Flogs, Wogs and Blogs

How can it be racist when 70 other indigenous players don’t get booed?

Why bring politics into sport? Nothing is apolitical. Do you know where your jeans are made and who makes them? Following Collingwood is a political statement. Class war anybody? Oh yeah like my jeans, Collingwood represents the K-Mart consumer.

Middle Australia has spoken. Why don’t we just move on? Have you ever been racially abused for the colour of your skin? No, but…He’s a flog! Do you know any indigenous people? No, but…he’s the racist for calling Australia ‘Invasion Day’. Oh okay. Does the Australian Flag represent you? Not really, but he is a privileged footballer who gets paid more than I do and therefore I can boo whoever I want damn it!

The Australian Cricket team has about as much racial and ethnic diversity in its ranks as a Reclaim Australia rally. How is that relevant? Well because it represents Australia. Why are you being a sook? Melbourne is SO multicultural! Been to Brighton lately? That’s part of Melbourne, not much ethnic and racial diversity there. What about the Jews? Fair call. What are the chances of a mosque being built in Brighton? No, Warnie and Sam Newman would never allow it. Middle Australia has spoken.

He’s a flog! Why can’t he just play footy and shut up about everything else? Does that make you feel uncomfortable? No, but…he’s an agitator. So we are just happy for indigenous players to perform like monkeys in a zoo? That’s rashist! You called the ape a monkey! No, the only monkeys I see are the ones that boo without thinking. Or are they sheep? There must be some correlation there. There’s safety and anonymity in numbers.

Who are you to label me rashist ya flog?! My grandfather died in two world wars under that flag! Where’s the respect? Are you related to Ted Bullpit? Now you’re being a smart arse! No, I’m a wog on a blog trying to understand the true meaning of the word ‘flog’. Economical word that, like sook. Anything beyond one syllable just doesn’t get the message across. Bit like ‘Boo’ really. Is it primal or primitive?

Look if ya don’t like it why don’t ya go back to where you came from? Golden Dawn Fraser said as much. Doesn’t she sit on a heap of prominent boards? Great Australian. You’re lucky Australia welcomed your parents back in the 50s. Really? Remember ‘Populate or Persish’? Maybe Australia just wanted cheap wog labour to make its already wealthy white population even wealthier? Ingrate Wog Flog !

Can you tell me why we haven’t had an indigenous coach at the highest level since Barry Cable and Polly Farmer back in the 70s and 80s? Well no, but it’s their own fault. If they acted more like white people they’d get into positions of power and influence. So that’s what it is? Still? That’s right! You can either fit in or fuck off! But he’s indigenous. They were here before us. That’s a myth!! Didn’t they come from India or something? It’s not our fault that they brought a spear to a gunfight!! Why fight at all? Well how else were we supposed to settle the land? Negotiation might have been more effective. Compromise? Mutual respect? But they were savages!!! Who had the guns again?

You’re nothing but a left wing lackey ya flog! You get your information from that Indian bloke Wally Ali. I think he has an Egyptian background actually and his name is Waleed Aly. Seems to make sense to me. Bloody Arabs stirring up trouble. Don’t you know they want Sharia Law in Australia. They’ll turn all our pubs into mosques if we don’t put our foot down! Do you know the difference between and Arab Muslims and Non-Arab Muslims?

Ever seen ‘Wake in Fright’?

 

About Phillip Dimitriadis

Carer/Teacher/Writer. Author of Fandemic: Travels in Footy Mythology. World view influenced by Johnny Cash, Krishnamurti, Larry David, Toni Morrison and Billy Picken.

Comments

  1. Bec Blossomvictory says

    Hahahaha, Great Read!! … like many others have already said, just Can’t be an Arsehole, even for a Fee-Paying Customer let alone a so called ‘Footy Fan”!? … simple, in a civilised society like ours, there is a F*cking Limit for how far Personal freedom can go, Over the limit?? — No no, FULL STOP!!!

  2. Keiran Croker says

    Good stuff Phil. I think respect is the one word we should be reaching for.

  3. Dunno about this one, Phil. I get your frustrations loud and clear. But I like the word “flog”. I take it to mean a “waste of space/oxygen thief'” – particularly if the person is self-important. I use it often for my bosses; or for politicians; or self-appointed spokesmen for something they know nothing about.
    As for Australia. Hey we are a long way off perfect. But I still don’t have anywhere else I would rather live; or anywhere else that cares for its disadvantaged better. Maybe Canada (too cold) or some Scandinavian countries (too po-faced and lacking in humour). OK – but not a better, fairer, more tolerant country and people.
    The things that frustrate me most are generally power crazy, frustrated MALE egoes. Armed with all the destructive technological capacity of the modern world – weapons; mind warping drugs; consumer toys; instant social media trivialisation; sexual domination and exploitation. Those things aren’t “Australian” problems. They aren’t even white problems. Crazy phukkas in the MALE power elites and their wanna be hangers-on in Asia, Africa and the Middle East have them in spades and with less constraints than our country.
    I get the frustration Phil. Just don’t know where it takes us.

  4. Don Meadows says

    Wonderful stuff Phillip, savagely funny, cuts to the bone. And still gets to be another step towards understanding.

  5. You had many, many strains of ignorance whirring nightmarishly before my eyes, Phil (and a cacophony of it ringing in my ears!) Wonderful satire.

  6. Thought provoking, maybe just provocative. Even 200+ years after European colonisation we’re still a scared little white nation in the Asia-Pacific region.

