Despite the AFL currently embroiled in an ugly sexist furore over the inclusion of women’s AFL star Daisy Pearce among its expert commentators, the Queensland research published today has unearthed rare positive news on racism in the code.

It shows that racial bias “is not strongly present in Australian Football League broadcasts,” which puts it significantly at odds with sports commentary in the US and Europe.

Lead researcher Scott A MacLeod of the Central Queensland University in Rockhampton found after studying 50 quarters of AFL broadcast from the 2019 season, that there were no significant differences in the overall proportion of positive and negative AFL commentator statements about players of different races.

However, MacLeod did find non-white players were more likely to be discussed in terms of their physical ability.
Non-white players also received more negative commentary in relation to their cognitive ability compared to white players, he found.

“These results provide only weak evidence to support the existence of racial bias, in the context of contemporary AFL commentary, compared to the previous findings from international research,” MacLeod said.

“There was no evidence found to suggest that players of any race were discussed in terms of their physical ability being innate, natural, or instinctual.”

He said the findings were far cry from racially charged commentary internationally in which non-white athletes were often characterised as being naturally gifted and possessing innate talent, while the success of the white athletes was often attributed to their intelligence or hard work.

Yet, the glimmer of equality in commentary comes as an avalanche of allegations of racism in sport continues.
The entire board of the Cricket Scotland resigned this week following a damning independent review that accused it of “institutional racism”.

England’s Rugby Football Union also launched a full investigation after former England centre Luther Burrell revealed racism was “rife” in English rugby union.

In Australia, the major codes have spent a season battling unrelenting instances of racism.

In the past weeks, Fremantle has called out “cowardly” racist abuse sent to Indigenous forward Michael Walters and teammate Michael Frederick, who is of South Sudanese descent, through social media after their AFL win over St Kilda.

The Gold Coast Suns also launched a social media troll investigation following racist comments online directed at dynamic forward Mabior Chol.

Three former Collingwood Magpies players declared they would have no more dealings with the club because not enough had been done to address a report released almost 18 months ago that uncovered a culture of systemic racism at the club.

AFL club Hawthorn also faces calls for heads to roll at the top over revelations of racism that forced Cyril Rioli out of the game.

And in rugby league earlier this year, the NSW Police Hate Crimes Unit were called in to investigate racial abuse against Indigenous superstar winger Josh Addo-Carr.

MacLeod said given the “pervasive nature” of findings of overt racism experienced by Indigenous Australians and the disadvantage and marginalisation faced by Indigenous Australians in the AFL, “one might expect it to be also evident in the speech of AFL match commentary.”

But there was no strong evidence that was the case, he said.