‘Before Cook’: Indigenous Ceremony at Football Final Reignites Debate

A slightly unusual Welcome to Country ceremony before the AFL semi-final last weekend has led One Nation leader Pauline Hanson to repeat her call to ban it.

Brendan Kerin performs Welcome to Country for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2023 at Carriageworks in Sydney, Australia, on May 15, 2023. Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty Images for AAFW

A traditional Welcome to Country ceremony performed before the AFL semi-final between GWS Giants and Brisbane Lions at Sydney’s Engie Stadium on Saturday night has caused debate.

Aboriginal Elder Brendan Kerin deviated from the usual format, leading One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson to renew her call for the practice to be ended.