AFL superstar Patrick Dangerfield wants to see to "We Got You" emblazoned on the uniform of every athlete, with a dozen of the biggest names in Australian sport coming together to head a national campaign to stamp out racism.
The cross-code campaign alliance was formed after the Black Lives Matter movement brought a global focus on racial injustice, with star athletes and coaches acknowledging they needed to do more.
Indigenous Boomers star Patty Mills chaired the online panel of athletes on Wednesday afternoon, including Australian teammate Joe Ingles, Dangerfield, the NRL's Daly Cherry-Evans and Jordan Kahu, Indigenous soccer star Lydia Williams and Erin Phillips, representing WNBA/AFLW.
Cricketer Peter Siddle, netball's Romelda Aiken, Wallabies prop Scott Sio and Melbourne AFL coach Simon Goodwin also spoke.
They hope that by using their profiles, more people will be encouraged to take a stand against racism in sport and society.
Jamaican Aiken has played for the Queensland Firebirds since 2008 and says she still gets racially abused, being told while playing in Adelaide to "go back to where you come from, this sport isn't for you".
The 31-year-old said she reached out to her Super Netball teammates around the time of the BLM protests.
"I told them that I'm hurting ... they are my brothers and sisters and they are hurting," she said.
"Who is going to take the first step to start the conversation? And I think the problem they didn't know how ... so I'm excited to have this platform to use each other to help each other."
Demons coach Goodwin said one of his Indigenous players Neville Jetta had helped him to realise it was his responsibility to speak out.
"He's taught me that it's not the people who are vilified who need to fight this fight. It's people who aren't - they can have a strong voice and they can make a difference," Goodwin said.
"I've been silent for a long time and it's not that I haven't wanted to help, it's just I didn't think I needed to but, after talking Nev and other players, it is time to help to make a difference."
Phillips, whose brother-in-law is Indigenous Hawthorn legend Shaun Burgoyne, said she didn't think as a "white woman" her opinion would carry any weight.
"I didn't want to do those affected by racism injustice," Phillips said.
"I thought I'd support in the background and that was enough but I've realised that being silent is complicit and, with the platform we have, we need to talk about it, have discussions and educate our kids."
Dangerfield pointed to the many sponsor logos on his Geelong gear and said he wanted "We Got You" to have the same profile.
"Where I'd like this to go is that on every guernsey we wear on court, pitch, pool, sporting organisation has our emblem of We Got You," he said.
"Then there is a real image of solidarity for us that sport isn't going to take this anymore ... and this signifies that we're in it together and we're going to call it out whenever we see it.
"I hope this campaign is a really strong vehicle to continue to talk about it but also drive real change within society."
Australian Associated Press
