Jewish AFL draftee swipes 'deplorable' abuse

1 year ago 72

Jewish AFL draftee Harry Sheezel admits helium was stunned by the anti-Semitic maltreatment directed astatine him and branded it "disrespectful".

The rising guardant landed astatine North Melbourne with pick 3 successful the AFL draft connected Monday night, but the realisation of a imagination was marred by repulsive online commentary, immoderate of which made notation to the Holocaust.

The AFL, which slammed the maltreatment arsenic "deplorable" done a spokesperson, is investigating the matter.

"It really did (surprise me)," Sheezel said connected Tuesday.

"Playing my inferior shot vocation and astatine school, I really ne'er experienced anti-Semitism before. So I wasn't truly definite what was happening.

"It was rather disrespectful."

Aaron Cadman (GWS) and Will Ashcroft (Brisbane) were snapped up with the archetypal 2 selections of the draft, earlier North Melbourne swooped connected Sheezel and George Wardlaw with consecutive picks.

Sheezel became the first subordinate of Jewish practice to beryllium drafted since 1999.

"I didn't truly fto that worldly get to me," Sheezel said of the abuse.

"I effort to absorption connected the excitement of the draught and effort to marque it each astir that.

"Look, those benignant of radical are gonna accidental stuff.

"But if you fto it get to you, it tin impact you. So I conscionable effort to absorption connected what I tin control.

"I conscionable deliberation they should astir apt go much educated astir the topic. They astir apt should recognize the harm that their words tin person connected people."

Giants prime Cadman astatine No.1

Sheezel wants to acceptable a beaming illustration for his community.

"Yeah, it means a lot," helium said.

"The Jewish assemblage is simply a large sporting community, arsenic well.

"So to beryllium drafted, I present spot myself arsenic a relation exemplary for kids to hopefully travel successful my footsteps."

Sheezel was presented his North Melbourne jumper by caller Kangaroos manager Alastair Clarkson, whose erstwhile Hawks helium idolised arsenic a kid.

There are nary doubts those days are down him.

"I'm not a Hawthorn protagonist anymore; I'm a North antheral now, which is truly exciting," Sheezel said.

"To conscionable Alastair Clarkson past week — it's been beauteous peculiar and I can't hold to play nether him."

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