Blacklock wants Indigenous welfare officer at every NRL club
Adam Pengilly
September 10, 2020 — 7.45pm
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Nathan Blacklock wants the NRL to have an Indigenous welfare officer at every club as one of St George Illawarra's most celebrated players leaves the door ajar for a return to the club one day.
Blacklock, who revealed in the
Herald he was
driven away from the joint-venture club by racism, has made his pitch for further support systems to be put in place for Indigenous players within their club environment.
Nathan Blacklock wants an Indigenous welfare officer at every NRL club.Credit:Getty
The winger joined former Broncos great Steve Renouf in
describing instances of racism within the game during their playing days.
While NRL clubs have been crippled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Blacklock wants them to consider following a model used at the Panthers where Glen Liddiard works as an Indigenous welfare officer, who has helped mentor Brent Naden and Daine Laurie.
"I know there are guys there now and it would work well with a lot of guys away from home," Blacklock said. "I reckon it would be a great idea for them. It's just someone they can approach about every day things that might be affecting them.
"A coach has a lot on and there might be groups in a team, but sometimes you might need someone else to talk to. They're just somebody you can contact."
A coach has a lot on and there might be groups in a team, but sometimes you might need someone else to talk to.
Nathan Blacklock
Blacklock has been overwhelmed by the reaction to his revelation he left the club for the first time in 2002 due to racism.
He had a brief stint in rugby union with the NSW Waratahs before returning to the Dragons, where he had earlier forged his name as a prolific try-scorer, topping the NRL charts three seasons in a row.
St George Illawarra issued a statement on Sunday
"apologising unreservedly" for Blacklock's treatment at the club.
He said he always wanted to be a one-club player, but "there's only so much you can take". And he left the door ajar for a return to St George Illawarra one day in an official capacity.
The Dragons have apologised to Nathan Blacklock for racism during his time at the club.Credit:Action Photographics
"It just shows its weighed on his shoulders for a long time and he feels a lot better," said Dean Widders, one of the game's biggest Indigenous advocates.
"It's disappointing around that time there wasn't the support and people weren't aware of what was being said and how they used their language and how they spoke and how it affected people.
"Across the wellbeing management teams at the clubs there's a sprinkling of Indigenous people involved in various roles, but it's not mandatory. Penrith have had a bit of success with Glen Liddiard and they're a club that's doing it really well."
Blacklock's former coach Andrew Farrar, who was in charge of St George Illawarra between 2000-02, said his former player's revelation "came as a surprise".
"I thought our team was very aware of any kind of racism or picking on other blokes," Farrar said. "They were a good group.
"'Mun' [Anthony Mundine] was there as well, Amos Roberts was a young bloke coming through and there were a couple of other Indigenous players in the lower grades as well. It wasn't as if him and 'Mun' were the only two.
"It was only the early years of the joint venture and Illawarra had some history with Indigenous players as well. By him coming out with it I hope he's got a weight off his shoulders."
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/bl...fficer-at-every-nrl-club-20200909-p55tzp.html
