The NRL and Football Australia have joined Cricket Australia’s stance on January 26, with the country’s hockey teams and several AFL clubs also pushing for an immediate change to the national day date.
Under fire from some sectors this week for not using “Australia Day” in marketing around the Gabba Test, Cricket Australia found several allies on Friday.
In a post to social media, the NRL said it “acknowledges today represents a painful and sorrowful day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples”.
“Today, we pay tribute to the resilience and the enormous contribution our Aboriginal and Torres Strait brothers and sisters make to our nation and the greatest game of all,” the post continued.
Notably, the social media statement made no reference at all to “Australia Day”.
Tennis Australia will also skip celebrations at the Australian Open on Friday, while Football Australia took a similar stance on social media.
“We acknowledge that today has different meanings to our diverse nation,” a post from the organisation read.
“We will always continue to respect, represent and celebrate all the cultures, communities and people that make our country and sport so great.”
The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos then went one step further, calling for a change of date away from January 26 in a year where both loom as gold medal hopes in Paris.
“We are all proud to be Australians, however we do not see January 26 as a day of celebration,” the sides said in a joint statement supported by Hockey Australia.
“Today, the current Hockeyroo and Kookaburra athletes support our sisters Mariah Williams, a proud Wiradjuri woman, and Brooke Peris, a proud Yawuru woman, and stand in solidarity with all First Nations people.
“Be mindful and have empathy. We can celebrate what it means to be Australian on another day.”
Several NRL and AFL clubs were among other clubs to acknowledge January 26 as a painful day for Australia’s Indigenous people.
As of 10am, no major Australian sporting codes had referenced “Australia Day” in any posts, nor had any AFL or NRL clubs.
AFL team North Melbourne also called for a change to the date, following the footsteps of Port Adelaide and Western Bulldogs on Thursday.
It comes just days after Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins, then star batter Steve Smith, both voiced their push for a rethink on the January 26 public holiday.
“We encourage listening, understanding and reflection of our Nation’s shared past,” the Kangaroos said in a statement on Friday.
“We will be stronger together when we can celebrate the history of the country we call home, on a date that unites us.”
The Power and Bulldogs released powerful statements with a similar message
AFL clubs have released statements in recent years, acknowledging the date is full of sadness for Australia’s Indigenous people.
But Port and the Bulldogs’ stance is stronger than ever, coming on Thursday, a day before Australia Day was officially marked.
“The Port Adelaide Football club acknowledges our First Nations people’s continuous connection to these lands for more than 60,000 years, and that the 26th of January represents a day of immense sadness and sorrow for many in our community,” the Power’s statement reads.
“The Port Adelaide Football club respects that everyone has the right to their own views.
“The board, staff and players of the Port Adelaide Football club support changing the date.”
January 26 has long been a difficult symbol for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people given it marks the anniversary of the arrival of the British First Fleet into Sydney Cove and the raising of the Union Jack.
Many proponents of a date change have dubbed January 26 as Invasion Day.
Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen and other Bulldogs players, including captain Marcus Bontempelli, were filmed discussing why Australia Day should move to another date.
“It’s amazing to celebrate the life we live in Australia, who we are,” Johannisen said.
“For me, it’s just ridiculous how it could be set on a date that has so much pain and emotional attachment to Indigenous people.”
Exciting Bulldogs forward Arthur Jones labelled January 26 a “day of mourning”.
“Going to the march with all the boys last year… it’s called Survival Day in our term, the oldest culture alive,” he said.
Premiership midfielder Tom Liberatore added: “The longer I’ve spent time with First Nations people, particularly teammates now, to hear what you’ve got to say and hear what you’ve been through, allows me to understand a lot more,” he said.
“It’s only a positive thing to change the date.”
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Chris Lewis The problem is that Sky After Dark is NOT centre right. It's hard right. Dominated by sponsored opinionists rather than balanced journalists. Arguably - the ALP at the last Fed Election took the Centre and the LNP lost so many of the moderates to the Teals who were arguably Centre-Left while the Greens were of course clear 'Left'. The LNP lost their moral compass in the process and we saw running into the referendum that the ultra conservative hard right Nats became the tail wagging the dog and opted for an outright 'No' as a party position 11 months out from the referendum and that forced Dutton's hand. They - the LNP - are a major threat to Australian way of life because they oppose our laconic progressiveness.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#dargerovitch It is a ruddy brilliant flag.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Macca The problem is that we have politicised 'culture wars'. The hard right that has taken over the LNP completely drowned out their more traditional 'Centre' moderates in the recent referendum (and the cheer leading media who - as an example completely ignored the "Liberals for the Voice" and tried to make it instead a partisan oppositional issue). So...........I have zero faith in a balanced and respectful day of 'reflection'. The enabled redneck/bogans have already politically weaponised the Australian flag. It's a long way back. The date I quite like - is May 9th. That's got a generational component. It makes in 1901 the first sitting of Federal Parliament (in Melbourne at the wonder REB). But - it doesn't stop there. 1927 - May 9th - first parliament house in Canberra opens.......then again May 9th 1988 the new parliament house opens. For better or worse - - our own Federal Govt which is reflective of all the good and bad but the progression.......that goes from 'White Australia' to the 1967 referendum to Mabo/native title. And it's close to mothers day. Get rid of the Kings Birthday....... The problem with Australia day on the 26th - rigidly - is we often have kids already back at school...........for 1 or 2 days and then bang......a public holiday. Granted - - I DID love that last hurrah with the kids before they went back to school if it slotted in beforehand. But it's hard to align nationally with the staggering of school terms.
