The AFL has reportedly ruled out promoting The Voice on grand final day after the league commission warned of an eleventh-hour push.
Both the AFL and NRL expressed support in May for the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, with the grand final for both codes set to take place before the October 14 vote.
Nine newspapers reported on Wednesday that top government officials expected the events to convey the message of the Yes campaign to millions of viewers.
But an AFL spokesperson told Nine newspapers that the country’s largest sports body had refused to show Voice displays on match day – Saturday, September 30.
The commission’s directive was reportedly that the AFL would not actively campaign during the September finals series.
The AFL Grand Final comes just a fortnight before every Australian goes to the polls to vote Yes or No to the Voice referendum
High-level sources familiar with the commission’s decision said clubs and individual players would still be free to do so, if they so wished.
Yes, campaign sources told Nine that a big push on the final day could spark a backlash from fans who didn’t support the mixing of sports and politics.
“People just want to watch the football,” one of the sources told Nine, while another said the AFL’s decision would not be violated.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton earlier this year attacked so-called ‘elites’ in the AFL and NRL for their public support for the Yes campaign.
“Their fans are really scratching their heads as to why the elites of the sport (…) are taking a stand on The Voice,” said Dutton.
The Voice campaign has received support from several high-profile current and former players, including Essedon’s Michael Long.
Long is currently walking from Melbourne to Canberra to rally support for the Voice, and said this week he would also petition the king.
As for the NRL, who have also publicly supported the Voice, a spokesperson for Nine Papers said major final plans had not yet been “finalized”.
The Voice campaign has received support from several high-profile current and former players, including Essedon’s Michael Long
A source familiar with the league’s plans said the NRL was developing plans to support the Yes campaign with one or more events ahead of the vote.
“The AFL is undoubtedly better at optics, but they are currently making excuses not to participate,” said the source.
Labor sources further claimed to the media that the decision to hold the referendum on October 14 was at least partly motivated by the grand final.
A range of ideas were reportedly discussed to promote the Voice at the events, including border advertising and a recitation.