By Amanda Gillies
As a racism furore engulfs rugby league, Australian rules shown it is not rid of such prejudices either.
A former star and heavyweight told a charity luncheon that indigenous players were cannibals.
It came just days after a league coach told his players to stop a `black coon' in the opposing side for last night's Origin match.
It took just 2 minutes and 41 seconds for Greg Inglis to score. No one could stop him.
It's exactly the type of play Blues assistant coach Andrew Johns wanted shut down, telling his players at a bonding session last week to quote, "stop the black coon" - a reference to Inglis.
But his star player Timana Tahu was so disgusted by the remark he walked out.
Last night Inglis said Johns' racist remark provided extra fire in his belly.
Greg Inglis said after the match: “I was pretty upset about it. It was quite disappointing to be honest”.
Tahu says racism is rife.
“I've made my stand; we live in a multicultural country. It's something that needs to be addressed, politically from the top to the bottom”, he says.
Indigenous elder Sol Bellear says: “Let's just send a clear message out, racism is finished in rugby league. Rub Johns out of everything”.
But racism is not restricted to league and Johns.
At a luncheon yesterday AFL heavyweight Mal Brown called Indigenous players "cannibals'', sparking a new row.
“The Victorians picked both sides. They cheated, they picked the best players. And because there were no lights, I couldn't pick any of the cannibals" he said.
Brown then pointed to reporters saying: “Don't you go writing what I said about those Abos [sic]”.
Today he fronted reporters again, this time to apologise, claiming he was just joking.
“Well I've apologised to those people I've upset, and the people who know me won't think any different, they'll just say that's that dickhead”, Brown said.
He says he has called the indigenous players cannibals for 35 years - insisting it is a term of endearment. And he added he is entitled to his opinion, whether it is right or wrong.
3 News