Officials from the AFL have moved swiftly to distance themselves from the allegations of racial abuse labelled at the Irish public by player Brendan Fevola.
Fevola, sent home earlier this week following a violent incident in a Galway nightclub, suggested that racist taunts aimed at Aboriginal members of the Australian squad had prompted his actions.
But AFL chief executive, Andrew Demetriou, has gone on the record to deny these claims, suggesting the Carlton player was looking for excuses for his behaviour.
"I can categorically tell you it is completely untrue that our players have suffered any racial abuse," Demetriou told Australian radio this morning.
"We've spoken to them [the players] just to confirm that wasn't the case and all of them, as one, have said they have not suffered any racial abuse and, in fact, they have been treated really well here.
"I think it's a really unfair slur on the Irish public with that allegation surfacing and it's just completely untrue."
