Past Robert Muir - ABC Article

What a pathetic, hollow attempt at an apology. Four short paragraphs of blowing smoke up their own ass.

I agree. “.... joins the AFL industry....”.
A general wishy-washy statement.

A far cry from the unconditional apology Matt Finnis offered on behalf of the club.
 
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What a pathetic, hollow attempt at an apology. Four short paragraphs of blowing smoke up their own ass.

Disagree Crusty. They apologise unreservedly and thats all that is needed at the moment. They have done the right thing.

Carlton and Geelong said, oh thats sad, but basically bad luck. No apology from those two clubs.
 
I wonder if Collingwood would've apologised if the Lumumba case wasn't ongoing.

Anyway I'm glad they did, better than what I can say for clubs like Carlton & Geelong.
 
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Actually scrap what I said, both Geelong & Carlton issued statements.





Yes they did, but would not apologise for their racist players and the vile racism projected towards a fellow player. Basically oh well it happened, get over it snowflake.

They couldn't have been more dismissive.
 
Yes they did, but would not apologise for their racist players and the vile racism projected towards a fellow player. Basically oh well it happened, get over it snowflake.

They couldn't have been more dismissive.
Yeah not saying it was good or not just saying they did respond, I was under the assumption that they hadn't said anything. I separated both Carlton & Geelong from Collingwood because at least Collingwood had the decency to issue the statement on their actual website, as of last night there was nothing on Carlton or Geelong's site.
 

puppy_dog7

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Yeah not saying it was good or not just saying they did respond, I was under the assumption that they hadn't said anything. I separated both Carlton & Geelong from Collingwood because at least Collingwood had the decency to issue the statement on their actual website, as of last night there was nothing on Carlton or Geelong's site.
Wouldn't really expect anything less from Carlton to be honest. Geelong's statement was barely even an apology at all.
 

malevu

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I had numerous beers with Robbie at club functions and always found him to be a nice guy. He did get a mischievous look in his eye when the grog kicked in but who doesn't ?

Saw every game he played (I didn't miss a game for over 12 years at that time) so I can attest to what a great talent he was. Super quick, a great mark for his height and an excellent kick). A similar player to Byron Pickett from North. Unfortunately, his volatility on the field was his downfall but I had no idea the extent of the pain he was suffering with racial abuse and domestic issues until I read that article. I was just a back slapping supporter he was always happy to talk to. Just a regular guy to me.

It makes me realise what a different era we lived in then and that much of the verbal abuse hurled over the fence from the likes of the Animal Enclosure (by me included to opposition players) was just plain wrong.

I hope the club can salvage something from the Muir situation. He deserves a lot better.
 
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Actually scrap what I said, both Geelong & Carlton issued statements.





Geelong said he was “owed an apology” yet they didn’t apologize. Carltons weasel words didn’t include any substance. Both pathetic responses, I would expect that from Carlton but not from Geelong.
 
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I'm too young to have been around for any of what happened to Robbie. What I do know is how much Ray Shaw is revered by Collingwood: club, players and supporters. To think a premiership captain and supposedly someone they can all look up to thought it was appropriate to spit on another player for being black. Not at all surprised to learn some of the roots of why we truly hate the filth.

You’re thinking about Tony. He was captain in 1990.

Ray lost plenty of GF’s... justice for being a scumbag IMO.


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I had numerous beers with Robbie at club functions and always found him to be a nice guy. He did get a mischievous look in his eye when the grog kicked in but who doesn't ?

Saw every game he played (I didn't miss a game for over 12 years at that time) so I can attest to what a great talent he was. Super quick, a great mark for his height and an excellent kick). A similar player to Byron Pickett from North. Unfortunately, his volatility on the field was his downfall but I had no idea the extent of the pain he was suffering with racial abuse and domestic issues until I read that article. I was just a back slapping supporter he was always happy to talk to. Just a regular guy to me.

