Shocking moment footy commentator uses extremely ‘politically incorrect’ language to describe a white female player

Footy fans are torn over a seemingly casual comment made during an AFLW match, with some calling it the ultimate compliment and others calling for the commentator to be sacked. 

The incident occured during the opening round of the AFLW with Essendon taking on Fremantle on Saturday.

The commentary team, including veteran caller Kelli Underwood and former AFLW champion Kirby Bentley, turned their conversation to Fremantle veteran Ashleigh Brazill early in the third quarter.

Bentley has known Brazill for almost two decades and played a key role in luring her over to Aussie Rules from netball. 

Bentley is a proud Indigenous woman who founded charity carnival the Kirby Bentley Cup aimed at improving inclusion and opportunity for Aboriginal girls.

Brazill claimed gold medals at the Netball World Cup and Commonwealth Games and has juggled both sports since she was drafted into the AFLW in 2017. 

Underwood began the exchange by talking up the athleticism of Brazill.

‘Thirty four years of age, Ash Brazill, this is her 33rd career AFLW game and of course she was All Australian back in 2019 – and she’s still got that speed,’ she said.

That was when Bentley revealed that she had deep ties with Brazill.

‘I’ve known Braz since she was 16, she was a rookie when I was playing national netball with her,’ she said.

‘It’s insane, it’s great to see her out here still with the amount of intensity that we put our bodies under.’

Underwood then asked: ‘As a 16-year-old, did you pick it? Or has she been a sort of late bloomer and developer to both sports?

‘She was a freak athlete,’ Bentley confirmed.

‘Her vertical leap was second to none, I thought she was black.’

Bentley is good friends with Brazill, luring her across from netball to play in the AFLW

Bentley’s comments about Brazill, 100 per cent intended as a compliment, have divided footy supporters 

The pair shared an awkward chuckle over the final statement before Bentley clarified: ‘That’s a compliment’.

The comment did not escape the scrutiny of footy fans, though, with many left in disbelief over the racial statement.

‘Someone is getting sacked in the morning,’ one fan posted.

‘@AFL @Channel7 are you going sanction this commentator? This is disgusting,’ added another.

‘You can’t say that stuff on public broadcast. Let’s see if @FOXFOOTY have the credibility to stand this commentator down as they would a bloke if he said it,’ challenged another.

‘Now imagine if a BT [Channel 7 commentator Brian Taylor] said this the internet would go bananas,’ posted another.

Others called for calm, saying that Kirby’s statement was the ultimate compliment coming from a proud black women.

‘Kirby is a Blak woman, there’s nothing wrong here,’ one posted.

‘Nothing offensive was said here,’ added another.

‘Getting ultimate compliment from someone Blak as,’ asserted another footy fan.

Brazill is an incredible athlete who has played netball and Aussie Rules at the highest level for most of her adult life

Bentley is a proud Indigenous woman and founder of the Kirby Bentley Cup for young Aboriginal women in Western Australia

Meanwhile Essendon will hope AFLW captain Bonnie Toogood has avoided a serious knee injury after a sickening collision with teammate Amber Clarke in the Bombers’ 43-point opening-round loss to Fremantle.

Clarke was concussed but cleared of a neck injury, while Toogood will have scans after suffering a “heavy knock” to her knee in the incident that marred Saturday’s 10.4 (64) to 3.3 (21) defeat in front of 2820 fans at Windy Hill.

Key forward Toogood was steaming forward to take a mark inside 50 when she collected teammate Clarke, who had run into her path seemingly completely unawares, in the second quarter.

The pair clashed heads, then Clarke’s head bounced on the ground when she landed.