By Mikayla van Loon
Community members have expressed their disgust of the vandalism at Morrison Reserve in Mount Evelyn, after it was revealed the Nazi associated swastika was chemically burnt into the soccer pitch a number of weeks ago.
Lilydale Eagles Soccer Club, the primary users of the ground, took to social media to condemn the act and confirm its standing on such a hateful symbol.
“Lilydale Eagles would like to take the opportunity to affirm that we stand together against any form of bigotry or hatred,” it read.
“There is no room for this hatred in our community or at our club.”
Mount Evelyn RSL president Matthew Crymble also shared a post on social media to denounce the behaviour particularly in the lead up to Anzac Day.
“The members of the Mount Evelyn RSL would like to strongly state their disgust and repulsion of the wanton vandalism at the Morrison Reserve soccer pitch with a detested symbol of hatred – the Nazi swastika,” he wrote.
“Our sub-branch condemns this shameful act of intentional torment. Three men from Mount Evelyn gave their lives in the fight against Nazi tyranny during the Second World War and are listed on our war memorial. This act dishonours their memory.”
Mr Crymble said he hopes the vandals are quietly sought out and can repair the damage at their own cost while being “publicly outed, named and shamed.”
He said now he would be turning his attention to honouring all servicemen and women who have fought tyranny in all wars.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said there has been “a dramatic surge in antisemitism in Australia [and] we should be alarmed about anyone who so openly identifies with the unspeakable crimes of the Third Reich.”
“This is not Nazi Germany and this cowardly act of vandalism which deliberately targeted young people playing sports needs to end now,” he said.
Dr Abramovich also said it was a disgrace to the memory of both Jewish people and Australian diggers who fought to reprimand the ideology of Hitler.
“This graffiti is a desecration of the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others exterminated by the Nazi regime. It is also a spit on the memory of the valiant diggers who died to defeat the Nazis.
“Anyone who loves our country will not feel comfortable knowing that there are individuals in our midst who are brazenly and proudly weaponizing a symbol that represents the pure evil that led to the death squads and gas chambers.”
While the incident has only just come to light, the Lilydale Eagles said in a statement originally provided to Nine News, that it first had a meeting with Yarra Ranges Council on 2 March to discuss the options for repairing the pitch.
“We were advised that actions such as these are becoming more frequent in the Yarra Ranges shire and that grass seed would be established to cover the dead patches of grass,” the statement read.
Yarra Ranges Council confirmed its sportsfield team had been liaising with clubs about how to restore the ground while being conscious of not interfering with play and training.
“Council is incredibly disappointed and frustrated by this highly offensive act of vandalism carried out on the home grounds of the Lilydale Eagles Soccer Clubs,” council CEO Tammi Rose said.
“This type of senseless behaviour not only causes distress to the club’s members and those in the community who use the grounds, but also comes at a cost to the ratepayers of Yarra Ranges to repair it.”
The council’s maintenance team has discussed trialling colour spraying of the impacted area to distort the hate symbol.
While the Lilydale Eagles junior teams have been able to continue using the ground for training over the last five weeks, the statement addressed concern for those who understood the symbols meaning.
“Whilst the anti-semetic symbols burned into the pitch would not normally have an impact on our junior cohort, we are consciously aware of the impact on those that are aware of the meaning behind this.
“We are of course concerned that this will have a negative impact on our club which has already felt the burden of two years on unfinished and interrupted seasons.”
