A man who says he is the father of the woman who threw a banana at Adelaide player Eddie Betts on Saturday night has defended his daughter, claiming she has been "demonised".
In a video posted on social media, the fan was seen to throw a banana at Betts, an act condemned by the AFL as "clearly an unambiguous racist act".
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A Port Adelaide fan has been caught on video throwing what appears to be a banana at indigenous Crows star Eddie Betts.
Speaking on Adelaide radio station FiveAA on Monday, the man - who called himself Don - said his daughter has had the "racist card" played against her.
"Trust me (I am her father), I'm the most honest person," the man said.
"You won't believe it, but my older sister rang me yesterday afternoon. I knew nothing about it. I knew the incident had occurred, and then there were people that I knew and I said, 'Look, show me on the phone', and there it was – my daughter.
"I am just absolutely shocked. I'm just beside myself. Because it's just so uncharacteristic. This kid is a beautiful kid.
"She's very similar to her mother – unassuming, honest. This was so uncharacteristic."
"Unless my daughter was on drugs overnight, no way in the world.
![A Facebook user posted a video of the woman alleged to have thrown a banana at Crows player Eddie Betts.](/web/20160824010055im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/x/k/w/x/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqxyoo.png/1471832191348.jpg)
"The thing that irritates me the most is that we're playing the racist card here.
"It was more an act of frustration than a racist act where she's thrown a banana.
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"You're playing the racist game. I'm not condoning what she's done.
"This is called media rubbish. Why do you people sensationalise things?"
The man said he was "not condoning what she's done" but maintains the woman should not be banned from AFL games for life.
"Don't demonise this human being, because I know what she's like," he said.
AFL aboriginal advisory committee chair Paul Briggs said there was no debate as to the woman's intent.
"While speculation and debate will occur around the motivation of such behaviour, it is clearly an unambiguous racist act, something most fair-minded Australians would find appalling and unacceptable," he said.
"There's no room for racism of any form in our game and we are saddened that incidents of this nature continue to occur.
"We want fans to be passionate and cheer for their team, but there's a line and it was clearly crossed on this occasion."
Incoming AFL inclusion and social policy manager Tanya Hosch said: "On behalf of the AFL, I want to say that we know racism exists in our game, as it does still in the broader Australian society."
Hosch did not want to comment on the individual case but said: "The throwing of a banana and its association with slurs on indigenous Australians and other cultural groups, which has sadly occurred in sports around the world, is deeply racist and offensive, and should be rejected by every part of our game, including clubs, players, fans and supporters."
"The AFL will work with the club as they finalise their investigations and provide support on any further action required," Hosch said.
With AAP