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Lions slam racist comments as disgraceful

3 minute read

Brisbane say online racist comments made about forward Allen Christensen are unacceptable and the supporter involved has been barred from becoming a member.

ALLEN CHRISTENSEN handballs during the Brisbane Lions AFL training session at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia.
ALLEN CHRISTENSEN handballs during the Brisbane Lions AFL training session at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Brisbane will bar a supporter from taking AFL membership with the club following racist comments online vilifying forward Allen Christensen.

The comments were posted on a Facebook group following the Lions' win over North Melbourne on Saturday and have been slammed by the club.

While the person responsible is not a member of the Lions, the club says they will not allow them to take up membership in the future unless they demonstrate they have participated in cultural awareness training.

"The comment is disgraceful and completely at odds with the values of the Brisbane Lions," chairman Andrew Wellington said in a statement on Monday.

"Racism stops with us and has no place in our society."

A Richmond supporter was banned for two years in March by the AFL following online abuse directed at West Coast forward Liam Ryan.

Adelaide forward Eddie Betts has also repeatedly been the target of racist trolls.

"In a week where the Adam Goodes film has been shown nationwide and on the back on NAIDOC week, myself and the Club will keep striving to educate the wider Brisbane and AFL community that these comments are not acceptable," Christensen said in a statement released by the Lions.

"These sort of comments have a great effect on families, teammates and players around the league and the country.

"We as a game have come a long way, but 'OK' is not good enough and I know highlighting this type of racial stereotyping will all keep us going forward as a community."

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