Grassroots Indigenous footballers say Collingwood systemic racism report hardly a surprise

The exposure of systemic racism at the Collingwood Football Club has prompted calls for community sporting organisations to address the issues in their own backyards.

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Collingwood was called on to apologise this week after an independent review found the club guilty of “distinct and egregious” systemic racism.

Wotjobaluk and Jardwadjali man Ben Muir, who plays football with Taylors Lake in western Victoria’s Horsham District Football League, was not surprised by parts of the report.

“It’s been going on for a long time, probably since our first Aboriginal footballer played, Sir Doug Nicholls,” he said.

“He got taunted and he couldn’t get rubdowns because his skin…