Rugby League

Bullying victim Quaden Bayles lead out All Stars

February 23, 2020 5:59 am

Bullying victim Quaden Bayles was asked to lead the team out on to Cbus Super Stadium.

This came after an outpouring of support for the nine-year-old over a video posted by his mum of her distraught son went viral this week.

It was a gesture once synonymous with AFL.

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South Sydney recruit Latrell Mitchell led the war cry against the Māori but Addo-Carr stole the limelight when the Melbourne flyer stood in front of his Indigenous teammates and lifted his shirt, proudly pointing to his chest as he looked into the stands.

It echoed Winmar’s defiant actions in 1993 to show his passion for his people – albeit under very different circumstances.

Back then the Saints star’s poignant display was in response to racial abuse at the hands of Collingwood fans at Victoria Park.

It become such a powerful symbol for the fight against racism in not only sport but the country that Winmar was immortalized in bronze with a statue at Perth’s Optus Stadium last year.

It also clearly had an impact on Addo-Carr.

All eyes were on the pre-match war cry after the Australian and New Zealand national anthems were scrapped.

The ARL Commission first made the decision to ditch Advance Australia Fair before the game on the advice of the game’s Indigenous players.

The Māori team then made the call to shelve God Defend New Zealand.

The seed was sown after Addo-Carr was among the NSW stars who protested the anthem in the past, including during the 2019 State of Origin series, with players saying “it doesn’t represent us”.

Addo-Carr locked arms with Blues teammates Payne Haas, Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell and did not sing the anthem last year.

There was another strong message sent by the Indigenous outfit before Addo-Carr’s inspirational gesture.