Today's Herald/Melbourne Age carries the story below on Robert Dipierdomenico saying something equally as offensive:
New racism row engulfs AFL legend 'Dipper'
MEGAN LEVY
June 18, 2010 - 12:46PM
AFL legend Robert DiPierdomenico has admitted that he described fellow Brownlow medallist Gavin Wanganeen as "not too bad for an Abo" at a public function last week, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said.
The AFL is today set to suspend DiPierdomenico as an Auskick junior football ambassador over the comment - made at a Hahndorf Football Club function in South Australia - in the second racism row to engulf the league in as many days.
Demetriou told radio 3AW today that, while he believed the Hawthorn legend did not have a "racist bone in his body", his comment was "stupid, ignorant and totally unacceptable".
As Auskick ambassador, DiPierdomenico worked with children from across Australia.
He said DiPierdomenico, better known as Dipper, could not continue in the short term in his role as an ambassador for Auskick, a program that introduces primary school children to the game.
He would make a statement later today about DiPierdomenico's long-term future with the program.
"I don't think he can continue on in that gig in the short term because, you know, as I said earlier it's a really unacceptable thing that he has said and one that we will deal with, and deal with swiftly," Demetriou told 3AW.
Demetriou said his staff had spoken to DiPierdomenico this morning, during which he acknowledged that he made the racist slur.
He said DiPierdomenico was "very remorseful" about his behaviour and would speak publicly about it later today.
Demetriou said the "great irony" of the situation was that DiPierdomenico had spent the past week in the Northern Territory fishing with former Essendon hero Michael Long, who has been a leader in fighting racism, for an upcoming 60 Minutes program.
That documentary would focus on the role he plays with some of the AFL's young indigenous players who had just travelled to South Africa.
"He has been an incredible ambassador for children and for his role that he has played with us in promoting football, particularly in the indigenous community, so this is a bizarre statement from him, it's a completely stupid statement but you know, we will be dealing with it this morning and be putting something out later in the day," Demetriou said.
"It's just [that] he hasn't got a racist bone in his body this bloke, but this is a completely stupid, ignorant comment and totally unacceptable.
"But we will deal with it because you can't accept that sort of comment, it's just unacceptable today and there's no place for it in the Australian community."
The revelation comes as former Richmond player Mal Brown yesterday defended his reference to Aboriginal players as "cannibals" at a Melbourne luncheon this week. Brown yesterday apologised for his comments.
It also follows former rugby league champion Andrew Johns's resignation from the NSW State of Origin team last week for calling an indigenous opponent a "black c---".
Source: theage.com.au
(Dan - only posted article here as I didn't want to litter the news page with rubbish AFL stories. This one only relates to this thread.)