Football fans are divided over a seemingly offhand remark made during an AFLW match, with some calling it the ultimate compliment, others calling for the commentator to be sacked.
The incident occurred during the opening round of the AFLW, which saw Essendon take on Fremantle on Saturday.
The commentary team, including veteran commentator Kelli Underwood and former AFLW champion Kirby Bentley, switched the conversation to Fremantle veteran Ashleigh Brazill early in the third quarter.
Bentley has known Brazill for almost twenty years and was instrumental in her transition from netball to Aussie Rules.
Bentley is a proud Indigenous woman who founded the Kirby Bentley Cup charity carnival, which focuses on improving inclusion and opportunities for Aboriginal girls.
Brazill won gold medals at the Netball World Cup and Commonwealth Games and has combined both sports since being called up to the AFLW in 2017.
Underwood started the conversation by praising Brazil’s athleticism.
“Ash Brazill is 34 years old and this is her 33rd AFLW game in her career. She was an All Australian in 2019 of course, but she’s still so fast,” she said.
Then Bentley revealed that she had close ties to Brazill.
“I’ve known Braz since she was 16. She was a newcomer when I played national netball with her,” she said.
“It’s crazy, it’s amazing to see her still here, with the intensity that we give to our bodies.”
Underwood then asked, “Did you choose it yourself as a 16-year-old? Or is she kind of a late bloomer and developer of both sports?
“She was an extraordinary athlete,” Bentley confirmed.
“Her vertical jump was unmatched. I thought she was black.”
Kirby Bentley was an AFLW and netball champion during her playing career and is a strong ambassador for Indigenous Australians
Bentley is good friends with Brazill and lures her from netball to play in the AFLW
Bentley’s comments about Brazil, which were 100 percent meant as a compliment, have divided football fans
The pair laughed awkwardly at the last comment, before Bentley clarified, “That’s a compliment.”
However, the football fans could not escape the critical gaze of the fans. Many could not believe the racist statement.
“Someone’s getting fired tomorrow,” one fan posted.
‘@AFL @Channel7 are you going to punish this commentator? This is disgusting,’ added another.
‘You can’t say stuff like that on public broadcasting. Let’s see if @FOXFOOTY has the credibility to sit this commentator down like they would a guy if he said that,’ challenged another.
Now imagine that a BT [Channel 7 commentator Brian Taylor] “If I said the internet would go crazy,” posted another.
Others called for calm, saying Kirby’s statement was the ultimate compliment from a proud black woman.
“Kirby is a Blak woman, there is nothing wrong here,” one person wrote.
“Nothing offensive was said here,” added another.
“The ultimate compliment from someone like Blak,” claimed another football fan.
Brazill is an incredible athlete who has played netball and Aussie Rules at the highest level for most of her adult life
Bentley is a proud Indigenous woman and founder of the Kirby Bentley Cup for young Aboriginal women in Western Australia
Essendon, meanwhile, hope AFLW captain Bonnie Toogood has avoided a serious knee injury after a horrific collision with teammate Amber Clarke in the Bombers’ opening round clash, which saw them lose by 43 points to Fremantle.
Clarke suffered a concussion but has recovered from a neck injury, while Toogood will undergo scans after suffering a “heavy blow” to her knee in the incident that marred Saturday’s 10.4 (64) to 3.3 (21) defeat in front of 2,820 fans at Windy Hill.
Key forward Toogood was on her way forward to score a goal inside the 50-metre box when she ran into team-mate Clarke in the second quarter, who had apparently run in front of her completely unnoticed.
The two collided heads, causing Clarke’s head to bounce off the ground as she landed.