Macca
Roar Rookie
One of the big reasons the date hasn't been changed is there is no clear alternative date (I would be pretty confident any date you pick could correspond with a slaughter of the indigenous population) along with the fact that the last weekend in the summer school holidays is a great time for a public holiday. But this brings me back to what Australia Day should be - why can't it be a day where we acknowledge all the great things about Australia as well as reflect on the negative aspects? Changing the date doesn't change what happened, just makes it easier for the white population to ignore and denies the aboriginal population a platform to raise their issues.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Macca There's a few rabbit holes on this anyway. Certainly NSW Foundation Day isn't the day. Because even if we ran with a Jan 1st 1901 celebration of 'Federation'.........that would be a dodgy moment in time because one of the first acts was the 'White Australia Policy' (Immigration Restriction Act).....and cultural genocide continued.....at the state level with the Feds not having jurisdiction of the indigenous. This is where -- for some it's all too much political correctness -- however it IS important to find the right date reflecting on the right moment that is worth celebrating. The multicultural nation we are now...........it's hard to celebrate the 50 odd years of 'White Australia Policy'.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Completely agree we should have a republic and have said elsewhere that should become our national day (along we replacing the kings birthday with a treaty day). My comments above need to be viewed in the context of the comment they were replying to. On you argument on when things occurred the same logic could be applied to "invasion day" - what did the aboriginals in any of the Victorian Nations know of the 1788 "invasion" (the one that occurred well before the 26th of Jan)
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Tufanooo It's interesting that there wasn't an office of the Premier of NSW until 1856. Up to then - - the Governor of NSW was a British Military appointee. In Melbourne the Victoria Barracks housed British Regiments until the early 1870s. This place was a military controlled/policed backwater. it was NOT a nation until Federation. And nothing the British did should be celebrated in the way that Jan 26th 1788 is.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Macca There's part of the issue. When did said victory occur? During British Colonial control? Simple examples - - British Regiments were housed at Melbourne's Victoria barracks until around 1870. The first Premier of NSW wasn't until 1856 - - up to then - - the British Military officers held the appointed position of Governor. The notion at any rate of celebrating a British Military Imperial date as our National Day...........would be laughable if it weren't so offensive. It's about time this country grows up. And that might not come until we get to celebrate "Republic day" as our national day!!!
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
Change the date - what date - the unions wont cop losing a long weekend before most go back from school holidays - unless you name a date its virture signalling at worst
Macca
Roar Rookie
So the “invasion” starts when you raise a flag? To me the official take over comes after the invasion – once the “war” is won – the invasion happens when you first make landfall. Ask the Polish when Germany invaded their country and I reckon they will say the 1st of September not the 6th of October. I will say the brits did build their empire with a cunning use of flags – just ask Eddie Izzard
dargerovitch
Roar Rookie
Yes , it matters b/c they raised the flag and associated carrying on on the 26th. As technically chronologically correct you may be, to everyone else it commemorates the official takeover. The significance may be mis-placed (it isn't) but Invasion Day fits.
dargerovitch
Roar Rookie
Lots of us want a new flag. The one we've got is a joke. A foreign country's flag in the corner and the Southern Cross shared with all the other Southern Hem. countries. Biggest prob. is nobody's come up with a popular design. When that happens things will change quickly i think i hope...People have suggested we adopt the Aboriginal Flag. Had to laugh about ten years ago on the radio there was an Elder being interviewed and was asked if the Aboriginal Flag should become the national flag. "You've stolen everything else off us , you can bloody leave our flag alone , thank you!"
Arges Tuft
Roar Rookie
Need to change to May 8 (Mate!) may8
Macca
Roar Rookie
Tufanoo - We are a country that has failed to become a republic and failed to get an aboriginal voice to Parliament through the same conservative scare tactics - I think it is very clear we are that insecure!!
Macca
Roar Rookie
Become a republic and change the Kings birthday to "Australia Day" - sign a treaty and have another public Holiday for "Treaty Day" - we end up with the same number of Holidays - just more fit for purpose.
Macca
Roar Rookie
They landed at Botany Bay ion the 18th of Jan - why does it matter when they relocated? Different Macca
Macca
Roar Rookie
I agree with the timing, but the day needs a purpose for being - picking a random date won't work. Pick the date around the same time - sign a treaty and go with it.
Macca
Roar Rookie
If a foreign country did invade and conquer Australia you think they wouldn't have a day commemorating their victory? Like it or not history is written by the victor.
Macca
Roar Rookie
I remember back in the 90's ANZAC day was being criticised for being a glorification of war but now is a very well celebrated commemoration. The issue with Australia Day is that people seem to think it can only be a day of celebration - why can't it be a day where we acknowledge everything it is to be an Australian which includes our poor treatment of the indigenous population? Just a couple of quick ones as well - 1) IF the current date was mid winter we would have it changed already - very hard to change a public holiday that is at the end of the summer school holidays 2) Back before John Howard got all patriotic we always had the Australia day long weekend - the public holiday fell on the Monday closest to the 26th (used to always have ODI's in Adelaide over the weekend) 3) the 26th of Jan isn't "invasion day" as the first fleet actually landed on the 18th of Jan 4) Most people seem happy to shift the day but no one can come up with an alternate day (the day of Federation being Jan 1 is clearly not going to work) so the best option would be to get on with signing a treaty (something that might have been easier if we had a voice to parliament) sign it somewhere in late Jan and call that Australia Day.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
And anything that annoys Ben Fordham, Sam Newman, Sky News and the North Shore Nastee Party can only be a good thing. Can we get a comment from AFLPA not being concerned that they aren't getting a bigger tax cut?