Police are investigating after children of AFL great Eddie Betts became victims of a horrific racist attack while playing basketball in the backyard of their home.
CCTV footage shows a white car slowly rolling past Betts’ Glen Iris home before someone in the car yells a racial slur four times at about 8.30pm on Thursday.
The footage was shared by Betts, 37, on Instagram, who wrote: ‘Aboriginal kids deserve to be able to play safely, free from racism and abuse over the fence.
‘We are not even safe in our own homes. If you know who this is please let me them know that I’m open to having a chat about how much this hurts our kids.’
The AFL, its clubs and players and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan have condemned the disgraceful incident and pledged their support to the Betts family.
A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed they were investigating after receiving a report ‘in relation to verbal racial abuse toward children’ at the Glen Iris home.
‘It’s alleged a vehicle drove past the property just after 8.30pm and yelled from the windows before driving away,’ police said in a statement.
‘The matter is currently being investigated.’
AFL great Eddie Betts revealed his kids received vile racist abuse in their own backyard
Police have urged anyone who have information that might aid their investigation to come forward.
Betts, who played 350 games in a stellar career for Carlton and the Adelaide Crows, received widespread support after sharing video of the incident on his Instagram page.
AFL Chief executive Andrew Dillon and General Manager for inclusion Tanya Hosch said the behaviour has no place in sport or wider society.
‘We must express our strongest condemnation against another example of overt racism, this time targeting children playing sport in their own front yard,’ they said in a statement on Friday.
‘We acknowledge the leadership of Eddie Betts for bringing this to national attention. Racism is wrong. Racism is harmful. Racism requires a response.
‘The AFL takes this opportunity to remind everyone at all levels of the game, that racist behaviour is never welcome.’
Messages of support for Betts and his family came flooding in from the footy world.
‘Disgraceful. Sending love Eddie,’ AFL club the Western Bulldogs stated.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge further said the attack made him angry and emotional in his weekly press conference on Friday morning.
AFL great Eddie Betts (pictured last September) shared footage of the incident to his Instagram page on Thursday night, writing: ‘We are not even safe in our own homes’
‘Obviously, as a club … everyone has put something out there to express their support and love and concern for the Betts family,’ Beveridge said.
‘Quite simply, it just makes my blood boil.
‘Everyone feels the same. I hope everyone does.’
Sports reporter Tony Armstrong, who played 35 AFL games for the Sydney Swans and Collingwood, was visibly upset while reacting to the footage on ABC’s New Breakfast on Friday morning.
Armstrong said he was ‘not shocked that it’s happening … I’m more disappointed that people think that this doesn’t happen, that this is out of the blue’.
‘As a black person in this country, you walk out the door and you know anything could happen based on the colour of your skin, based on who you are as an Aboriginal person,’ he said,
‘(But) this is in the home … over the fence, and we saw the reaction of the kids, running inside.’
Armstrong said he hoped Betts’ children ‘don’t have a long lasting sense of PTSD with this, but unfortunately they probably will because it won’t be the only one they’re subjected to… I’m gutted’.
Jacinta Allan said the incident was ‘sickening’ as she offered her support to the Betts family
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan offered her support to the Betts family.
‘It is sickening and disgusting that kids playing basketball in their own backyard have to be subject to such disgusting racial abuse,’ she said.
‘[Betts] has talked a lot about his own personal experience with racism and he has been a strong and proud Indigenous man.’
The AFL Players’ Association also offered support, calling the incident ‘awful’.
‘No one should ever have to experience this. We stand with you Eddie,’ they wrote.
Tony Armstrong said on ABC’s New Breakfast: ‘As a black person in this country, you walk out the door and you know anything could happen based on the colour of your skin’
Federal MP for Higgins, in Melbourne’s southeast, Michelle Ananda-Rajah said she had experienced similar situations.
‘As a person of colour, I have dealt with this too,’ she said.
‘Now I stare down the haters. The children belong here, they make our community more vibrant and stronger. They should not fear being here.’
Betts retired from the AFL in 2021 but said he was repeatedly subjected to racist abuse online throughout his career and had a banana thrown at him during a match at Adelaide Oval in 2016.
At his retirement announcement, Betts said he was tired of fighting racism and declared the AFL was not a safe environment for Indigenous players.
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