Players refusing to sing the National anthem in protest

[Angry_eel]

Serious question. Why do we need to have the anthems for any event that is an all Australian fixture? Why not just for international fixtures?

This! Why do we need it in Origin. Not a single non-Australian would be playing.

 

[juro]

On topic, if the lads don't want to sing it, they shouldn't have to.

The last 200 years has been less than kind to them.

The anthem is shit, it should be Waltzing Matilda, and John Williamson should exclusively be only able to sing it.

So you'd prefer a song about a bloke who steals a sheep, gets busted by the cops and kills himself? And if people are struggling with the word girt, how do they go with jumbucks and coolibahs?

 

[DC_fan]

TBH I don't know why they would make it public. They could just stand there and not sing without the added attention.

That would not have given them the publicity they craved for in getting their message across. It’s not about not singing the anthem, after all a lot of people don’t sing the anthem. It is all about why they don’t want to sing it.

 

[t-ba]

This! Why do we need it in Origin. Not a single non-Australian would be playing.

Outside Australia?

That's in QLD!

 

[The Charlatan]

So you'd prefer a song about a bloke who steals a sheep, gets busted by the cops and kills himself? And if people are struggling with the word girt, how do they go with jumbucks and coolibahs?

Well I was kidding, but f**k it, why not?

Theft, anti-authoritarian sentiment and suicide of adult men are all issues in modern Australia.

N.B. I am still kidding in case your sarcasm meter is busted.

 

[Timmah]

Good on them for refusing to sing it. I never before thought about how the anthem doesn't represent us as a whole and hope it brings changes so that it does.

Bang on. I hope so too.

It surprises me people don't understand how bad that anthem is.

 

[betcats]

So you'd prefer a song about a bloke who steals a sheep, gets busted by the cops and kills himself? And if people are struggling with the word girt, how do they go with jumbucks and coolibahs?

Given we are a nation of convicts that is a better representation of us then Advance Australia fair. Im not even joking.

Coolibah trees are iconic.

 

[carcharias]

This

 

[Bloke]

I’d say it’s not the actual lyrics but who they represented at the time of writing it.

It’s absolutely disgraceful this country’s history towards indigenous people.
My generation was taught zero about them at school.
f**king horrendous attitude by the education dept and govt.

Anyway thats just my opinion.

Geez Carch, this is a side of you I’ve not seen before. Respect.

 

[Springs09]

Bang on. I hope so too.

It surprises me people don't understand how bad that anthem is.

So explain it.

I don't like it as a song. I don't see how it offends anyone though.

If it's 'it was written in the 1800s' - so what? So was Waltzing Matilda. It wasn't written with any malice towards anyone.

Has this been brought up before this year's all-stars game? I've never seen anyone care.

Indigenous Australians have a lot more pressing issues than a f**king song
https://www.2gb.com/first-aboriginal-cabinet-minister-doesnt-support-changing-the-national-anthem/

 

[Yorrick Hunt]

Players should be forced to audition for State of Origin by singing the national anthem to the selectors who will be sitting in chairs with their backs to the player. The selectors turn their chairs around if they like the singing. The player only makes the team if all the selectors turn around. The first 17 to turn all the selectors chairs make up the team.

Mate against mate. Grate against grate.

 

[carcharias]

Geez Carch, this is a side of you I’ve not seen before. Respect.

I’ve got a lot of time for indigenous Australians
I been fortunate enough to go deep into Arnhem Land.
Met some beautiful people.

 

[no name]

So explain it.

I don't like it as a song. I don't see how it offends anyone though.

If it's 'it was written in the 1800s' - so what? So was Waltzing Matilda. It wasn't written with any malice towards anyone.

Has this been brought up before this year's all-stars game? I've never seen anyone care.

Indigenous Australians have a lot more pressing issues than a f**king song
https://www.2gb.com/first-aboriginal-cabinet-minister-doesnt-support-changing-the-national-anthem/

It was written at a time were Aboriginal people were not considered citizens of Australia.
Aboriginal people don’t consider the land ‘young’ and treatment of Aboriginal people at the time wouldn’t really fit into the ‘free’ category.

 

[Timmah]

So explain it.

I don't like it as a song. I don't see how it offends anyone though.

If it's 'it was written in the 1800s' - so what? So was Waltzing Matilda. It wasn't written with any malice towards anyone.

Has this been brought up before this year's all-stars game? I've never seen anyone care.

Indigenous Australians have a lot more pressing issues than a f**king song
https://www.2gb.com/first-aboriginal-cabinet-minister-doesnt-support-changing-the-national-anthem/

Ooooooh whataboutism! My favourite.

You know that Indigenous issues (and indeed all ills of society) aren't mutually exclusive, and can be dealt with concurrently, or in their own way? It's not up to you to tell Indigenous Australians what their issues are, or which they should place priority on.

The anthem itself is fairly clear in its anglo-centricity, to the exclusion of others. The word 'Fair' itself in the title and chorus line is itself the subject of debate as to whether it actually just means 'white' as per the originally written song. "For we are young and free" is particularly galling to Indigenous people as well.

And that's without reviewing that awful fifth verse someone quoted a page or two back.

As for has it been brought up before and RE: All-Stars, yes, that's what sparked this current wave of pot-stirring rubbish, Walker and others being asked about it: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-wont-sing-national-anthem-at-state-of-origin

 

[King hit]

Meh I don’t really care but wish they left politics out of sport

 

[Timmah]

Players should be forced to audition for State of Origin by singing the national anthem to the selectors who will be sitting in chairs with their backs to the player. The selectors turn their chairs around if they like the singing. The player only makes the team if all the selectors turn around. The first 17 to turn all the selectors chairs make up the team.

Mate against mate. Grate against grate.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

I honestly don't seen the big deal. If they didn't sing it without announcing their intentions of not singing it publicly first, no one would have even noticed...

 

[Timmah]

Meh I don’t really care but wish they left politics out of sport

Has never happened and will never happened.

 

[mave]

I don't care if these blokes dont want to sing the anthem. Good luck to them.

Just like no-one should care that I have no interest in the whole welcome to country thing, or women's round, or anything else at that time.

8pm Wednesday night is about the footy.
Fk the rest of it.

 

[King hit]

Has never happened and will never happened.

In other countries it has happened although I’m not sure about Australia.