Saints coach Ross Lyon hits out at racist AFL trolls ahead of St Kilda and Geelong clash
Wanganeen-Milera and Port Adelaide's Jase Burgoyne called out anonymous trolls after both players received a series of abusive messages following their games last round.
Those directed at Wanganeen-Milera appeared related to betting on the 22-year-old playmaker's disposal count in the Saints' loss to Sydney.
"It was hate, it was vehement, it was disgusting," St Kilda coach Lyon said.
"We don't stand for it as a club and the AFL doesn't, and the community shouldn't.
"It's more than racism — it's hate. You know what? The standards you walk past are the standards you accept.
"They call it out, we'll move on and play our footy."
Lyon said Wanganeen-Milera had been "really well" in the days since calling out the abuse.
The out-of-contract star, who is weighing up his playing future amid huge interest from rival clubs, will line up for the Saints in their clash with Geelong at Kardinia Park on Sunday.
"Nothing fazes Nas," Lyon said.
"It's nothing to do with Nas … Nas is a great person and he's becoming a great player.
"If anything, the power's in how you respond. He's got nothing to shy away from.
"Deep down, would it be really hurtful and uncomfortable? Yeah, but guess what? That's out there … it was hate, it was vehement and it was disgusting.
"We don't stand for it and we want to stamp it out and we want to call it out, which has been done."
The AFL on Monday condemned the "abhorrent racist remarks" directed at Wanganeen-Milera and Burgoyne, and is investigating the incidents.
Last week, a Melbourne man was arrested and charged after alleged racist comments on social media directed towards NBL star Montrezl Harrell.
AAP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Scary': Nathan Cleary move puts NRL on notice as Panthers purr to seven straight
Nathan Cleary is back and in a big way. Everything Cleary touched turned to gold on Saturday as Penrith leapfrogged the Broncos into fifth spot on the NRL ladder with a dominant 36-2 win at home over the Tigers. The Panthers have now won seven in a row and are in the hunt for the all-important top four place, an incredible feat considering they were languishing in last spot only two months ago. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. But it was seeing their No. 7 back with the kicking tee in hand and without strapping that had Panthers fans believing a fifth straight premiership is a real possibility. Cleary was at his masterful best in Saturday's win, setting up three tries while he returned to the goalkicking duties and didn't miss any of his six attempts. The halfback hasn't kicked goals for Penrith since the round 14 win over the Tigers due to a groin injury, but being back with the tee suggests that niggling injury is now in a rear-view mirror. The 27-year-old moved freely as he tore the Tigers to shreds, creating line breaks at will with his acceleration and ball-playing mastery. 'There are a few teams in the NRL getting nervous watching that,' Andrew Voss said in Fox commentary as Cleary rang rings around the hapless Tigers. While the reigning premiers now set their sights on a top-four finish, rivals should be worried because next week, for the first time in 2025, they will be at full strength. And their form turnaround has many wondering, they can't do it again, can they? 'Penrith are travelling better than anyone in the competition other than maybe the Raiders,' Greg Alexander said in Fox commentary. Voss added: 'Rivals should be worried, very worried'. Tigers back to the drawing board The Tigers aren't the first team to have been strangled out of the contest by Penrith, but Benji Marshall will be disappointed with his side's inability to conjure anything in attack. Taylan May was held up early, and Starford Toa scooped up a loose ball, but he had no support on a night they failed to register a single line break. Their only points came from a penalty goal to open the scoring, with halfback Latu Fainu only running once before he was taken off as Sunia Turuva carted it up 25 times from the back. They don't have the squad to match it with Penrith's grinding tactics, which is why fans will be hoping they return to the free-flowing footy that works so well for them. Last week's win over the Titans gave them some breathing space in a bid to avoid the wooden spoon, but Gold Coast's win across the ditch means the Tigers are just two points clear of bottom spot.
