North Melbourne and Western Australian icon Phil Krakouer will lead a class action lawsuit against the AFL regarding alleged racial abuse during his playing days.
Krakouer, along with seven other Indigenous former players from between 1975 and 2022, has accused the AFL of failing to stop racism during their playing days in documents lodged with the Supreme Court, according to a report by The Age.
Krakouer played 141 games with the Kangaroos between 1982 and 1989 after crossing over from WAFL club Claremont, quickly becoming the then-VFL’s most electrifying players.
Along with brother Jim, the ‘Krakouer brothers’ formed a fearsome combination for the Kangaroos, while their nephew Andrew played 137 games for Richmond and Collingwood while also winning the WAFL’s 2010 Sandover Medal.
“Racism has been swept under the carpet for too long,” Krakouer told The Age.
“For decades, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people of colour have been racially abused while playing AFL, and we feel the AFL sat back and watched it all go by.
““I was a 22-year-old kid that tried out for the big league. I was completely naïve and full of dreams. I was hoping that great things were going to happen. It was a professional sport and the AFL allowed us to be abused and traumatised.
“We signed up to play football, not to be racially abused. Racism is not part of the game. It goes so far beyond sledging.”
The AFL has claimed they are yet to be served any documents.
The case comes nearly 12 months after the bombshell allegations made against current coaches Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan, accusing them of racism against Indigenous players during their time at Hawthorn.
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