Robbie Muir (footballer) facts for kids

Robert "Robbie" Muir (born 8 October 1953) is an Indigenous former Australian rules football player for the St Kilda Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He also played for West Torrens Football Club and Woodville Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Recruited from the Ballarat Football League, he played 68 VFL games over 7 interrupted seasons between 1974 and 1984 and is regarded as a brilliant player who was notorious for angry outbursts on the field, often in response to vicious racial abuse by both opposition fans and on-field players. He was reported 13 times and suspended for 22 weeks, including 12 weeks after a fiery outburst against Carlton in 1984. Such outbursts led to him being known by the nickname "Mad Dog", a name which Muir himself did not like.

Early life

Muir's family were Yorta Yorta people from the Cummeragunja mission on the Murray River near Moama although Muir grew up in Ballarat. Muir's mother Myrtle raised and fostered over 43 children and Muir states there were never fewer than 11 people living in the family house. Muir's father, Cyril, was a painter.

Muir attended Ballarat Technical School until the age of 15. After leaving school Muir worked as a slaughterman. He played his junior football for Ballarat Football Club and captained their under-18 team. A brilliant football talent, Muir was subject to continuous degrading racial taunts as a junior. Ballarat's senior coach at the time and former North Melbourne player, Len Templar, said Muir was "as brilliant a player off nothing as I've ever seen".

Muir first became a father aged around 16 or 17. His daughter was adopted out against his will - Muir claims she was stolen. Muir did not meet his daughter until she was 18.

In 1971, while playing for Ballarat against Redan, Muir was reported for kicking his opponent. Muir claimed it was an impulsive trip rather than a kick and his opponent whom he was alleged to have kicked supported him. However, evidence from the umpires asserted it was a "deliberate, vicious kick". Muir was suspended by Ballarat Football League officials for two and a half years. Ballarat Football Club took the league to the Supreme Court of Victoria but were unsuccessful in having the suspension overturned; the club alleged racial bias and collusion. During this enforced break from organised football, Muir played football for aboriginal representative teams including a tour to Papua New Guinea in 1973 under the guidance of Sir Doug Nicholls who was also from the Cummeragunja Mission.

At the end of his suspension in 1974, Muir returned to play for Ballarat and on the strength of seven "astonishing" games for the club, he was recruited by St Kilda mid-season.

VFL and SANFL career

Muir was recruited by St Kilda in the middle of the 1974 season. He played 50 VFL senior games by early 1977 mainly under the coaching of Allan Jeans, winning St Kilda's most improved player award in 1975, but would only play another 18 games in the next four seasons.

Muir's ability as a footballer was confirmed by Ron Barassi who described him as one of the VFL's most talented players. Len Templar said "There was no better player than Muir. ... He could have done anything". Neil Roberts, who Muir reveres for his friendship, said "He's not a fellow, he's a happening". St Kilda's official history says "[Muir] played football with a cyclonic power that was allied to one-touch skills".

Muir was given the nickname "Mad Dog" by team-mate Kevin Neale who thought Muir ran around the field "like a sheep dog ... mad". The name stuck and later became associated with the numerous acts of on-field violence perpetuated by Muir. Former AFL coach John Northey, who mentored Muir in Ballarat, was very critical of the name, saying "I think Robert is more maligned than any player who's ever played the game. I think it put him in positions he shouldn't have been in".

Towards the end of his first spell at St Kilda in 1978, Muir was reported for kicking his opponent in a reserves game against South Melbourne for which he received an eight-week suspension. In defending him at the tribunal, his advocate relied on racial stereotypes - to the disgust of Muir. Muir transferred to West Torrens Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) for the 1979 season. While at West Torrens, Muir was suspended for four matches for striking North Adelaide captain Barry Stringer and was acquitted of a charge of striking an umpire.

Muir returned to St Kilda in 1980. Later that season, in a match against Collingwood, Muir was again reported for striking Ray Shaw.

At the end of 1980, Muir left St Kilda, returning to Ballarat for a while and then later settling in Adelaide. Muir returned to St Kilda in 1984 at the request of coach Tony Jewell, who allowed Muir to train in Adelaide and fly in to Melbourne for matches. In a reserves match in Geelong in April that season, Muir responded to persistent racial taunts from Geelong senior players over the fence - giving them "the finger" and ripping off his jumper to show them his black skin. Muir kicked seven goals that game.

Later than season, Muir played Carlton at their home ground Princes Park, Carlton. In a spiteful match, where Muir claims he was repeatedly racially vilified by his Carlton opponents - "every five or 10 minutes" - Muir was reported for violent conduct seven times. Muir was suspended for 12 matches.

Muir signed with SANFL club Woodville Football Club for the 1985, then coached by Malcolm Blight. In Woodville's away match against his former team West Torrens at Thebarton Oval, Muir again retaliated violently to repeated racial attacks. Playing at full-back, Muir was relentlessly hounded by West Torrens supporters in the crowd who spat on Muir with one supporter throwing cans and bottles at him. Muir asked his teams support staff to ask the police to eject the offender - nothing happened. At the end of the game, after again being hit by a thrown can, Muir took the matters into his own hands; he jumped the fence and repeatedly punched the offender. The police then intervened - to arrest Muir. Muir was sacked by Woodville as a result and this brought an end to his professional football career.

Post-football

After football, Muir worked with a range of Aboriginal charitable groups, including with Aboriginal prisoners and mentoring young Aboriginal footballers and cricketers. He also coached RecLink football teams.

In 2006, Muir became involved in umpiring in an amateur league which was notorious for its players who disrespected officials. With Muir, a fearsome player, as umpire, it was believed his intimidating presence might help stamp out this behaviour. He also umpired the EJ Whitten Legends Game in 2006 as well as the "Barristers v Solicitors" charity game at Glenferrie Oval on 25 June 2006.

Muir has not been included in any Indigenous events organised by the St Kilda Football Club or the Australian Football League despite his high-profile role as one of few Indigenous players playing at the highest level in the 1970s.

In August 2020, Muir went public about being racially vilified by spectators, opponents, and even his own teammates during his playing days. Both the AFL and the St Kilda Football Club issued unreserved apologies for the despicable way Muir was treated.

Muir was widely praised for his courage in exposing the level of racism that was prevalent during the time. As of 2020^[update], Muir is retired and lives on the outskirts of Adelaide.