Footy fans have had a divided reaction to the Welcome to Country at the AFL grand final after the ceremony came under fire following a recent footy match.
Uncle Colin Hunter was called in by the AFL to perform the ceremony during the biggest game of the year and kept the proceedings short and simple, free from controversy.
“I would like to begin by acknowledging that we meet this afternoon on the land of my ancestors of the Wurundjeri people and would like to take this opportunity to pay my respects to my eldest, past, present and future.” , he said.
“The Wurundjeri people want you to care for and protect the land…while we are in the Wurundjeri land, you are welcome in the lands and creeks of the Wurundjeri people. Thank you and welcome.’
The ceremony drew cheers from the packed MCG crowd, although there were also boos.
Aboriginal elder Uncle Colin Hunter delivered the Welcome to Country at the AFL grand final
Reactions to the Welcome to Country during the grand final were divided on social media
The packed house at the MCG cheered the Welcome to Country, although there were also some boos from the capacity crowd
On social media, some footy fans praised the ceremony along with the AFL’s overall pre-game entertainment package.
“We all heard the crowd cheering when Welcome to Country was announced. A reminder that the bigots and bots may claim to speak for us, but they only speak for their own hate-filled countrymen,” one person said.
“A decent and respectful Welcome To Country,” said another.
‘Big applause from Welcome to Country. The racists don’t win,” wrote another.
But others were not convinced, saying even a simple Welcome to Country was divisive.
“Performing a welcome speech to the country during the AFL #gfinal is exactly how you further divide Australians at an event that should bring people together,” said one viewer.
“I would love it if we had the teams sing their team songs instead of the national anthem and welcome to the country,” another suggested.
“Welcome to a land where the sound is turned down, the only way to bear it,” shouted another.
It comes after Aboriginal elder Brendan Kerin’s staging of the Welcome to Country was set just before the GWS versus Brisbane Lions elimination final on September 14 in Sydney.
During that ceremony he infamously said that they were ‘not invented to cater to white people’ and incorrectly said that indigenous Australians had been performing them as far back as 250,000 years BC, which he said stands for ‘Before Cook’.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson led a chorus of objections to that Welcome to Country and called for it to be scrapped.
“If we want to give recognition, recognize the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to defend our freedom and our way of life – that would be much more resonant with most Australians,” she said.
Aboriginal elder celebrant Brendan Kerin was criticized for his Welcome to Country before an AFL match
Senator Pauline Hanson wants Welcome to Country scrapped in favor of honoring fallen servicemen and women
AFL boss Andrew Dillon responded to some fans’ objections ahead of the grand final and promised Welcome to Country was here to stay.
“We will continue to do it, the Welcome to Country is for everyone,” Dillon said.
“We are a sport that is inclusive and we believe this sets the tone for the game.
‘[We hold the collective view] it’s good for the game, so we’ll continue to do that.’
Kerin was defiant in the face of the objections and doubled down on his position.
“With all the feedback, I think we can sit back and look at the absolute stupidity and ignorance of what people are saying,” he said.
‘Seeing people like Andrew Bolt, Pauline Hanson and Jacinta Price [and] Warren Mundine [speak out] confirms that I am on the right track.’
AFL boss Andrew Dillon has promised Welcome to Country before matches is here to stay
Channel Nine commentator Tony Jones said the AFL needed to crack down on respect for the ceremony if Welcome to Country was to continue to be observed.
“Whether you agree with Welcome to Country or not, I think football fans show a fair degree of respect. But there’s a problem. There is a problem and the AFL needs to address it,” he said.
“This is a celebration during the Welcome to Country… there was laughter, and I’ll tell you why: because these Welcomes… shouldn’t be personal agendas.
“They shouldn’t necessarily be there for political statements and I’m not sure if the AFL checks the scripts, maybe they will from now on because those comments [from Kerin] was not well received by a number of people.’