It makes me realise what a different era we lived in then and that much of the verbal abuse hurled over the fence from the likes of the Animal Enclosure (by me included to opposition players) was just plain wrong.

I hope the club can salvage something from the Muir situation. He deserves a lot better.


It's a different world for sure. Things have come along way since the 90s even. I can remember when I was up in Sydney around mid 1990s going to an inner city pub. We met a Brazilian guy at the back packers we were staying at and went out with him. He was a hippy type with long hair but pretty dark skinned. The owner of the pub in inner Sydney told me to get my b**** out of there. I was dumbstruck and thought he was making a racist joke, but was serious and told me he'd kick our heads in if we bought A***s into his bar again. Even when I tried to reason with him that not only wasn't he Aboriginal but that you can't discriminate he came around the bar and wanted to remove us all physically. Being a tough guy we just left but it stuck with me. In inner city Melbourne I'd never come across anything like it. The injustice of it was mind-blowing. He did it in full view of other patrons and no-one even looked up. It wouldn't happen now even in most rural cities.
 

Crusty Undies

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You’re thinking about Tony. He was captain in 1990.

Ray lost plenty of GF’s... justice for being a scumbag IMO.


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I thought Ray also captained a vfl flag? Could be mistaken tho I was of course not alive 😅
 

austinnn

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I suppose anyone can start a gofundme page, so if you really wanted, you could set up a new one in Robert Muir's name - if you could find something specific to fund rather than just him in general.
Wish they kept the GoFundMe open.
 
Whilst I'm not surprised the club responded in the way it did (time and time again we show how classy we are, how respectful and compassionate we are, I've seen this first hand but also from the many moments over the years where we have done similar to others), it still fills me with so much pride knowing the club I have supported all my life connects in such a special way with those who support it.

It really is like a family, the connection between the club and it's players, past players, and supporters is unmatched IMO. There's a reason that so many ex Saints still consider themselves supporters of the club even if they played for others in their career. I don't think there's another club out there that shows the same level of love to their players that we do. Present and past. Once you become a Saint you are a Saint for life.

What a special place. How lucky are we to be supporters and members of such a great club.
 

st_trav_ofWA

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Pleased with the response from Matt Finnis, he's really done the club proud. Likewise all the Saints fans who contributed so rapidly to the GoFundMe page.

We can't change the past unfortunately - even the very recent past - but the club can learn from its failures. More importantly, St Kilda can give due respect and reverence to Robert Muir and any other Saints players it has failed, indigenous or otherwise. I wonder if we could name some part of RSEA Park in his honour? A stand, a wing, something like that? He was a star of the seventies and deserves to have his name evoked in positive ways around the club.

Thanks to the journalist who bothered to write this sad story.
i have given a suggestion to Matt Finnis personally as well as Peter Summers when he was President that we needed a walk way or path dedicated to the indigenous players of our club be it 1 game or 300 games its a part of history that hasnt always been nice but should be represented in our home ... hopefully we have in the future a whole heap of the indigenous girls from the AFLW team to represent as well
 

st_trav_ofWA

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for the record my idea was footprints of the indigenous players who have played for the club leading to the oval ... not disimilar to the chinese theater in Hollywood with footprints in concrete ..

but then again i had a heap of ideas for moorabbin that i think i may have bamboozled them with ideas :)
 

malevu

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We shouldn't just focus totally on racial discrimination either. The commentary coming over the fence in them days contained homophobic slurs, insults about players wives and girlfriends and suggestions that players were gutless and weak. You name it, the abuse knew no limits. I've always looked back on those days with a smile on my face when I've thought about some of the spontaneous humour that was forthcoming from the crowd. Mostly you knew that the players couldn't hear you and it was done more to amuse ourselves watching our team lose most weeks.

What was overlooked was the impact the comments would've had on the player's family and friends if they were in earshot. Of course the same sort of insults coming from other players on the ground must've been unbearable for some players.

