Comment – Sasha Uzunov, Editor Alternate Comms
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL – Should the AFL have a British Heritage Round?
Britishness in Australia is a very touchy subject, understandably so. Many Indigenous Australians feel sensitive about it because of the impact of colonialism. But the AFL, the governing body of Australian Rules Football in Australia, does have a precedent in permitting a controversial ideology, namely US nationalism, to be promoted.
AFL has a Pride Round, Multicultural Round and an Indigenous Round. The Indigenous Round is named in honour of Sir Doug Nicholls. The AFL also paradoxically regards American David Petraeus as a role model, even though he ran a US intelligence agency, the CIA, which had spied on Indigenous Australians, including Sir Doug. the AFL permits US cultural nationalism in Australian Rules Football, even though the US has nasty colonial issues with native American Indians. Millions of native Americans were exterminated in the US.
The Australian Football League – the governing body of Australian Rules Football in Australia – was founded in 1896 by British people in Victoria. It was then known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1990. It broke away from the Victorian Football Association (VFA). The VFA was also founded by British people in Victoria.
Twelve of the 19 AFL clubs were founded by British people in Australia: Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda, Sydney Swans (South Melbourne), Western Bulldogs (Footscray).
Seven AFL clubs were founded by Australians holding Australian nationality- (with British nationality removed in 1969): Adelaide Crows, Brisbane, Freemantle, Greater Western Sydney Giants, Gold Coast Suns, Tasmania Devils, West Coast Eagles.
The AFL (VFL) was Culturally British well into the mid 1970s.
The founders of Australian Rules Football and its rule makers in the 1850s were British people in Australia. The AFL and its clubs began a policy of erasing their British heritage to appear “anti colonial” but paradoxically, some might say, hypocritically, promote US nationalism via Australian Rules Football. It’s baffling policy.
THE ANNUAL THREE WEEK TURNAROUND
Cultural, sociological observation: the power of US Cultural nationalism in Australia
US NFL & US NFL SUPER BOWL -Interesting, contradictory – some might say hypocritical – phenomenon/trend emerging across Australia’s major sports & amongst some so called social activists- the condemnation of 26 January Australia Day over “British colonialism” but a few weeks later in February the glorification by these major sports bodies and social activists in Australia of the US NFL & of US Cultural nationalism even when US has colonial issues such as the treatment of native indigenous American Indians.. In some instances deliberately ignoring it and determined to support the NFL. This happens every year and has been happening for some time.
It’s an extraordinary transformation that occurs in Australia literally within 3 weeks – from being “anti colonial” on 26 January to early February glorifying “colonialism” – albeit American.