Footy great Eddie Betts has opened up on the “power of racism” and pleaded with fans to be brave and call it out in the wake of Bulldogs young gun Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s inspirational stance.
Ugle-Hagan was racially abused by Saints fans during their Round 2 clash, before he led his side to victory in Round 3 and recreated the famous Nicky Winmar stance against racism.
Speaking on AFL 360, Betts said he hoped fans would continue to get educated around the lasting impacts of racism.
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“It would have been a tough week,” he said on Ugle-Hagan.
“When you are racially vilified, it is isolating. You feel alone.
“I’ve been through it; the way Jamarra can hurt them is just to play great footy and you hurt them that way.
“To see him come out and play like that … just to lift his T-shirt up to say ‘Hey I’m here, I’m proud, I’m deadly, I’m black and I’m here’. 30 years ago Nicky Winmar lifted up his jumper pointed to his skin and all the abuse that he copped.
An emotional Ugle-Hagan post match | 01:10
“It was a lot worse back then when Nicky did it.”
Betts, who himself was targeted by racial abuse throughout his 350 games, warned racial abuse was more than just words to those targeted.
“The power of racism is that when Nicky speaks about his stance that he did, that every time he sees that picture it takes him back to that exact moment when the words were getting sprayed to him, not the stance that he did,” Betts revealed.
“To see that picture, it takes him back to that moment and hear those words being said to him … that’s the power of racism.
“I hope in 30 years’ time, Jamarra will look back on this stance and hopefully he can think about the positives that came out of this, not the negatives.
“It was an awesome stance.”
Ugle-Hagan was his side’s best in Round 3, with five goals – including the first and last of the win over Brisbane.
Bevo lauds Jamarra’s Winmar moment! | 13:21
Betts said the game was better for having players like Ugle-Hagan step up and call out racism – just as he implored fans to do as well.
“For ‘marra to make a stand like that, the weight shouldn’t be on his shoulders – it should be on everyone’s shoulders to have those conversations and continue to be brave,” he said.
“If I could say something to anyone, it’s just to be brave. Keep talking about Aboriginal culture, Aboriginal history, call out racism.
“If you hear it in the stands, call it out. That’s being brave.
“When you are brave, that’s when we start to see those changes.
“We are moving forward, we’re gradually moving forward.
Ugle-Hagan catapults Dogs ahead! | 00:45
“We want change.
“This has been happening for 30 years since Nicky Winmar lifted up his T-shirt and took a stance. Michael Long took a stance. Adam Goodes took a stance. We are continuing to make that stance.
“Hopefully we can continue to be better and do better.”