Leon Davis, Andrew Krakouer return to Collingwood three months after breaking with the club
Collingwood said former players Leon Davis and Andrew Krakouer had returned to the AFL club just three months after the pair cut ties with the Magpies for failing to address a series of racist incidents during their playing days.
Key points:
- Davis, Krakouer and Heritier Lumumba cut communication with the club, saying the Magpies had no intention of confronting racism.
- Krakouer and Davis have now been hired by Collingwood “to better inform the ongoing cultural change at the club”
- The “telling the truth” process is a recommendation from the Do Better report around the issue of racism in clubs
In April, former team-mate Heritier Lumumba said he, Davis and Krakouer cut communication with Collingwood because the club had no intention of acting in “good faith” to confront the racism experienced by players at the club.
But in a statement, the Magpies announced that Davis and Krakouer had been hired by the club.
“Leon and Andrew recently shared their experience of racism with representatives from the club board with two former Collingwood players committed to being involved in the Club’s Truth-telling Program – a process to better understand their experience and the impact racism has on their lives to better inform change. ongoing culture at the club,” the statement read.
“Leon has been hired by the club on a full time basis to assist in its commitment to building a culturally safe environment for all staff and players and Andrew will be hired to help support this.”
Last year, Collingwood received a series of recommendations from a damning independent review known as the “Do Better” report, pledging to address and reconcile past acts of racism.
The report found the organization guilty of “distinct and appalling” systemic racism, and called for profound structural change.
The so-called “truth-telling” or reconciliation process, which began earlier this year, is one of the report’s recommendations.
Davis said he shared his experience of racism as a player.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened to me as I have experienced racism from a very young age,” Davis said in a statement.
“So did my family members and hearing stories of my father’s racism and what he went through was something that pushed me to make changes and make sure we all do better.”
“This is a community problem, a national problem and ultimately a world problem and we must do better to stop racism.
“I am delighted to have a role in which I am now encouraged to implement and encourage cultural change and know I have the full support of everyone at the club in doing so.”
Krakouer said he echoed Davis’ words and felt like he had a role to play in educating the public to root out racism.
“I want my children to grow up in an environment where there are no barriers to success,” says Krakouer.
“I want my community to be strong and proud and I want the game of Australian football – the game I love – to welcome First Nations people at all times, on and off the pitch and in the stands.
“I want us to keep fighting to be better.”
Designed in 1999, Davis scored 270 goals in a glittering 225-game career that included two All-Australian jumpers.
The incredibly talented Krakouer was signed a year later in 2000 and played 137 games for Richmond and Collingwood, scoring 152 goals.
In May, Lumumba again criticized his former club, accusing Collingwood of dishonesty in dealing with racism.
The 35-year-old released part of a recorded 2014 conversation with Nathan Buckley, in which the former coach accused Lumumba of throwing then-president Eddie McGuire “under the bus” when he criticized racist comments about Indigenous champion Adam Goodes.
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