Rugby player Anthony Mundine urges Australia anthem boycott

A former rugby league star is urging a boycott of the national anthem to raise awareness of the treatment of indigenous Australians.

Anthony Mundine, who is of the Bundjalung people of New South Wales, called for Australian sportsmen to follow the lead of NFL players who have kneeled during during the US anthem in protest against the treatment of African Americans.

He made the call ahead of the Australian Rules (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) grand finals, the showpiece events at the culmination of the season for the two sports.

The idea was first mooted on Australian pop culture website Junkee and the former rugby league player turned boxer highlighted it by posting on his Facebook page: "Been saying this for years!

"All players aboriginal & non aboriginal should boycott the anthem & start changing Australia's ignorant mentality.

"Lets move forward together yo."

Last month's protest by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick attracted attention and criticism.

He later explained his action to NFL Media: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour.

"To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

That protest spread to other players and sports in North America.

Larry Corowa and Joe Williams, two other former rugby league players, have also urged indigenous players in the NRL final not to stand for the anthem.

"Imagine if a couple of guys did it on grand final day - what a powerful message it would send to white Australia," Williams told Rugby League Week.

"It would bring all the racism that's in the closet to the surface - the racism we have to put up with every day. The way we are treated in shops, the way people look at us on the street and the way the government treats us.

"It's time it stopped. And our footballers are role models and the ideal ones to bring about change."

Australian Rules has battled the booing and racist abuse of indigenous players, with the now retired Sydney Swans utility Adam Goodes one of the first to make a stand against such behaviour.

He had a 13-year-old girl ejected from the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground during a match in 2013 after she called him an "ape".