Tell me it's not so

[Yorkeys]

Racial bullying allegations naming Essendon royalty, AFL deities and Carlton's enforcer.
What is the world coming to.
Trial will be interesting as most/all deny the claims.

[saynta]

Who cares. Sheedy has always been a nasty prick .

[Moods]

Geez. No Saints person should be smug. The 80’s was like a completely different lifetime. Very few of us can claim to be enlightened back then. Imagine if Glen James decided to file a case?

[NickyDal]

Who cares. Sheedy has always been a nasty prick .

[samuraisaint]

Geez. No Saints person should be smug. The 80’s was like a completely different lifetime. Very few of us can claim to be enlightened back then. Imagine if Glen James decided to file a case?

Glen James was a Vietnam Veteran and had a great sense of humour. I remember hearing a story about a player picking up a bone that was left on the ground at the Western Oval during a match handing it to James and saying 'here you are, you've been umpiring like a dog all day'. James replied, quick as you like, 'be careful or I'll point it at you!'

One of the great characters of the game.

[D.B.Cooper]

Interesting that Sheedy, who has from outward appearances done more for indigenous footballers and championed their cause more than any other AFL coaching figure is accused of inciting on-field racism.

Kevin Bartlett described Sheedy as the most ruthless and brutal player he had played with, and no doubt he was a brutal man.
But would he have instructed his players to racially taunt the Krakouer brothers to put them off their game?

Thankfully the disgusting racism of the 70's, 80's& early 90's is no longer tolerated, however is it fair to judge retrospective behaviour by today's standards? I don't know the answer and as a white male never experienced racism, so I cannot judge.

My personal opinion (with no supporting facts at all) is I have no doubt Sheedy would have issued instructions to verbalise & brutalise opposition players and little would have been off the table, but would he have specifically instructed players to racially abuse? I don't think so.

I do note that during the Krakouer Nth Melbourne era of 1982-89 that Essendon did not have indigenous listed players with Long recruited in 1989 and Wanganeen in 1991. Did the recruitment of Long and Wanganeen educate Sheedy and drive his passion toward supporting indigenous players?

I am interested in others opinion, particularly any indigenous forumites.

[D.B.Cooper]

Geez. No Saints person should be smug. The 80’s was like a completely different lifetime. Very few of us can claim to be enlightened back then. Imagine if Glen James decided to file a case?

Glen James was a Vietnam Veteran and had a great sense of humour. I remember hearing a story about a player picking up a bone that was left on the ground at the Western Oval during a match handing it to James and saying 'here you are, you've been umpiring like a dog all day'. James replied, quick as you like, 'be careful or I'll point it at you!'

One of the great characters of the game.

Great story, I sometimes wonder how Glen endured the constant racial abuse he was subject to throughout his umpiring career.
He must be of great character and resilience.

[samuraisaint]

Geez. No Saints person should be smug. The 80’s was like a completely different lifetime. Very few of us can claim to be enlightened back then. Imagine if Glen James decided to file a case?

Glen James was a Vietnam Veteran and had a great sense of humour. I remember hearing a story about a player picking up a bone that was left on the ground at the Western Oval during a match handing it to James and saying 'here you are, you've been umpiring like a dog all day'. James replied, quick as you like, 'be careful or I'll point it at you!'

One of the great characters of the game.

Great story, I sometimes wonder how Glen endured the constant racial abuse he was subject to throughout his umpiring career.
He must be of great character and resilience.

He was a true giant of Aussie Rules football.