AFL legend’s bold plea to King Charles

THE LONG WALK LAUNCH
AFL legend Michael Long has revealed plans to travel to London to petition King Charles III to support the Voice. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

AFL legend and Indigenous leader Michael Long has revealed plans to travel to London to petition King Charles III to support the Voice.

The former Essendon player has been a vocal advocate for the Yes camp, and is walking from Melbourne to Canberra to drum up support.

With less than two weeks left on his 600km journey, the 53-year-old told Nine newspapers he would petition the King for support.

“I call on the head of the Commonwealth, I’m calling on King Charles … You are head of the Commonwealth, you are our king,” Long said.

THE LONG WALK LAUNCH
Michael Long began the Long Walk from Melbourne to Canberra to support the Voice earlier this year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

“Well, it’s time. If you are the leader you say you are, support the Yes campaign, support the change.

“So, we’re going to take this to London, even if we have to beg the King.”

Royals rarely comment publicly on political issues in the United Kingdom, let alone in Australia and other realms or Commonwealth countries.

None of the royals, including King Charles III, have made any public statements about the Voice to parliament or the respective campaigns.

“I’m calling on his sons, Prince William and Harry (too), your grandmother was head of other black nations, we are no different,” Long said.

None of the royals, including King Charles III, have made any public statements about the Voice to parliament. Picture: by Leon Neal / AFP
None of the royals, including King Charles III, have made any public statements about the Voice to parliament. Picture: by Leon Neal / AFP

“So we are calling on King Charles please stand with us, please stand with the Australians that want to move forward.”

The plea comes as Long seeks to recreate an identical walk made 19 years earlier to protest former prime minister John Howard abolition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

Long was on Monday joined by former Liberal MP and ultra-marathoner Pat Farmer, who is running around Australia to support the Voice.

Farmer told Nine he had spoken to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, a vocal opponent of the Voice, prior to begining his run in April.

PM Presser
Pat Farmer, centre, ran 10,000km around Australia for the Yes vote. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Sam Ruttyn ,

Mr Farmer said he was “incredibly disappointed with the fact that this whole thing has been politicised by the opposition”.

“If they didn’t make this political it would sail through, it would be no problem whatsoever,” he said.

“I think we’ll be damned by the rest of the world if we make the wrong decision.”

Mr Dutton drew criticism on Sunday after telling SkyNews he would support a second referendum if the Voice failed.

The vote, contigenet on the Liberal party gaining power, would be on constitutional recognition, but without a Voice to parliament.