Opinion Robert Muir

[bellpark]

i am prepared for the rubbish I may get for posting this thread, but I am hoping the Geelong Football Club will own it’s role in the abuse and mistreatment of Robbie Muir and at least issue a genuine apology. i did a pre-season with Robbie in Ballarat after his first Saints stint and he was a genuinely lovely bloke. I defy anyone reading this to put up with his treatment in life and not be broken. I am not looking to give a sermon, I am not looking for anything but a genuine heartfelt apology for the club to Robbie. As someone who played with some of the Geelong players would have been among those who abused him, I hope they can find it in their hearts to apologise to Robbie as well.

thats it, nothing more to say.

 

[dazbroncos]

Very hard to read - just about when I was born.

Different time then but thats not an excuse. Cant undo the wrongs - but can apologise for them and fix what can be fixed now.

GFC are mentioned - then it needs to be addressed IMO.

GO Catters

 

[Generalissimo]

The blokes playing for us that day in 1984 should be ashamed of themselves now. That was only 36 years ago. There were still blokes from that season in the team when I started following footy in 1990. Astounding that some of my first footy heroes were capable of that kind of vicious cruelty just half a decade earlier.

 

[Warhorse]

The blokes playing for us that day in 1984 should be ashamed of themselves now. That was only 36 years ago. There were still blokes from that season in the team when I started following footy in 1990. Astounding that some of my first footy heroes were capable of that kind of vicious cruelty just half a decade earlier.

Yes.

But lets not put Muir on a pedestal. He was an absolutely thug both on and off the field. Would regularly belt blokes in the lower leagues behind play

 

[catswhiskers]

As Daz said, it was a different time. Thank goodness.

IMO its not about blame for what happened back then. Those players operated in a different ' framework'.

What is important now, is that as a collective, GFC, which I hope includes me, finds a fitting way to apologise.

Its not too late.

 

[Freshwater]

Yes.

But lets not put Muir on a pedestal. He was an absolutely thug both on and off the field. Would regularly belt blokes in the lower leagues behind play

When I read that story I thought how did this guy last so long in football for the amount of abuse he had to cop? The fact he took off his jumper that day, in his own pre-Winmar protest, shows the abuse he copped. I was angry to read this, I remember Robbie, and feel sad for him. I hope Geelong put out a statement like StKilda has. And I hope someone from that team comes forward. Damien Drum is in parliament and is a community leader, maybe it should be him?

 

[Down at K Park]

What happened?

 

[Warhorse]

What happened?

The persecution of Robert Muir is a story football doesn't want to hear

A decade-long campaign of racial abuse pushed St Kilda's 1970s star Robert Muir to the point of despair. Russell Jackson spoke to the man who football wiped from its Indigenous history.

mobile.abc.net.au

 

[Down at K Park]

Hmm while there were certainly some racial overtones, how much of it was self inflicted, cause people hated him cause of the way he would belt people on the field? He was no “good bloke”, and people would have hated him just as much if he was white. He was a down right thug. One of the worst the game has ever seen.

In saying that though the racial abuse he copped was awful. And not on.

Edit- after reading the article i can see most of it was caused by racial abuse. No wonder he went off. Awful stuff.

 

[Freshwater]

Hmm while there were certainly some racial overtones, how much of it was self inflicted, cause people hated him cause of the way he would belt people on the field? He was no “good bloke”, and people would have hated him just as much if he was white. He was a down right thug. One of the worst the game has ever seen.

In saying that though the racial abuse he copped was awful. And not on.

Did you even read the article? It’s very long, but worth it.

 

[Down at K Park]

Did you even read the article? It’s very long, but worth it.

See the edit.

 

[Turbocat]

Yes different era ..and when you look thru todays eyes at past events it like a astigmatism occurs, a twisted distortion, it twists the intent and the motives and the emphasis, it makes one wonder how anyone could have been like this or that.

Im old enough to have been around in that era, growing up when plenty advocated s a sticks and stones & word cant hurt you type idealism.. that allowed plenty to say anything in certain circumstances. Not just in sport , but at school or in business or at work..anywhere. Think in terms of a footy business like Huttons footy franks that used his reactions on the field, his enragement. I doubt it would be done now.

