AFL team brutally burns member who threatened to leave the club if 'our boys get on one knee on Saturday' - as NRL stars take the knee in a 'Black Lives Matter' message
- A Dockers member threatened to leave from Fremantle via Twitter on June 12
- The fan, Miles, did so after the team announced they would kneel on Saturday
- The team flatly replied that a staff member would call him with a refund
- Taking a knee is a form of support of the principles of 'Black Lives Matter'
- In the NRL, the Penrith Panthers have likewise told a fan to 'feel free to unfollow'
- The Parramatta Eels and the Panthers knelt after Friday night's match
An AFL team has hit back at a member who threatened a refund after he found out the team will take a knee during their next game.
A supporter, Miles, tweeted the Fremantle Dockers on June 12 said he wanted his two $900 memberships refunded if players knelt on the pitch during Saturday's match.
But the Dockers were in no mood to negotiate - flatly telling the fan that staff will call him to give him a refund.
A Dockers member, Miles, tweeted at the Fremantle Football Club on June 12 and threatened his two $900 memberships be refunded
The Dockers replied the following day and told him to contact membership services representatives and they will refund his membership
In a tweet that has since been deleted, the supporter wrote: 'I love my Dockers. I've left my 2020 membership with you.
'But...... if our boys get on one knee on Saturday, I'm out. It's only 2 x $900 memberships, but I will remove my membership.
The Dockers wrote back and said 'we are sorry you feel that way.'
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'One of our membership services representatives will call you shortly to process your refund.'
'Thanks for the phone call and your understanding,' the supporter replied.
The club's stance was praised by fans - with one fan even volunteering to donate a membership to an Indigenous Australian if the fan revoked his membership.
Another wrote: 'Hey @freodockers - I'm a lifelong Bombers fan, but if this guy actually gets a refund please DM me and I'll get two Dockers memberships in his place. Fabulous work guys.'
One Fremantle supporter said: '100 per cent support my club refunding anyone who cannot understand that race-based negative bias needs to be a topic of our conversation toward reconciliation and healing.'
'Never been a fan of Dockers, but damn you mob aren't messing around with racism, absolutely love it, and I bleed brown and gold but never seen such support and love for Aboriginal people.,' another said.
One Bombers fan said he would get two memberships in place of the ones Miles got a refund for
The club's stance was supported Dockers midfielder and Indigenous AFL star, Michael Walters (pictured: centre), who spoke in support of the 'Black Lives Matter' protest taking place throughout the world
'I just want to say, we are here, we've been here and we aren't going anywhere,' Walters said
Dockers midfielder and Indigenous star Michael Walters has spoken in support of the 'Black Lives Matter' protest taking place throughout the world.
'I just want to say, we are here, we've been here and we aren't going anywhere,' Walters said.
'To all of those sceptical about it, get used to it because we aren't going anywhere. It's not on us to change. It's on you to change.'
The team have had at least one Aboriginal player in their team throughout their 26 year history, except for one game.
Dockers CEO Simon Garlick told Mix radio on Saturday that supporting indigenous players is one of the team's biggest priorities.
'In reality one of the most important aspects of what our club was built on is our Indigenous players' heritage and what they've contributed to Freo as people players,' Mr Garlick said.
'While we understand we're not a political organisation and we understand people's right to an opinion, when confronted with something like this it's not aligned with our values. It was a pretty straightforward decision for us.'
After the Parramatta Eels defeated the Penrith Panthers on Friday night, the two teams gathered into a circle and knelt in support of Indigenous Australians. One man tweeted at Penrith and threatened to stop supporting the club
NRL teams have also had a supporter threaten to revoke their membership if player's take a knee.
After the Parramatta Eels defeated the Penrith Panthers on Friday night, the two teams gathered into a circle and knelt in support of Indigenous Australians.
One man tweeted at the Panthers and threatened to stop supporting the club which the team responded too shortly after.
'Please feel free to unfollow,' Penrith wrote.
FIRST INDIGENOUS NBA PLAYER REVEALS THE RACIST ABUSE HE EXPERIENCED
The NBA's first Indigenous Australian player, Nate Jawai, revealed the racial abuse he experienced after he returned to the NBL.
When Jawai returned to the NBL in 2015-16, he played for Penrith in New Zealand when he was reminded of the racism he had received throughout his entire career.
'I heard some racial slurs in the crowd, the coaches heard them too and I told them about it but nothing was made of it, it was swept under the rug,' Jawai told AAP.
The NBA's first Indigenous Australian player, Nate Jawai (pictured), revealed the racial abuse he experienced after he returned to the NBL
Jawai said when he wasn't as outspoken about racial issues in sport, he had seen the criticism former AFL player, Adam Goodes, received when he criticised racial slurs aimed at him.
'It's tough thinking back ... it does play on your mind and you question yourself and wonder 'am I different?' he said.
'And it's been that way since I was a kid; with a different kind of skin colour, you just get looked at weirdly.'
When Jawai returned to the NBL in 2015-16, he played for Penrith in New Zealand when he was reminded of the racism he had received throughout his entire career when a someone in the crowd said a racial slur at him
He said there needs to be a greater effort by the NBL to support and acknowledge indigenous players.
'Create opportunities and pathways for players, coaches and management ... we need to have a greater presence within our sport.'
'Indigenous Australians, African Australians, African Americans; they play a huge part in this league.
'We need to know the NBL cares and has our backs.'
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