Two-thirds Of South Australians Agree The Voice And Politics Is Out Of Bounds In Sport

“The Port Adelaide Football Club’s decision this week to focus on politics rather than football betrays so many of their passionate supporters who do not want their club to be a mouthpiece for the political class,” said Daniel Wild, Deputy Executive Director of the Institute of Public Affairs.

As part of the IPA’s research into South Australians’ views on the Voice to Parliament proposal released last month, respondents were also asked if sporting clubs, such as the Adelaide and Port Adelaide Football Clubs, should stay out of political matters, including in relation to the proposed Voice to Parliament. The results showed;

• Agreed: 65%
• Disagreed: 20%
• Unsure: 15%

Critically, 52% of Labor voters agreed politics and the Voice to Parliament should be kept out of sport. So too did 51% of those undecided on how they would vote at the referendum and 44% of those who indicated that would likely vote yes for the Voice to Parliament.

“The only time South Australians should be divided by sport is at the Showdown at the Adelaide Oval. Sporting clubs should stay out of politics and leave South Australians to make up their own minds on issues,” said Mr Wild.

“The decision by Port Adelaide, and previously by the Adelaide Crows, reveals the division between supporters and the corporate elite who control organisations like the AFL, who expect us to just sit there and accept their woke posturing as the price of attending the footy.”

These sentiments reflect the results of IPA research undertaken in October 2022 where 61% of respondents agreed that, “Sporting codes like the AFL, NRL, cricket, and netball have become too politically correct”.

The same research showed that 62% of respondents agreed that, “It is wrong that professional athletes are using their positions to campaign for their own personal political causes.”

“Sport should unite our community, where we all play and cheer together, not be used as a vehicle for the crass virtue signalling of the political class and inner-city elites,” said Mr Wild.