Former Collingwood star Heritier Lumumba has accepted North Melbourne’s apology after an ex-player was found to have made a racist comment towards him on social media.
While the player’s identity was withheld by the club, North Melbourne acted swiftly, cancelling the individual’s Past Players Association Membership in the wake of his since-deleted comment.
After being contacted personally by North Melbourne CEO Ben Amarfio, Lumumba thanked the club for taking action against the former player.
“The North Melbourne Football Club has cancelled a former players’ membership after he made a racist comment about me online,” he tweeted.
“While these actions were beyond the club’s control, their CEO Ben Amarfio still reached out to me privately, and publicly condemned the behaviour.
“It’s that simple. I thank the NMFC for taking swift and decisive action to show that there’s no room for racism in sport, on or off the field.”
Lumumba’s pair of tweets came after Amarfio condemned the individual’s actions, saying those who don’t show a commitment to inclusiveness were not welcome at the club.
“People who don’t accept these values or whom after years of education still don’t understand these principles, won’t be welcome in our club and we hope the broader football and non-football community takes a similarly strong stance against these ignorant few,” he said.
“Through our community arm, The Huddle, more than 85,000 young people from over 160 different cultures over the past decade have been engaged, supported and empowered through our programs to learn, grow and feel a stronger sense of belonging to the community.
“We will continue to meaningfully engage and collaborate with our communities, from Australia’s First People to our newest arrivals to create safe, welcoming, culturally-affirming and inclusive environments for all.”
The club has confirmed the unnamed player was on the Kangaroos’ list from 2012 until 2014, when he was delisted without playing a senior game. He only ever played for the Kangaroos’ VFL side.
North Melbourne officials have encouraged the player to contact Lumumba to apologise for his comments and to “try to gain a greater appreciation for the pain and hurt caused by such remarks”.