No one is too old to learn and the behaviour must stop. Strangely, I couldn't imagine myself doing it now. Back then it was just normal crowd practice.

One point of interest is that a respected figure still involved with the club now was one of the ring leaders back then. He was so good with the quick fire humour (read insults) especially at away games that a regular group of Saint faithfulls would make sure we stood within earshot of him. I remember several times in the Geelong outer he launched into the local 'feral readhead community' asserting they were one big family of banjo players. However, I can honestly say I never heard him racially abuse an indigenous player. If he's reading this post I'm sure he'll know I'm referring to him.

My point is that it was acceptable behaviour back then and we all played a part in it. Everyone from that era needs to put their hand up and own up and learn. I am.
 
We shouldn't just focus totally on racial discrimination either. The commentary coming over the fence in them days contained homophobic slurs, insults about players wives and girlfriends and suggestions that players were gutless and weak. You name it, the abuse knew no limits. I've always looked back on those days with a smile on my face when I've thought about some of the spontaneous humour that was forthcoming from the crowd. Mostly you knew that the players couldn't hear you and it was done more to amuse ourselves watching our team lose most weeks.

What was overlooked was the impact the comments would've had on the player's family and friends if they were in earshot. Of course the same sort of insults coming from other players on the ground must've been unbearable for some players.

No one is too old to learn and the behaviour must stop. Strangely, I couldn't imagine myself doing it now. Back then it was just normal crowd practice.

One point of interest is that a respected figure still involved with the club now was one of the ring leaders back then. He was so good with the quick fire humour (read insults) especially at away games that a regular group of Saint faithfulls would make sure we stood within earshot of him. I remember several times in the Geelong outer he launched into the local 'feral readhead community' asserting they were one big family of banjo players. However, I can honestly say I never heard him racially abuse an indigenous player. If he's reading this post I'm sure he'll know I'm referring to him.

My point is that it was acceptable behaviour back then and we all played a part in it. Everyone from that era needs to put their hand up and own up and learn. I am.

I was from the Waverley era and missed the closeness that Moorbain allowed. Players couldn't hear a lot from there but I do remember going to Princess park with my Carlton supporter mate, he was winding Barry Hall up calling him a subhuman troglodyte etc and he turned around and came up to the fence and asked him if he had a problem. He shat himself and shut up for the rest of the game, all the Blues supporters that had been laughing along with him went quiet too.
 
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I was from the Waverley era and missed the closeness that Moorbain allowed. Players couldn't hear a lot from there but I do remember going to Princess park with my Carlton supporter mate, he was winding Barry Hall up calling him a subhuman troglodyte etc and he turned around and came up to the fence and asked him if he had a problem. He shat himself and shut up for the rest of the game, all the Blues supporters that had been laughing along with him went quiet too.

It is funny watching people back down when players confront them. Happens at every level.
I remember a local footy final 10-15 years ago where a bloke 30 metres around from my mates and I was getting into the opposition’s star player who was also playing coach. That was until the player came up and told them to make sure they’re waiting there after the game.
As soon as the siren went, the abuser ran straight up to the player with a grovelling apology and then got out of there as quickly as they could.
On a side note, the star playing coach is now our own midfield coach, Adam Skrobalak.
 
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It is funny watching people back down when players confront them. Happens at every level.
I remember a local footy final 10-15 years ago where a bloke 30 metres around from my mates and I was getting into the opposition’s star player who was also playing coach. That was until the player came up and told them to make sure they’re waiting there after the game.
As soon as the siren went, the abuser ran straight up to the player with a grovelling apology and then got out of there as quickly as they could.
On a side note, the star playing coach is now our own midfield coach, Adam Skrobalak.
Happens when the player speaks back to them on Twitter or Instagram, too. So many times the guy changes their mood and is stoked to get a reply and was "just joking" It's pathetic enough that people think DMing players is a good idea, but a million times worse when they backflip their opinion.
 


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