Lance Franklin labels Anthony Mundine's anthem boycott call at AFL grand final 'pretty stupid'
Updated
Sydney Swans star Lance Franklin has labelled boxer Anthony Mundine's call for a boycott of the national anthem at the AFL grand final as "pretty stupid".
Mundine wants players to kneel during the playing of Advance Australia Fair at the MCG on Saturday to protest against racial inequality and he has also called for a similar protest in Sunday's NRL grand final.
It follows American gridiron player Colin Kaepernick's decision not to stand during the playing of the United States' anthem during NFL games, a move that has been supported by other players amid much public criticism.
Franklin, an Indigenous Australian, said there was "no chance" he would take part in any kind of protest or boycott when the national anthem was played on Saturday.
"It's the first I've heard of it but personally I think it's pretty stupid really," Franklin said at Friday's grand final parade in Melbourne.
"It's the Australian national anthem. It's part of our sport, our history."
Mundine said his boycott call had wider significance.
"I just want to educate the people, the Australian anthem was written at a time where Aboriginal people weren't even considered human beings," Mundine said at his Redfern gym.
Mundine won't 'speak for Lance'
Mundine said he does not want to pressure any players involved in either grand final, but claimed Franklin was thinking about the AFL's image.
"He's thinking for the system and not thinking for his people and his heritage and his ancestry, and the dark history of what happened to his people," he said.
"I'm a militant brother, I can't speak for Lance, I can't speak for anyone else."
Federal member of parliament and Indigenous Australian Linda Burney also chose not to support Mundine's call for a boycott of the national anthem.
"I think Anthony is wonderful, I really do, I admire him enormously but I am not sure that expecting people not to sing the national anthem gets us very far in terms of relationships," she told 2GB.
Kaepernick first chose not to stand during the playing of the US national anthem at an NFL preseason fixture last month.
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour," Kaepernick told the US media at the time.
"To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.
"There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."
Meanwhile, Mundine said he was considering a move into politics as an independent after his boxing career was over.
"Maybe I think I will," he said.
"In order to make change you need powerful people with big-arse kahunas to step in and not be persuaded by the system."
ABC/AAP
Topics: australian-football-league, sport, boxing, race-relations, community-and-society, sydney-2000, melbourne-3000
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