AFL stars have rallied around Jamarra Ugle-Hagan after the Bulldogs youngster became the latest Indigenous player to be subjected to a racist attack at the weekend.
The 20-year-old was attacked both during and after the Bulldogs’ loss to St Kilda on Saturday night, and the hunt for the perpetrator continues.
Ugle-Hagan has received support both from within the Bulldogs and from stars at rival clubs, with Melbourne’s Christian Petracca speaking out on Monday morning.
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“I don’t really get it, to be honest. It is just fundamentally so wrong,” Petracca told KIIS FM.
“He is a 20-year-old kid. We are not just footballers; we are human beings. Indigenous players bring so much fun and enjoyment to the games. They put more bums on the seats than anyone else do.
“You go to games to watch Indigenous players – Eddie Betts, Kozzy Pickett, Jamarra, and these types of players.
“As a society, we take one step forward with this stuff, and we say we are getting better, [then] you see things like this, and it’s another four or five steps backwards. It really is so wrong.”
Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli was visibly distressed when discussing the attack on his teammate.
“It’s a disappointing thing unfortunately for our game and in our community to be revisiting,” he said.
“You feel angry and disappointed all at the same time. We will support him and his family as best as we possibly can.
“The main thing in this as well as calling out the disgusting behaviour is (stating) the fact that it’s just not acceptable.”
Ugle-Hagan also received the support of St Kilda defender Callum Wilkie, who is set to captain the side in injured skipper Jack Steele’s absence over the next month.
“Indigenous players have done so much for our game and so much for our football club,” Wilkie said.
“We’ve had so many greats throughout our history or who are with us now, and we feel for them when it happens. It’s not good enough.
“We’ll fully support our Indigenous (players), fully support Jamarra, and we hope it’s not going to continue to happen. Inevitably, it probably will, but it’s not good enough.”
St Kilda CEO Simon Lethlean confirmed on Monday that the club had not been able to identify the Saints fan who made the racist remark.
“As far as we know, it was a comment Jamarra heard, which was totally inappropriate from, he thought, a St Kilda supporter area, so we’re working to try and find out who that was,” he said.
“I’m not sure what the ban will be, but they certainly won’t be welcome at our games.”
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