What happened to equality on the AFL's 'field of dreams'?

As Eddie McGuire used to say, ‘what a big week it has been in football’.

I would go as far as to say what a big year it has been in football, and we are only just over halfway.

In a season where off-field issues have arguably overshadowed the on-field heroics of many individual and team efforts, it’s easy to wallpaper over the social stances the AFL has taken, directly or indirectly.

These issues have been present in society for a long time. Some for hundreds of years.

Alleged performance-enhancing drug-taking, racism, cheating, the stench of the tanking saga still lingering, we’ve had the whole box and dice in the football world.

I want to preface this article by stating that I am a massive advocate for indigenous players being icons of our game, and believe everyone associated with footy should celebrate their sublime talents.

The Adam Goodes ‘King Kong’ saga involving our man Eddie was, in my opinion, somewhat blown out of proportion.

Racism undoubtedly has no place in our sport, let alone our community.

The fundamental idea of being discriminated against based on colour or where a person is from is to be considered in today’s society archaic.

In saying this, every case needs to be afforded a level of understanding and looked at without rose-coloured glasses.

Eddie was silly. He shouldn’t have said what he said and is very lucky to have all his regular media hats still firmly on his head.

The 13 year-old girl that was crucified a week earlier however was unfairly belted across media circles and the football public.

Firstly, she had no idea it was indigenous round. Secondly, she apparently didn’t know it was racist to call someone an ape.

Would this have even been an issue if her barb were directed at Kurt Tippett rather than Adam Goodes? I think not.

The issue has been discussed at length, so rather than flogging a dead horse I will simply say it seems the emotion of indigenous round saw a young girl severely punished for an everyday mishap.

The very next week an experienced media personality fuelled the fire with an extreme case of foot-in-mouth after previously flying the anti-racism flag.

Last week the AFL announced a plan to field an indigenous team to represent Australia in the International Series against Ireland in October this year.

According to the AFL’s deputy chief Gillon McLachlan, the idea gained momentum following the success of the Indigenous All-Stars game in the 2013 pre-season.

Frankly the idea, not to mention the timing, couldn’t have been worse. Celebrate indigenous culture, celebrate with a round of football and celebrate them every week when we cheer on Buddy, Ryder, Yarran, Goodes, Thomas etc.

Yet when it is all laid bare, isn’t having a solely indigenous side available for selection in the game’s only international fixture robbing any AFL player that is not indigenous the chance to represent their country?

If it is promoted as an Australia vs Ireland International Rules series (which it is) surely every single player from our code should be eligible to pull on an Australian jumper?

We are all Australians; the team should be picked on merit, not race.

“To the best of our knowledge, the all-stars representing the AFL in this IRS series will be the first all-indigenous team to represent a sporting code at senior level overseas since that first cricket team toured England in 1868,” McLachlan said.

There is a good reason for that Gillon. Sport and society have moved past isolating players on the basis of their skin colour.

Could you imagine the uproar if the AFL were to field a Caucasian side as our international rules team?

This event is the one and only chance our AFL footballers get to play an international version of our game.

Showcasing Australian footballing talent has always been the centrepiece of this venture along with the fact that anyone who works hard enough can make it as an AFL star, regardless of where they are born.

Now some are being deemed ineligible based on their racial heritage? Multiculturalism in football called, it wants its dignity back.

The credibility of the series has been brought into question over the last few years with players not being available under a thought that it was too much of an injury risk in the off-season.

Despite this, there are no other avenues for AFL footballers to represent their nation.

Regardless of how much it is looked at by society as a ‘real’ national team, as a player if you ask any of them would they be honoured to play for Australia, the answer will always be yes.

Celebrate culture, indigenous players and the wonderful things they can do a on a football field.

Have an indigenous round, have a pre-season game, even have an All-Stars vs Ireland game as well but don’t penalise all the players that are not indigenous by excluding them from playing in the national series.