As the article indicates he was probably not alone in receiving the racial verbal attacks, but he unlike many was unable to absorb or let it go. Thats not to say others didnt get hurt or the way he reacted was right but I remember at the time .. there was more made of him being a person who was deranged than a person affronted. Hence the nickname. To hear that he still feels that people fear him, that they fear his reaction if they the ask for an autograph says plenty on how he was painted at the time

I doubt blame does much good , sorry may help , certainly one gets the feeling that StKilda will look to do what it can..but the details in the story that indicate he only very recently was rebuffed probably doesn't sit well with those at the Saints.

For Geelong that best they could do , imo, is offer the applogy and find a way to try to help, maybe at StKila/Geelong game some time the future ..both clubs who have had some great indigenous players, have some sort of recognition. We 'all' have to find a way to move forward , and try to balance some of the wrongs done in times past.. done thru ignorance or carelessness. Im not interested in blame or ridiculing individuals for events that happened so long ago but we can at least as a club own our mistakes

 

[year of the cat]

My strong recollection from back in that period was that Muir was typecast as almost an animal. Sub human. The nickname "mad dog" only reinforced that. To read what he endured is just heart breaking. And disgusts me to the core that GFC were party to the abuse he copped. I would hope that the club would come out today and strongly apologise for these actions. To think that Aboriginal players even today have to put up with abuse from the stands shows we still have a way to go. Thankfully, through the likes of Goodes, Winmar and others speaking out, the AFL has been terrific in educating today's players as to why these previous actions are so damaging and completely unacceptable.

 

[you pick one]

I don't ever remember giving it to Muir he didn't do much against us,Ditterich is the only Saints player I can remember copping heaps from Cats fans around in that era.

 

[Turkey Tom]

I would hope at least one of the Geelong players from that game mentioned, abusing him from over the fence, would have the courage to come out and apologies to help Robbie Muir get closure.

Other players from the past have apologised for similar incidents. I remember Gary Lyon apologising to Chris Lewis.

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

My strong recollection from back in that period was that Muir was typecast as almost an animal. Sub human. The nickname "mad dog" only reinforced that. To read what he endured is just heart breaking. And disgusts me to the core that GFC were party to the abuse he copped. I would hope that the club would come out today and strongly apologise for these actions. To think that Aboriginal players even today have to put up with abuse from the stands shows we still have a way to go. Thankfully, through the likes of Goodes, Winmar and others speaking out, the AFL has been terrific in educating today's players as to why these previous actions are so damaging and completely unacceptable.

I'm too young to have ever seen Muir play, but this is basically the image I've always have of him based on what I'd read/heard/seen - just a crazy mother ****er prone to lashing out at any time. That may still be correct, but it's good to have some context around it. Some of the shit the Indigenous guys cops these days is disgusting, I can only imagine it was many orders of magnitude worse back when Muir was playing.

Just a sad story all round really - I found the recollections of his childhood particularly tough i.e. his father kicking him so hard his bowel was twisted. Horrible, horrible stuff.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Saying it was a different era doesn't excuse anyone from what happened. I was growing up in those times and I knew racism was wrong back then. So did everyone else. It's not just a new thing that ppl are having this epiphany. Geelong should indeed apologize as part of reconciliation to the Indigenous people of Australia. If we want to change as a society, then acknowledging past mistakes is a big part of that. Saying sorry gives Muir and others a chance to feel validated as people. Do it Geelong. Do the right thing.

 

[FredLeDeux]

I don't ever remember giving it to Muir he didn't do much against us,Ditterich is the only Saints player I can remember copping heaps from Cats fans around in that era.

Remember the time the proverbial little old lady attacked him with her brolly as he came from the ground at KP after another display of pure filth.
And it cut some tendons in his hand, costing him months out of the game.

 

[Drunkcat]

Saying it was a different era doesn't excuse anyone from what happened. I was growing up in those times and I knew racism was wrong back then. So did everyone else. It's not just a new thing that ppl are having this epiphany. Geelong should indeed apologize as part of reconciliation to the Indigenous people of Australia. If we want to change as a society, then acknowledging past mistakes is a big part of that. Saying sorry gives Muir and others a chance to feel validated as people. Do it Geelong. Do the right thing.

