MAKING a stand.

Sam Docherty said he, his fellow teammates and his club would rally behind Eddie Betts and all of its Indigenous players.

As the AFL’s players took a knee pre-match across the weekend, Docherty said instances like this - where a racist social media comment was targeted at Betts - were “the exact reason why” players were speaking up.

He said the time for silence is over.

“Being silent hasn’t worked for a number of years, so as an industry and as a footy club, we’re going to stand behind our Indigenous players and make a stand,” Docherty said.

“For the criticism the AFL is getting for being political, what we’re trying to do is make this right.

“To see him vilified like that, it hurts us… I can’t understand what that does to Eddie, I never will.”

Docherty said all involved at Ikon Park would support Betts, who played his first game for the Club in seven years on the weekend.

“For anyone asking why we’re taking a knee pre-game, why we’re trying to make a difference, why we’re trying to do something about it, this is the exact reason why,” he said.

“He’s one of our teammates and one of the most loved figures of our football club. We’ve got to wrap our arms around him.”