The Australian
2 hours ago
- The Australian
Immigration detainee, 45, accused of making hundreds of threatening calls to police
Police have bemoaned the 'frustrating waste of resources' after an immigration detainee in Western Australia was charged over allegedly threatening phone calls. The Moroccan national, 45, was arrested at the Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre on Thursday and charged with two offences of using carriage service to menace, harass or offend and using a carriage service to make threat to kill. According to the Australian Federal Police, the man allegedly made 297 offensive phone calls to the AFP over 54 days in April through July. This would be an average of 5.5 calls per day over the two-month period. The 45-year-old will return to court in September. Picture: Australian Federal Police. AFP Detective Acting Inspector Karen Addiscott said the man's alleged calls could have disrupted or delayed genuine calls from being answered 'These types of calls not only impose a frustrating waste of resources for the agency targeted, they can be distressing and concerning for the people who answer them, even if they are not the direct target of the threats,' she said. The man appeared in the Perth Magistrates' Court on Friday where he was remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance on September 12. Read related topics: Immigration Liam Beatty Journalist Liam Beatty is a court reporter with NCA NewsWire. He has previously worked in newsrooms in Victoria and Western Australia. Liam Beatty
The Australian
2 hours ago
- The Australian
Bridal Waltz does it again with Bletchingly Stakes triumph as Peter Moody aims higher
Bridal Waltz could step into spring now after a Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) win at Caulfield. The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained favourite defied a late challenge from backmarker Kin to get the result from gallant Yellow Sam. Second-elect New York Lustre finished off late to run fourth. Drama ensued an hour before the Bletchingly, with Baraqiel, the pre-race favourite, scratched on vet advice. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet IQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Racing Victoria vets deemed the comeback sprinter lame in the near foreleg upon inspection. Moody, who won back-to-back Bletchingly Stakes in 2011-12 with Mid Summer Music and Ready To Rip, was pleased to get the result with Bridal Waltz. Bridal Waltz won the Listed Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington last start, her main winter target, but did so well post Moody and Coleman tried the Bletchingly. 'I thought her last couple of runs, she probably goes for a spell, but we'll probably take her home and rinse and repeat, take her down the beach and assess her,' Moody said. 'It'd be nice to lift the bar a little bit … do we find a mares' Group 2 now we're a Group 3 winner or have a few weeks off and come back to Flemington in November? 'Chase a stakes race there away from the A-graders, you never know, she might become an A-grader one day the way she's going.' Bridal Waltz stalked leader and reigning Bletchingly winner Recommendation and let down strongly. 'I was very pleased with where she was in the run,' Moody said. 'Recommendation took her to the right part of the track and carted her well up the straight. 'Good tough effort … we have spaced her runs all the way through, she looks like a hairy little goat. 'She spends most of her time outdoors and down at the beach … in the cold most of it, holds a lot of hair, so she's not overly attracted in the yard but she enjoys that little gap three or four weeks.' Co-trainer Katherine Coleman with Bridal Waltz after the win. Picture: Getty Images Jockey Ben Melham enjoyed a second win on Bridal Waltz and managed to dictate tempo albeit from behind the leader. 'Initially I thought he was going to go a little bit slower than I would've liked, I stayed out there and forced him to come up inside me and go the tempo I wanted him to go basically,' Melham said. 'It worked well for us, he got going before the corner … she certainly hasn't gone backwards from that (Creswick Stakes). 'The key to her is not to go too slow, she can actually sustain good gallop and good sectionals and hold it right through the line.' Godolphin were denied a fairytale Melbourne swan song with Kin best of three starters for James Cummings in the Bletchingly. Kin snagged back to last from a wide barrier and burst through late to grab second. Inhibitions and Kallos, also trained by Cummings, were unplaced. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Windstorm ends 1750-day drought - Brad Waters Victoria was in the grip of Daniel Andrews' enforced COVID-19 lockdowns the last time Windstorm won a race. The former Perth galloper won the Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes at Caulfield in October 2020, indicating he was a top-class performer in the making. Few, including previous owner Bob Peters, would have known that would be Windstorm's last win for 1750 days. Peters moved on Windstorm after a few more injury-plagued years but the imposing galloper finally saluted at the 15th attempt for Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood in the Sportsbet More Places Handicap (1400m). Jockey Luke Cartwright brought the gelding from last as the $41 chance shattered many quaddies when the pair saluted by a length. Bedggood said Windstorm had drawn some unwarranted criticism during his long winless period. 'I feel sorry for the horse because people along the way called him a 'nonny' (non-winner) and a cheat and it's not the case,' Bedggood said. 'It's taken a while to figure him out. 'I've wanted to put blinkers on him for the last six months but they haven't been the right races. 'Maybe he doesn't run much past this, a good speed over 1400m, and his three wins have been over that trip. 'We'll try to replicate that type of race going forward.' Windstorm completed a long-priced double for Bedggood after Behaviour won earlier in the day at $16. Gilbert Gardiner Sports reporter Gilbert Gardiner is a sports reporter for the Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun. @gilbertgardiner Gilbert Gardiner