What a bullshit post you could call anyone anything back then and there was no don't do this it is wrong...in sport you could say what you like.....yes now it's wrong but you can not change the past

 

[Max Milburn]

Hmm while there were certainly some racial overtones, how much of it was self inflicted, cause people hated him cause of the way he would belt people on the field? He was no “good bloke”, and people would have hated him just as much if he was white. He was a down right thug. One of the worst the game has ever seen.

In saying that though the racial abuse he copped was awful. And not on.

Edit- after reading the article i can see most of it was caused by racial abuse. No wonder he went off. Awful stuff.

This is the thing isn't it. I was always fed the "fact" that he was a "crazy" thug.
After reading that, it becomes clear that he was never given a chance to shine.
Even his nickname started out almost innocently, then was twisted to provide an excuse for the way he was treated.
And unfortunately this still goes on, even today.

 

[Partridge]

Very hard to read - just about when I was born.

Different time then but thats not an excuse. Cant undo the wrongs - but can apologise for them and fix what can be fixed now.

GFC are mentioned - then it needs to be addressed IMO.

GO Catters

Yeah, there wouldn't be too many on here who even saw him play. That Geelong game mentioned in 1984 was a reserves match, prior to that his last senior appearance against us was in 1977.

My very, very dim recollections were that he was regarded a dirty player, but he also was not alone in that era. Even just from St.Kilda. Be lying to pretend I could remember any more.

 

[Down at K Park]

This is the thing isn't it. I was always fed the "fact" that he was a "crazy" thug.
After reading that, it becomes clear that he was never given a chance to shine.
Even his nickname started out almost innocently, then was twisted to provide an excuse for the way he was treated.
And unfortunately this still goes on, even today.

Yeah I only recall seeing him on video clips going mental on the footy show. Was he the one who pushed the umpire over? And of him belting people. They painted him as a nut job who would lose his shit on the field. Painted him as the villain. Makes more sense now.

 

[Turbocat]

Yeah, there wouldn't be too many on here who even saw him play. That Geelong game mentioned in 1984 was a reserves match, prior to that his last senior appearance against us was in 1977.

My very, very dim recollections were that he was regarded a dirty player, but he also was not alone in that era. Even just from St.Kilda. Be lying to pretend I could remember any more.

I agree.. I he played against us at KP in 76 .. so I might have been there ..but remember it... No. Too long ago .. and too focused on geelong players.

The gap between 80 to then play in 84 for two games at 30 yo .. he must have been something worth adding.

The 70's was unlike now .. not every game was shown , sometimes only quarters or highlights on WOS... its why I think the footy Franks add is so engrained.
So it was an era very much based on what you saw or what game was match of the day... even in the 80's when GA was taking mark of the day each week..it just was not covered.

I cant remember how much at the time was ever explored as to why he was like this or that..yet reading that article there was obviously some commentary. It was just too salacious to show the action he was involved in. What we know now is a lot , if not all, was a RE action.

Id hope Collingwood too would step up as well as us.

 

[Partridge]

Yeah I only recall seeing him on video clips going mental on the footy show. Was he the one who pushed the umpire over? And of him belting people. They painted him as a nut job who would lose his sh*t on the field. Painted him as the villain. Makes more sense now.

No, that was John Bourke from Collingwood (in the reserves). And it was Phil Carman who headbutted the boundary umpire.

 

[Max Milburn]

Yeah, there wouldn't be too many on here who even saw him play. That Geelong game mentioned in 1984 was a reserves match, prior to that his last senior appearance against us was in 1977.

My very, very dim recollections were that he was regarded a dirty player, but he also was not alone in that era. Even just from St.Kilda. Be lying to pretend I could remember any more.

It sounds ridiculous now, but back then I didn't even realise he was an aboriginal player.
Without the constant media scrutiny that we have now, it seems that the only stories that got out back then were the ones the establishment wanted everyone to hear.