The Race Card

Nathan Merritt a South Sydney Football player and an aboriginal was recently not picked in the city country origin game. He has been the leading try scorer in the past two years and his defense has improved greatly this season under Coach Jason Taylor.

However once he was not picked into the side the media circled and asked the young football star his feelings on why he wasn’t picked in the city country squad. At first he was reluctant to answer the question, but then he stated it was his aboriginal background that prevented him from being picked in the representative squad.

Anthony Mundine the South Sydney Aboriginal officer and friend of Merritt came out and backed the star footballer’s claims. Believing that there could not be any other explanation to as why the young winger was not picked in the squad. Mundine then went on to state a recent press conference that he has been telling young and promising football players to apply their trade in Queensland because they aren’t racist up there giving aboriginals more of a chance.

So are the NSW selectors racist? Even though we are living in modern day society are we still racist?

Looking at the facts and claims one would have to say no that NSW selectors are racist. The two players that were picked over Merrit where of Pacific Islander decent while the other player is of Lebanese origin. So that dismisses that theory, next should young players go to Queensland to get a better chance of playing representative football. Once again the answer is no, Mundine only has to look at his nephew Matthew to see that the selectors are not racist. Matthew Mundine nephew of Anthony has been the NSW under 16 captain for the last two years so surely the selectors cant be racist.

For Anthony Mundine it has been along running feud with the NRL over his representative career in the NRL. Anthony Mundine has often claimed that during his playing career in the NRL he was not given his proper chance at playing representative honors. Just like in the case of Merritt, Mundine believes he was never picked because of his heritage. However the player that was often picked ahead of him during his career was Laurie Daley who is also Aboriginal.

The NRL has often been noted as one of the sports in Australia that have knocked down the racism barriers in this country. Currently in the NRL there is the highest participation rate of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders and Pacific Islanders playing. Merritt you should feel a little disappointed you weren’t picked in country city origin but race does not play apart in selection. Hazem El Marsi who was picked ahead of you was born in Lebanon and has been playing great football for a number of years and deserves his chance.