AFL fans have taken to social media to slam Channel Seven for incorrectly stating that North Melbourne midfielder Harry Sheezel is the first Jewish player in the league’s history.
The controversy was sparked following a social media post from Seven, showing a photo of Sheezel alongside a quote from the 20-year-old.
‘Hopefully I’m paving the way for a few more to come through in the next few years,’ Sheezel had said in relation to being ‘the first Jewish AFL player’.
Fans were quick to jump in the comment section to call out the network for overlooking the contributions of earlier Jewish players.
‘Not the first do your research,’ posted one user.
Others pointed out the names of other Jewish players, including Mordy Bromberg, Ian Synman and Ezra Poyas.
AFL fans blasted Channel Seven for reporting that North Melbourne midfielder Harry Sheezel is the first Jewish player in the league’s history
Channel Seven has since taken down the social media post (pictured)
Channel Seven has since taken down the post from their social media platforms.
Sheezel however was the first Jewish player to be drafted into the AFL since 1999, when Poyas debuted.
The prodigious footy talent was picked at three by North Melbourne in 2022 but barely had time to celebrate before he was the target of a torrent of antisemitic comments online.
Comments posted included, ‘A Jew actually doing physical exercise? Fake news’, and ‘Does he have enough gas in the tank?’.
He told The Australian afterwards: ‘My initial reaction was I kind of found it quite disrespectful, obviously,
‘I think they’re just ignorant and uneducated and they’re probably not sure about the impact that stuff can have, but to be honest, I don’t let that stuff affect me.
‘I just think those people probably need to learn and they need to find out that that’s not right or tolerated in today’s society.’
Sheezel attended the prestigious Mount Scopus Memorial College (where former Aussie Test cricketer Michael Klinger is one of the esteemed alumni), one of the world’s top Jewish day schools; where he learnt to speak Hebrew.
Sheezel (pictured with partner Mischa) was the first Jewish player drafted since 1999
The talented midfielder was the target of antisemitic comments online in 2022
Before playing in the top-flight junior NAB League, he played his junior footy with Jewish club AJAX, the club his father Dean played more than 150 senior games at.
99,956 Australians, 46,645 of which lived in Victoria, identified as Jewish according to the 2021 Census – so the fact Sheezel is already making waves in footy has made him somewhat of a celebrity already in the community.
While he isn’t specifically religious, his family practice the traditional Jewish customs and traditions every year, and it’s made him determined to be a role model in his community.
‘You get these kids that you’ve just never seen come up to you and are like, ‘Oh, ‘you’re Harry Sheezel,’ I go to Scopus as well. You see these kids, they look at me how I used to look at Lance Franklin. And it’s just like, wow, like, I can be such a positive role model and an influence to these kids,’ he told News Corp.
‘It is sometimes a bit of pressure, like if you don’t perform, am I letting them down? But I think I have the belief that I think I can make it more positive than negative.
‘I guess now it’s kind of real that it is going to happen. So now I can kind of relax a bit and just try to give back to the community and show them that it is possible.
‘I think that’s the way I’m gonna look, I just want it to be more common, I think it definitely can be,’ said Sheezel of the chance more Jewish players would make a name for themselves in the AFL.’
