Greater Western Sydney full-forward Jeremy Cameron says racial abuse at AFL games and he hopes the crowd at Manuka Oval focuses on cheering on the premiership favourites.
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The Giants will play Port Adelaide Power at Manuka on Saturday in the wake of Port ruckman Paddy Ryder and Adelaide Crows forward Eddie Betts getting racially abused by supporters at last weekend's Showdown at Adelaide Oval.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan came out earlier in the week and said racism had no place in the game, while Indigenous players from both Port and the Crows joined arms in a display of solidarity.
Cameron was disappointed to hear about what happened where a Crows fan racially abused Ryder and in a separate incident Betts was abused by a Crows supporter.
It comes after a Port supporter threw a banana at Betts in another racist incident last season.
"It's obviously unacceptable from the crowd. Those sorts of [big] games, the Showdown in general is one of the best games of the year," Cameron said.
"I've watched footy all my life and as a football fan, let alone a player, you don't want to hear those sort of things coming out of a great spectacle - it's an awesome game, most people in footy would sit down and watch that sort of thing.
"To hear that sort of stuff come out afterwards is pretty disappointing. Obviously it's got to stop."
Cameron has been playing at Manuka Oval since GWS first entered the AFL and began playing three games a season in Canberra.
They've turned the oval into a fortress having won five of their last five games in the ACT.
A lot of those games have been played in front of sellout crowds, with a sea of orange and charcoal circling the crowd.
There have been no reports of similar racist incidents at AFL games at Manuka - although South African cricketers have reported incidents there in the past - and Cameron hoped that remained the case going forward.
The spearhead encouraged the largely pro-Giants crowd to get behind their team rather than yell any abuse towards the Port players.
"I haven't heard of anything at all personally with the Canberra crowd. I think it's great playing down there," Cameron said.
"One of the best things is it's majority Giants in the stands. It's a home away from home for us.
"I'd hope most of the fans were cheering for us rather than all the other sorts of things that go on. As a player it's an awesome place to play down there and everyone's very welcoming."
AFL ROUND FOUR
Saturday: GWS Giants v Port Adelaide at Manuka Oval, 4.35pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.
