Racism in Sport: Fitzroy Stars Speak Out

FSFNC Racism in Sport Incident – Feb 20, 2026

ABC 774 Interview by Ali Moore

Link: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/melbourne-drive/fitzroy-stars-football-netball-club-racism-case/106388372

Interview Transcript:

Ali Moore: But we talk quite a lot about racism in football, but it's not confined to one sport. What about racism in netball? Here on Drive, we've been contacted by concerned members of the Fitzroy stars football netball Club, which is an Aboriginal community control club based in Thornbury, they compete in the northern football netball League, and they say a racist incident occurred last Friday at a netball game on the court, and it's not the first time it's happened.

Bec Pridham is a member of the Fitzroy stars netball team. She was on the court at the time and was supporting her teammates at a Tribunal hearing this week.

AM: Bec, hello, hi. How are you?

Bec Pridham: I'm good.

AM: Tell me what happened on the court last week.

BP: So we played our game last Friday night at La Trobe sports stadium. Sorry, it was Nets Banyule Sports Stadium, and we, unfortunately, after the game, had one of the players on the team that we first continuously making comments towards our team and our conduct, using the phrase you people in quite an aggressive manner.

And when one of my teammates asked what she meant by you people, she proceeded to make monkey noises like that kind of thing, and move her fists in a way that was imitating a gorilla beating its chest.

AM: And that was aimed at players on your team.

BP: Yes, so our team is a predominantly Aboriginal team, and yeah, she did this in our faces, quite blatantly imitating a monkey or an ape, and this obviously really sparked outrage and upset within our team and our community.

AM: Was this at the beginning or through the game, or at the end of the game? 

BP: Right at the end of the game, when we were shaking hands after the game? Yeah, so what happened after that you don't you were obviously engaged in a conversation.

AM: Who reported them to the tribunal?

BP: So interestingly, our Fitzroy Stars club did not actually report it, because the umpires that umpired our game and the Netball court coordinators at the stadium, they were the ones that reported it to the NFL, and then I believe the accused person pleaded not guilty, which is why it went to tribunal last night.

AM: So I understand at the tribunal last night, only a certain number of players were allowed in, so you were there to support, but you couldn't go in. But tell us a little about the process as you understand it.

BP: Yeah, so me and three of my teammates attended, and only three of us were allowed to go in, so the other three went in, and it was honestly a really brutal and humiliating experience for the three of them when they entered, sorry, when we entered the space where we were kind of debriefed beforehand, the three girls were actually separated into three separate break rooms, and then the accused person in the tribunal Got to do her statement and have her kind of side of the story her by herself, with a representative from her club,

AM: Can I just stop you there? So basically, inside the tribunal, the three players who were the target of this were not in the room while the accused person was giving their statement?

BP: Correct. However, when the three witnesses, the three affected people from my team, when they had to do their witness statements, the accused person and a representative from their club were present and were actually able to ask quite interrogating, intense questions at our team as if we were the ones in the role.

AM: That seemed extraordinarily one sided, that one gets the chance to prosecute their case and the other doesn't.

BP: Yes, it was extremely. It was extremely one sided. Our Stars netball coordinator was told that she wouldn't be able to enter the room if she was to come. However, as I said, the accused person got to have themselves and a representative from their club in there the entire time hearing everyone's witness statements.

And one of the most outrageous parts of that whole experience for my teammates was that they were asked multiple times each to actually reenact the incident, and so they were made to stand up in front of the NFL board, which might I add, was a completely white male group of people. There was no female representatives, and there was no Aboriginal representatives at all.

And they were made to stand up in front of them and actually imitate these monkey noises and these fist chest beating actions in front of the group and multiple times each which they found really humiliating, really dehumanizing and just kind of unnecessary, I think.

AM: And that's while the accused person was watching them?

BP: Yes, in the room,

AM: when you say NFNL, we should just clarify. We're talking about the northern football, netball league tribunal. Correct?

BP: Correct, yes.

AM: So what happened?

BP: So I think, following that, there was video evidence from the incident that was thrown in the tribunal. It was from a security camera that was, you know, in the roof of the stadium 100 meters away. Very poor angle, poor quality, no sound.

It didn't show the incident very clearly, and that was their kind of argument, that it wasn't, there wasn't there wasn't a clear evidence, which we just found really interesting, considering the report was made by the umpires and the court coordinators, and it is not actually by our club.

AM: So were the umpires or the court coordinators or other players, or indeed, you know, spectators, was anyone else called?

BP: No no one else was present, and no one else was allowed to be present.

AM: How are your teammates feeling?

BP: Absolutely just so hurt. The injustice is, unfortunately, not surprising, but really, really disappointing.

They're feeling really humiliated from the incident in the first place, but also from how the tribunal went. It's just been a really dehumanizing, discriminatory process the entire situation,

AM: you say, not surprising. This has happened before?