    There i s a fear, an aversion to learning the history of Australia. We like to have a huge group flog over April 25, though most Australians really don’t understand the meaning of the day. What does Middle Australia know about the Myall Creek massacre, or the Black War sin Van Diemens land ? How many sporting fans really know about Eddie Gilbert, a bowler who might have given us a weapon in the Bodyline series, except he was indigenous. When Nicky Winmar took his stand at Victoria Park in 1993, the relevant Federal Minister Nick Bolkus made a public comment of support within 24 hours. Why didn’t this happen with the Adam Goodes situation ? We talk about multiculturalism but apart from Starc and Ahmed how many non anglo names are in the Ashes Squad ?

    The treatment of Adam Godes has broken open a huge scab on the Australian skin, with the go oozing out every where. This has given us the basis for a conversation we need to have re what sort of Australian society we want in 2015 and beyond.

    Good onya Goodsey ! As i know, “White Australia has a Black history!”

    Glen!

  7. DBalassone says

    You’ve captured the spirit of the times with this. I reckon I’ve heard all these lines in the past few weeks. What’s surprised/disappointed me is the amount of vitriol for Goodes coming from second-generation wogs from the Melbourne suburbs (not everyone, I know, but a helluva lot). How many are using that ridiculous argument, “I was called wog and never complained.”, as if you can compare the level of racism that wogs cop to what indigenous people have copped! Please.

  8. Fantastic Phil. ‘Flog’ is just about the most vile term used to describe a human being at the moment. I cannot stand it.

    The sad part of this debate is that I have heard many of the ‘reasonings’ you’ve used here, in defence of the way Adam Goodes has been treated. I naively used to take pride in Australia’s caring for minority groups – ‘we’re so multicultural, of course we’re inclusive’ – How this has changed.

    And yet, we still provide air time for the moronic, bigoted commentary of Newman, Warne, Jones, Bolt etc. Australia not a racist country? Please…

  9. Skip of Skipton says

    I heard former Brighton resident Mustafa Ilhan (a non-arabic muslim) wanted to build a mosque there in the shape of an old school mobile phone. The antenna was going to be the minaret. He passed away before it got to planning.

  10. Insightful piece, Phil. Very enjoyable also!

    I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard the word “flog” on SEN.

  11. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Thanks for the comments and reflections folks.
    Bec, I hope this issue is helping us re-think what constitutes a civilised society. The Ancient Greeks used to boo bad actors and now they boo corrupt politicians. Not sure how far it has got them!

    Peter B, Most Scandinavian countries have free education systems and Canada has its own flag. It’s weather couldn’t be much worse than Melbourne’s for the last 3 months. As to “Where it gets us?”. Well perhaps we could find more creative ways to insult each other. Agree about male egos and power trips. I hope Hillary doesn’t get Trumped next year. Imagine Abbott, Putin, Trump holding power at the same time. Could be catastrophic.

    Thanks Don, maybe we could improve things by laughing at ourselves a bit more.

    Cheers Zitter glad you enjoyed the ride!

    Glen, The fact that we are still referring to Eddie Gilbert is problematic in itself. Cricket Australia has some work to do. A bloke named Nasser Hussein Captained England a decade ago. Could you imagine a ‘Hussein’ leading the Australian Cricket team? Not in my lifetime.

    Damo, agree on children of migrants lacking empathy on this issue. Lots of that going on. How quickly they forget or refuse to remember.

    Thanks Joe, Your article after the Hawthorn game was a revelation. Your Swannies have shown class in every respect on this issue and I hope they take it all the way for Goodsey in 2015!!

    Skip, John Ilhan doesn’t really count as he was too ‘assimulated’ . Fair point, though!

    Smokie, definitely a flogfest on SEN. Finey copped a barrage of ‘flog laden’ abuse last Sunday night.

    Maybe we could refer to those who use the word as the ‘Floglodytes’?

  12. Nailed it Mr Lord Bogan. You’ve caught the mob’s voice in its naked inglorious brashness. And I agree, flog is a gross form of invective.

  13. The Australian cricket team are a mob of flogs.
    I demand a show of hands.

  14. Dave Brown says

    I think the word flog has been, well, flogged to death. Now devoid of any meaning other than ‘I can think of no better insult to suggest I am more legitimate in action and thought than you’

  15. Andrew Starkie says

    Philo, we don’t need youse type around here, mate. Will keep an eye on ya from now on.

    Go back to Queenstown.

    I’m no racist, love the Lebo food from Zaatar.

  16. watt price tully says

    Great & sad reading Phil. Captured the frustrations well. Good contribution. Just read it aloud to my 22 yr old daughter who enjoyed your writings too.

  17. matt watson says

    Well done Phil.
    I grew up in Melbourne.
    It’s multicultural.
    I’ve see club supporters racially sledge opposition players.
    Those same supporters had those same race-type of players on their sides.
    The ignorance was astounding.

  18. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Cheers Rick, Dave, Andrew, Watt Price Tully, Matt. If there’s one thing I’ve learned here, it is that listening to too much footy talkback and reading too many social media posts can be toxic!
    PB, Although you might be flogging a dead horse on this thread you have plenty of mates out there and that must be of some comfort.

  19. Eleni Donnelly says

    Great read Phlip! I much admire the anger & frustration you so eloquently portray in your writing. We need to be angry. Mr Goodes has been treated horribly, all because he stepped outside the white bubble, despite his work to combat racism and domestic violence.
    Also,with Abbott gone, we won’t be seeing the trio of terror … I for one am very glad.

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