FORMER St Kilda footballer Robert Muir's revelations of horrendous racism in his playing days has given Ballarat football plenty to consider.
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Ballarat is where Muir's highly exciting game took off in junior ranks, starting with East Ballarat then moving to Ballarat Swans for under-18s.
Muir opened up to the ABC at the weekend as the AFL's Sir Doug Nicholls round, celebrating the game's Indigenous players, drew to a close.
He spoke about the tirade of racism, stemming from those junior days about four decades ago, that continued to haunt him on and off the field.
Ballarat Football League's board was to meet on Monday night and review Muir's story.
The BFL already had a scheduled board meeting but felt it was important to further consider Muir's story as a group before looking to make a statement.
BFL operations manager Shane Anwyl said the board wanted time to better understand the history first.
"We are naturally concerned about the circumstances Robert has made clear from back in that time and we will certainly be looking closer at it," Anwyl said.
In the interview, Muir detailed when he was banned from Ballarat Football League action for two-and-a-half years, from July 1971, for an incident umpires claimed was a "very savage kick" on an opponent. This was despite his Redan opponent insisting it was merely a trip.
The story was the tribunal only deliberated for five minutes before reaching a verdict.
Muir said that verdict set back his potential Victorian Football League career by more than two years.
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Ballarat Swans appealed the decision all the way to the Victorian Supreme Court.
Swans president Karl Drever this was an element of the story for which the club should be proud. Mr Drever said the club, like the league, was considering the best way to make an official response to Muir's story.
"It has created a lot of interest in the story about the club. It just shows racism should not be tolerated," Mr Drever said.
It has created a lot of interest in the story about the club. It just shows racism should not be tolerated.
- Karl Drever, Ballarat Football Club president
In the interview with ABC, Muir said North Ballarat Football Club had a wall with photos of all their AFL exports on a wall but there were none at East Ballarat (now East Point) or Ballarat Swans.
The Courier understands neither club has such a honour wall.
Ballarat Swans do list Muir in club history on their website for playing nine senior games and kicking 22 goals before joining St Kilda in 1974.
AFL club St Kilda issued an apology to Muir and admitted to "grave errors in the past" after his story revealed details of the racism he endured throughout his football career.
In one of the many examples of treatment he received, Muir said he was urinated on by one of St Kilda's star players after walking into the showers following his first training session with the club. He was aged 20 at the time. Teammates laughed.
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