Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune In: Do Better report

15 minutes

Find Out: Researched responses

25 minutes

Take Action: Understanding civil rights in the AFL

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

evaluate how the Collingwood Football Club has responded to racism and civil rights challenges
explore the broader impact of Collingwood’s Do Better report and its efforts to create change.

Success criteria

Students can:

analyse how the Do Better report addresses past racism and aims to create a more inclusive future.

Tune In: Do Better report

Step 1

Introduce students to the Do Better report (https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2021/02/01/0bd7a62e-7508-4a7e-9cb0-37c375507415/Do_Better.pdf), previously explored in the last lesson. Explain to the students that this independent review was commissioned in response to concerns about systemic racism at the Collingwood Football Club, and the Club’s failure to adequately address those issues.

Step 2

Direct students to the Student Worksheet, which contains 5 quotes from the report. Divide students into groups of 2-3 and ask them to use the excerpts to analyse how Collingwood’s Do Better report addresses past racism and aims to create a more inclusive future where racism is prevented, as the intention of the report was to understand and acknowledge the past to create a better future.

Ask students to write a short summary of their understanding. For example, ‘The Do Better report aims to fix Collingwood’s history of ignoring racism by changing policies, admitting past mistakes, and making anti-racism part of everything the club does instead of providing public-facing quick fixes.’

Learning extension: Group students in same-ability groupings, and direct the group requiring extension to read the multiple-page executive summary of the Do Better report instead of the quotes.

Step 3

Ask students to discuss the following questions in their groups:

What makes this report significant?
What does ‘systemic racism’ mean in a sporting club?
How does the Collingwood Football Club plan to ‘normalise’ anti-racism?
Why is ‘truth-telling’ important for addressing past harms?

Step 4

Invite students to share their responses with the class, and encourage them to explain why they feel their answers are important in the context of the report. Facilitate a class discussion by prompting students to build on each other's ideas, making connections between their responses and real-world examples of racism and anti-racism efforts.

Guide the conversation to highlight the significance of acknowledging and addressing past harms in creating a more inclusive and respectful sporting environment.

Find Out: Researched responses

Step 1

Organise the class into 3 groups. Explain to them that they are going to investigate how the Collingwood Football Club has responded to the Do Better report by focusing on 1 of the following 3 areas allocated to them:

policy changes (for example, anti-racism framework, truth-telling process)
initiatives (for example, the Barrawarn program)
education and partnerships (for example, cultural safety education and training of staff)

Step 2

Ask each group to find a fair, equitable, and inclusive way to organise a group leader, who will be charged with recording and organising any research information onto the poster (for example, putting all names into a hat and drawing 1 out).

Step 3

Provide each group with a large piece of poster paper and ask the group leader to write their allocated topic as a heading. Students may work independently or in pairs within each group to research their allocated topic, using their devices and the resources listed on the Student Worksheet as a starting point.

Ask students to reference their source next to each piece of research or information they add to their poster.

Step 4

Ask each team leader to present their poster to the class, highlighting the responses made by the Collingwood Football Club. Use questioning to encourage critical thinking around each response, such as:

How might this change prevent future racism?
What impact could these responses have on the culture of the club and its players?
How can the changes suggested in the report inspire other sporting clubs or communities to take similar actions?

Take Action: Understanding civil rights in the AFL

Step 1

Ask students to reflect on the definition of civil rights and how racism may impact these rights in sports, particularly within the AFL. Have students work in pairs to discuss:

How do you think racism affects the civil rights of AFL players, especially those from marginalised communities?
What examples can you think of where racism in sport has limited someone's civil rights?
Why is it important for sports organisations like the AFL to protect civil rights and promote fairness for all players?

Step 2

Explain to students that civil rights are the basic freedoms and protections that every individual is entitled to, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or other characteristics. These rights ensure equal treatment under the law and provide protections against discrimination. In sports, civil rights include fair treatment on and off the field, access to equal opportunities, and protection from harassment or exclusion.

Racism occurs when people are unfairly treated or judged based on their race or ethnic background. This can result in unequal access to opportunities, resources, and respect, which directly impacts civil rights. In the context of AFL, racism may manifest in how players are treated, the opportunities they are given, or how they are represented in the media. It is important to understand how racism can limit individuals' access to their civil rights and hinder their ability to thrive both in sport and society.

Step 3

Ask students to imagine that they have been given a new role at the Collingwood Football Club and must propose new initiatives that will further the Club’s commitment to the civil rights of all players.

Some examples of areas to work within could be:

bystander intervention training
partnerships with marginalised communities
amplifying diverse voices in leadership
public awareness campaigns.

Learning support: In the previous lesson, students brainstormed ways their school or local sporting clubs can foster stronger, more inclusive communities. You may encourage students to refer to this list to support them in creating a community impact plan proposal.

Step 4

Once ready, provide students with an activity sheet to complete a community impact plan proposal that outlines their ideas and implementation plans.

Reflection

Step 1

Ask students to imagine they are presenting their proposal to the Collingwood Football Club board. They have 15 seconds to convince them to adopt their new inclusivity initiative.

Step 2

After all presentations are completed, ask students to vote on which plan they believe will have the largest and most systemic impact.

Exploring Collingwood Today - How Can the AFL Promote Civil Rights?

Go to

Summary

Lesson guides and printables

In this lesson