An online troll has attacked Eddie Betts with a racist slur after the Indigenous AFL star posed with a young footy fan.
When a Fremantle Dockers fan posted a photo with the Adelaide Crows star in Perth on Sunday, it drew a disgusting response.
‘Why with a monkey?’ one person said.
When a Fremantle Dockers fan posted a photo posing alongside the Adelaide Crows star in Perth on Sunday, it drew a disgusting response
‘Why with a monkey?’ one person said. The comment prompted Betts to condemn the attack, saying: ‘I have no time for this’
Betts took to his own Instagram profile a short time later to condemn the attack, saying: ‘I have no time for this’.
Although he drew attention to the comment, Betts hid the identity of his online attacker to save them from any backlash.
When Betts posted the racist slur on his account, fans flocked to share their support for the player.
‘Sorry to hear someone was awful to you on social media. You are a champion. Ignore the idiot,’ one supporter said.
‘You’re an inspiration to so many, Eddie. Keep fighting the good fight and let’s take out racism. We stand with you,’ another said.
When Betts (pictured with wife Anna) posted the racist slur on his account, fans flocked to his page to share their support for the player
Betts (pictured with wife Anna and their children) was praised for standing up against racist slurs
One person said they could not fathom ‘how there are people in this world who can say these pathetically disgusting things to you’.
‘It makes me sick,’ they said.
Another supporter praised Betts for standing up against racism rather than allowing it to eat away at his success.
The online attack comes less than two years after a woman hurled a banana at him in a racially motivated stunt.
The online attack comes less than two years after a woman hurled a banana at Betts (with family) in a racially motivated stunt
The 27-year-old Port Adelaide fan was banned from games after she threw the banana at the athlete during a game in August 2016.
Two days after the incident Betts condemned lingering racism in Australian Rules football but said he wanted to move on.
‘It’s sad that racism still exists in our game. Hopefully people can learn from it and all we have to do is educate,’ he said.