Following the ugly incident at last week’s Bombers vs Swans round 9 AFL clash, in which an Essendon fan racially abused Sydney legend Adam Goodes from the stands, was subsequently called out by other fans and removed from the stadium by Victoria Police, and – following a club investigation – had his membership torn up, the Essendon Football Club has come out on the front foot to tackle the issue in an attempt to prevent future occurrences from happening.
The club has today launched a new PSA video and social campaign entitled #EFCRespect, which aims to promote kindness, inclusiveness, and tolerance amongst fans both inside and outside of the footballing arena. The video showcases the club’s diverse playing list, as well as the range of different faces and personalities that represent and support the embattled club in one form or another.
In an accompanying statement, the club said “In the wake of Essendon Football Club’s strong stance against a member who racially vilified Sydney player Adam Goodes earlier this week, the club has launched a powerful new campaign titled #EFCRespect.
#EFCRespect aims to educate supporters on acceptable crowd behaviour, as well as promoting tolerance and inclusion.“
Not limited to mere issues of race, the video also espouses equality among gender and sexuality as well, in what is potentially a first – and certainly a rarity – for an AFL club.
The video will be played on stadium big screens prior to every Essendon home game for the remainder of the 2014 premiership season.