BP: Yes, so unfortunately, it's been an ongoing problem, I think, within sport, in Australia in general, but specifically within the Northern Football Netball League.

I know that in 2025 there were multiple racist incidents that occurred at our football games. And as far as I'm aware, a lot of them got off quite scott free as well. Got off got off quite lightly, with incidents being found not guilty, which is the same verdict that we've had with this situation.

AM: Bec, we're going to have a chat to the president of the Fitzroy stars in just a minute. But what, what would you like to see changed? I mean, is it about an education program? Is it about sorting out the tribunals so that they change their processes? What do you want to see changed?

BP: I think at an individual level, the accused person we would like to see undergo some cultural awareness training, and then, on a more systemic level, there definitely needs to be a change within the tribunal process to have tribunal process to have more of an equal representation, which would include female representation, but also Aboriginal or any other you know, backgrounds of people that are involved in incidents.

They need to have representation that are, you know, in line with who they are. And we also think that maybe this club in particular, while they've had multiple instances that it would be beneficial for them to undergo cultural awareness training as a club, and I think just for them to deal with this better, so that our community and Mob all over the country are feeling more safe and more respected, because at the end of the day, no one should be going to a game of sport and be experiencing something like this.

AM: Beck Pridham, really good to talk to you. Thanks so much.

BP: Thank you so much. Appreciate the time.

AM: Beck Pridham there. She's a member of the Fitzroy Stars netball team. Now we have reached out to the other club involved. We're not naming them at this stage. They've not responded. But Aunty Esme Bamblet is the president of the Fitzroy Stars Football Netball club where Bec Pridham plays. Aunty Bamblett, welcome.

Aunty Esme Bamblett: Thank you for having me.

AM: What's your reaction to what happened? And I suppose could I put that question in the context of, is this a common issue?

AE: It's one of many issues since 2008 since we've been in the League, we really, you know, we've had this issue before. We are disappointed with the outcome of the tribunal last night. We are working with the League on the next steps moving forward. Our club does not condone any racism against any race or religion.

We stand with our people who support us and fight for us. We fight for our girls. We're really, it's really upsetting to be quite honest, it's another, another upset that we've had.

I know that the league has been trying to change this. We are going to have a meeting with them. We are going to sit down and we are going to try to work this out together.

Since 2008 the racist behavior has continued, a one sided approach to our players who have faced the tribunal several times and been found guilty, which is, which is really not, not on.

But I am of the understanding that the Tribunal is an independent, independent to the NFNL. But I also think that the tribunal, as Bec said, Bec actually said it all, to be honest.

AM: But Aunty Bamblet, can I ask you? I mean, do you have an issue with,

AE: sorry, it’s Aunty Esme.

AM: Aunty Esme, Do you have an issue with the composition of the tribunal, an all white male tribunal?

AE: Definitely, I definitely do. We've definitely brought this up with the NFL before.

We do think that the tribunal should, and I never thought about the female representation, but that is true, and also the representation of the culture, the cultural group that the person is from. So like last night, it was about the Aboriginal Mob. But you know, it could be some other mobs that need to be represented for their culture as well.

I think it has to be made up of a culturally inclusive, fair process, which means incorporating the people who are involved in that tribunal. Three non Aboriginal white males, is not acceptable.

AM: And in your conversations with the league, are they open to you heard Bec Pridham say cultural awareness training, that is what she would like to see the accused club and the accused player undergo? Are they open to that?

AE: Well, we have had clubs that have done that. You know, we've had a club that actually did undergo cultural awareness training.

We think it's appropriate in this day and age for them to have cultural awareness training, but I think that the ball is in the court of the club that's involved, really, and you know, really, they should be happy to have that. If there are players who have racist attitudes towards any club,

AM: Auntie Esme, we will follow this story, and we, you know, certainly will try and and talk to the league. But thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. Okay, Aunty Esme Bamblett there.

She's the president of the Fitzroy stars Football Club. As I said, we reached out to the other club.

We're not naming them at the moment, but we also did put in a call to the northern football netball League.

This is the league that the Fitzroy stars plays in they declined to come on air, but they sent us a statement. So this is from the CEO Daniel Kelly:

“After an incident at a netball match on Friday, February 20, the Northern Football Netball League referred a case to its independent tribunal. The tribunal met for three hours on Tuesday, February 20 and a not guilty finding was delivered.

The Northern Football Netball League is supporting all parties involved in the decision.

The board will be convening as soon as possible to review the details of the decision and its appeal options.”

AM: So there you have it, and I'll be interested to know what you make of it. Clearly, it seems that there is an ongoing problem.  

And when you have a tribunal process where you have a woman's a women's netball League, a number of indigenous players, it is an Aboriginal controlled netball club, and you have three white men who sit on the tribunal. I wonder what you think of that we will continue to follow this story.