'Stick to boxing': Mundine's anthem boycott slammed

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has put Anthony Mundine on the ropes after he said AFL and NRL players should boycott the national anthem to protest against racial inequality and injustice.

The former rugby league star and boxer has been slammed by both the PM and social media users after his video urging people to make a stand at ANZ Stadium and the MCG in support of the indigenous community.

“The two big codes are played, both codes, AFL and NRL, work hard to be inclusive and embrace modern Australia and all of its diversity and this is a time when we all come together,” Mr Turnbull told 3AW.

“I think everyone should sing and everyone should just be proud about their country, our country, and the fact that we can come together in sport.”

“Sport is supposed to bring us all together, not divide,” Loralei said in reply to Mundine’s tweet.

“Mate stick to boxing and not the politics of division, we are all Aussies,” Peter Hindwood said.

The campaign, driven by Australian pop culture website Junkee, follows the lead of San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who have knelt during the US anthem to protest against racial inequality and injustice.

"Been saying this for years!" Mundine posted on Facebook on Thursday.

"The anthem was written in late 1700s where blackfullas (sic) were considered fauna (animals) advance Australia fair as in white not fair as in fair go ...

"All players aboriginal & non aboriginal should boycott the anthem & start changing Australia's ignorant mentality...lets move forward together yo."

Last week, former league players Larry Corowa and Joe Williams also called on indigenous players in Sunday's NRL decider to not stand for the anthem.

"Imagine if a couple of guys did it on grand final day - what a powerful message it would send to white Australia," Williams told Rugby League Week.

"It would bring all the racism that's in the closet to the surface - the racism we have to put up with every day. The way we are treated in shops, the way people look at us on the street and the way the government treats us.

"It's time it stopped. And our footballers are role models and the ideal ones to bring about change."