THE moment in 1993 when St Kilda footballer Nicky Winmar stood before opposition fans, lifted his jumper, pointed to his skin and declared ''I'm black - and I'm proud to be black!'' marked a seismic shift in race relations in Australia.
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Preceding Winmar’s defiant stance – not for the first time in his decorated career – was a 120-minute barrage of vile and vicious racial abuse.
The mercurial midfielder had every right to walk off the field after his best-on-ground performance that day and never return to the game. Instead, his dignified protest became inextricably linked with the reconciliation movement that was to follow.
Academics in the 2015 paper “Aboriginal Rules: The Black History of Australian Football”, describe Winmar’s stance as “the Australian equivalent to the Tommie Smith/John Carlos/Black Power moment” at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Such was its impact, they say it “transcended the realm of sport and football. It was socially, culturally, and politically important as it tapped into a discussion around race, culture, Indigenous people, and national identity that needed to be had”.
While Winmar’s brave act of defiance will forever be linked to reconciliation, Australian Rules Football has also played a leading role since that day.
For many Australians, the majority of their exposure to Indigenous culture comes from following the AFL. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders make up about 3 per cent of Australia’s population, yet about 10 per cent of AFL-listed players are indigenous.
That level of representation is found in few other areas of Australian life. Not in federal parliament, not in business, not on our TV screens.
The benefits of seeing and hearing these players week in, week out on TV, radio and in newspapers cannot be underestimated.
The AFL community is a broad church and, as we witnessed so regrettably last year through the booing of Adam Goodes, there are some in society yet to be, or who refuse to be, educated.
But that grossly unedifying chapter alone does not eradicate the considerable gains that have been made in football – and as a result more widely in society.
The reconciliation process is slow – far too slow – but our indigenous game has a vitally important part to play in improving our understanding of Indigenous culture.
Ross Tyson, deputy editor