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Collingwood racism victim Heitier Lumumba listed his nickname as ‘The Chimp’ in a resurfaced AFL interview, after claiming teammates made up the racist moniker.
Lumumba is suing the Magpies over allegations he was subjected to a culture of ‘racist jokes’, including being nicknamed ‘chimp’ by fellow players, during his stint with the club from 2005 to 2014.
After retiring from the sport five years ago, the 2010 premiership player came forward with his claims, which led to Collingwood carrying out an internal investigation into racism.
But a player profile in an AFL magazine has since been unearthed, where Lumumba filled in the ‘my nicknames include’ section with ‘The Chimp, H, Prince, Har-Jack’.
A player profile in an AFL magazine has since been unearthed, where Lumumba – who also went by the name Harry O’Brien – filled in the ‘my nicknames include’ section with ‘The Chimp, H, Prince, Har-Jack’
Lumumba (left) blew the whistle on Collingwood for ‘systemic’ racism, sparking an investigation and subsequent allegations of racial discrimination within the club
When asked what animal he would be, the 34-year-old said he would be a chimpanzee.
The interview, from Lumumba’s early years with the club, was shared by former Geelong player Sam Newman.
‘What would you make of this?’ Newman wrote alongside a photo of the magazine snippet.
Newman shared the post just hours after saying it is an ‘absolute disgrace’ that Eddie McGuire was forced to quit as Collingwood president in the wake of the racism scandal.
On Tuesday, McGuire resigned after 23 years as Collingwood president.
McGuire had already announced, a day before the report was published, he would leave at the end of the year but he was forced to go effective immediately.
The media personality fought back tears as he announced he would stepping down at a press conference on Tuesday.
The controversy-plagued president was slammed for calling the release of the report ‘an historic and proud day for the Collingwood Football Club’.
On Tuesday, Eddie McGuire resigned after 23 years as Collingwood president following fallout from the damning report
After retiring from the sport five years ago, Lumumba came forward with his claims, which led to Collingwood carrying out an internal investigation into racism
He referenced those comments at the beginning of Tuesday’s press conference, with his opening line: ‘I try my best and I don’t always get it right, but I don’t stop trying.’
‘I don’t think it is either fair or tenable for the club or the community (to continue in this role).
‘People have latched on to my opening line last week and as a result I have become a lightning rod for vitriol but have placed the club in a position where it is hard to move forward with our plans of clear air.’
It comes after former Magpies player Simon Buckley claimed Brazilian-born Lumumba never complained about his nickname ‘Chimp’.
Buckley, who is indigenous and played 26 games with the club, posted comments on a Facebook page belonging to former AFL player Shae McNamara.
‘He was all for it when he was winning flags and playing well. He would refer to himself as chimp. He all of a sudden 10 years later wants to be a humanitarian (sic),’ he said of Lumumba.
‘If he wanted to preach about racism, he shoulda called it out at the time and not run with it and called himself that for a laugh.
‘Now all of a sudden he’s out of the media and wants to be back in the limelight and get a few bucks. Weak as p*ss.’
Lumumba hit back with a lengthy response, before Buckley’s comments were deleted.
‘As I have consistently stated over the past four year, the nickname ‘Chimp’ began in 2005, during the pre-season and, no, I did not make it up myself,’ he wrote.
‘Within two months of me being at the club, I had already been exposed to a culture where racist ideas, in the form of jokes, stereotypes and direct abuse, was prevalent.
‘Despite the nickname being overtly racist, unfortunately, it was not the worst facet of the interpersonal racism that I encountered during my 10 years at CFC.’
Lumumba blew the whistle on Collingwood for ‘systemic’ racism, sparking an investigation and subsequent allegations of racial discrimination within the club.
The scathing report was made public, finding the club’s attempts to deal with allegations of racism were either ‘ineffective’ or ‘exacerbated’ the situation.
Buckley, who is indigenous and played 26 games with the club, posted comments on a Facebook page belonging to former AFL player Shae McNamara
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